Dave Fetherolf and his team of esteemed woodworkers at Bent Nail Architectural Millwork are lauded for their beautifully-crafted custom entryways as well as other custom millwork such as decorative woodwork, cabinets, trim and molding, windows and custom furniture. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dave to learn about Bent Nail and what makes their custom entryways so highly coveted.
Tell me a little bit about Bent Nail and why luxury entryways are your specialty.
Bent Nail is a family-owned and operated company that has changed and adapted over the years but has always been centered around custom woodworking and a quality product. The journey began when my dad, John Fetherolf, was building custom homes and struggled to find quality doors to install. He started handcrafting his own, which led to building doors for other contractors and homeowners as well. In 1992, we founded Bent Nail Architectural Millwork as a father and son duo, specializing in unique custom wood door designs as well as renovation requiring new woodwork to match existing woodwork. As the larger companies turned to cookie-cutter doors and mass production, we stayed true to who we are. Through the years we have built entryways and doors you cannot get anywhere else. The quality and uniqueness are hard to find, which has allowed us to reach so many home and business owners. There is no assembly line. Just our workshop, our tools, our craftsmen and dedication to quality.
How can the entryways that you make be customized?
Each entryway is designed to fit the specific style and preference of its owner. When we receive an inquiry, we will go to the home or business to get a good understanding of what they are looking for. There are different types of wood and door configurations (double or single door, sidelights or transforms) as well as different types of glass, hardware, stain and paint colors. As visionaries, we take a homeowner’s vision and bring it to life. The best part about customizing entryways is when you can take a customer’s vision and design an entryway like nothing you've ever done or seen before.
How many entryways do you create each year?
We usually create around four to five a month and that ends up being about 60 a year, along with other custom jobs.
I have to ask... What does a typical day look like for you?
I get there at 5:30 a.m. and answer emails, put together quotes or invoices and drawings until our employees get at 7 a.m. I work in the shop from around 7-10 a.m. to make sure all the projects are being built correctly and the rest of the day I bounce back and forth from the shop to the office, answering phone calls, meeting with clients and making sure the projects are on task.
That sounds like a busy day. Over the years, have you made an entryway that stands out to you as your favorite?
The main entrance at the Akron Zoo. The entryway is a pair of 4-foot-wide, 12-foot-tall and 3.5-inch-thick doors. We had to reinforce it with steel in the middle because they were so big. The most difficult task was configuring the machining process for commercial heavy-duty hardware because of the wear and tear on the doors since they'd be in such a public location. It was my favorite because of the size of the door and it was like nothing we had ever done before.
What is something that makes Bent Nail stand apart from its competitors?
We pride ourselves on creating custom doors for retail customers. True customization is not offered by many other businesses because it is very time-consuming. Each project requires a lot of attention to detail. Also, we always educate our customers on what a quality wood entryway should be to ensure their 100% satisfaction with the completed project.
For more information about Bent Nail, visit BentNailmillWork.com or call 330.948.4500. Bent Nail is located at 830 Bank Street, Lodi, OH 44254, and is open Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and on Saturday by appointment only.