Brian Presnell: Indy Urban Hardwood Co.

Brian Presnell: Indy Urban Hardwood Co.

Welcome back to a brand new episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast. Today your host Steve Larosiliere sits down with Brian Presnell from Indy Urban Hardwood Co. Born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana, Brian studied at the Herron School of Art and Design and studied furniture and sculpture back in the 90s.

Brian worked in a variety of museum positions, building things and recycling materials for exhibits and developing his own understanding of urban wood before the term had been coined. In 2000, the museum he was working at underwent some renovations and cleared a load of trees out from the property. Brian then had the idea to bring in a Woodmizer to cut up some of the logs into usable timber. Now 20 years later, it’s an incredible story.

“They were renovating the building, and when they cut some of these big trees down to make space for a new parking garage, I ran over to the horticultural people and said ‘Hey, can we recycle the logs?’ And they're like, ‘What are you talking about?’ 

Really, the first time I thought there might be a use for this stuff was back then I was just getting going. I had a studio, I studied furniture design, and so I mean, by virtue of being a starving artist, in a way was how I started finding reclaimed and recycling material. 

There was a furniture factory on the east side. And I used to dumpster dive and get maple and cherry and other stuff to make some of my early projects with.”

• Brian Presnell

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