TEAM PROFILE: ADAM SMITH

ADAM SMITH: WOODWORKER

Need 6 stain samples on the fly? Adam Smith is your man - well, APOC’s man. The in-house stain mixologist, he can match colors and knows how to make a table top glisten. Not only that, but he is a talented wood worker and is quick to identify problems within any fabrication process.

Hands on and energetic, Adam finds opportunity in his work. “[I like the] freedom to create furniture from locally sourced wood.” When asked what a typical day was like for him, he responded “There is now and have never been a typical day in the shop!” Adam is definitely kept on his toes, because his skills go beyond woodworking.

Besides working on the shop floor, Adam is the deconstruction specialist, which is how he got his start at APOC in the first place. “I attended a sustainability workshop and decided to volunteer for APOC. I then started on fulltime in 2008 after completing Cleveland’s first deconstruction project in Slavic Village.”

Since getting his start here, Adam has been involved in just about all the deconstruction projects through APOC. With a team, he goes into dilapidated houses around Cleveland scheduled for demolition, and pulls out usable and valuable materials. This is exactly what he loves about his job. “We work to keep housing stock out of the landfill. They’re not making this beautiful wood anymore!”

This is what he believes makes APOC unique. “We source the materials ourselves; like a restaurant with a garden out back.” 

With big projects and custom orders custom orders coming in, it can be a juggle in the shop with space and manpower. What keeps everything rolling? According to Adam: “Communication and teamwork!”

Here is a little more about Adam:

Personal interests: “I enjoy reading and grouper sandwiches. I have a side gig shucking oysters for my friends' events. I do a lot of biking and I love being able to change Cleveland from the inside!”

His favorite tool in the shop: “The planer transforms painted, ugly wood into works of art.”

His favorite places in Cleveland: “Anywhere there’s a patio in the summer, and a fireplace in the winter.”

His favorite part of the upcycle/creation process: Cleaning off old pieces of lumber and revealing their true character