Meet Team RTF

We believe that our company is only as good as the people who fill it. Our team is full of passionate, spirited, all in individuals who are ready to crush it! Our mission and vision are at the center of everything we do – to create quality, custom furniture so YOU can create lasting memories for a lifetime.

Meet Our Georgia Team!

President

Clay Adams

Meet our founder and President, Clay Adams. The table he promised his wife he’d make has grown into everything that Rustic Trades Furniture is! He is our biggest visionary and creative. He leads Rustic Trades with energy and excitement – ready to take on every new opportunity! When he isn’t in the showroom managing Sales & Marketing, connecting with team members, sketching up custom tables, or making commercial sales you can find him outside or spending time with his wife and three kids!

Email:clay@rustictrades.com

Direct of Production

Joshua Lavigne

Josh is the brains and organization behind everything our team builds and sends out. He leads our team of craftsman, overseeing everything from ordering materials to lining up deliveries. He is thorough, smart, and witty. He drinks more coffee than anyone you know and loves a good read. Josh is a former fire fighter and white water raft guide. When he isn’t at the shop he can be found entertaining his kids or spending some quality time in the outdoors!

Email:josh@rustictrades.com

Project Manager

Holly Austin

Meet Holly! She is our Project Manager and one of our go getters. She is incredibly organized, a strong self-starter, and manages all things financial for us. She has been with Rustic Trades for over four years now and is passionate about setting our team up for success. Holly is a new mom and when she isn’t working she spends much of her time caring for her new daughter or alongside her husband.

Email:holly@rustictrades.com

Sales and Customer Relations

Elise Carter

Elise has been on our team since the beginning. She is our powerhouse sales woman and brings so much energy into the team. She is a doer! If you’ve placed an order with us, you’ve most likely gotten to know her well. Elise has done it all – she is an ex classical pianist, college athlete, and otherwise known as “Rustic Trades Mom.” When she isn’t making sales or managing the showroom, she can be found alongside her husband and two daughters!

 

 

Email:elise@rustictrades.com

Marketing Coordinator

Rachel Summerrow

Meet Rachel! She manages our socials, betters our website, writes blogs, and does all things marketing. She can always be found with a coffee in hand and is passionate about wellness. She is new to our team and works alongside our lead creative, Clay. She is a doer and makes things happen for us!

Email:rachel@rustictrades.com

Product Designer + Creative Collaborator

Alanna Lucier

Alanna joined our team as a product designer and creative collaborator. She works alongside our lead designer Clay designing cutting edge, innovative furniture for restaurants, offices, and commercial spaces. She also collaborates with Rachel on creative marketing projects. Alanna studied Industrial Design at Auburn University and graduated in 2018. She lives in Atlanta and on the weekends she is finding new restaurants, spending time on the belt line, and taking care of her pup. Alanna is a wonderful new addition to our team!

Email:alanna@rustictrades.com

Accounts Payable Support Specialist

April Schadt

April just joined our Finance team! She manages accounts payable and developing relationships with our vendors. She is married to her college sweetheart and has four kids – 3 in middle school so you know it’s always fun in her house! When she’s not at work she can be found adventuring with her family, serving at her church, running, or grabbing coffee with a friend. Before joining RTF worked as a bank manager, Health & P.E. teacher, and missionary in Africa. April is a go-getter, tons of fun, and an incredible addition to our team!

Email:april@rustictrades.com

Production Manager

Michael King

Meet Michael! As our Production Manager, he oversees all of our craftsman and manages all orders in the shop. Michael is an incredible leader to the shop team and is very organized. He has an art degree and has the creative eye and skill to create gorgeous customized pieces. Michael is local to Georgia and spends his time outside of the shop alongside his wife, daughter, and new baby.

Email:micheal@rustictrades.com

Senior Craftsman

John Michael Brown

John Michael is one of our Senior Craftsman. He has been in the woodworking trade for over five years and has a wide skillset which encompasses most everything we create at Rustic Trades. When he is not at work, he can be found rock climbing or doing Jiu Jitsu. He is married to his wife Lexie and has a cat named Rufus. He lost his finger to a bear attack while backpacking! We are so glad to have him on our team.

 

 

Senior Craftsman

Matthew Hosse

Matt is one of our senior craftsman. You can find him building tables, benches, and barn doors! Along with the standard craftsman responsibilities, Matt also helps with logistics and material sourcing. He loves the trade as he enjoys working with his hands and creating beautiful things. He is married and enjoys spending quality time with his family as well as getting active outside. He loves hunting, fishing, camping, and really anything outdoors!

Senior Craftsman

Jenna Castillo

Meet Jenna! She is one of our incredibly talented Senior Craftsman, specializing in our more custom, detail oriented projects. She has a 4 year wood working degree and enjoys making fundamental objects that will be used for years and years. When she’s not at work she can be found baking – we love the treats she brings to the shop for us. She loves all animals and has a cat of her own.

Senior Craftsman

David Turner

David is one of our talented senior craftsman. He specializes in building our farm tables, specifically our tops. David enjoys working in this trade as it keeps him busy and sustains his merriness. He is a Georgia native and enjoys spending time with his three dogs. There is no one like David and he makes the shop fun and interesting!

Builder

Elliott Alme

Meet Elliott! He is a new addition to our RT shop team. As a builder, he is learning aspects of the trade including: glueups, sanding, and finish prep. Elliott loves woodworking because it is a creative outlet where he gets to create something lasting and meaningful. When he’s not at work he can be found doing anything outdoors or hanging out near any body of water. He just moved back to Georgia after spending 10 years in SanDiego. We are so glad to have him join our team. 

Builder

Morgan Hansen

Morgan is a new addition to our shop team! As a builder, she is learning all aspects of the trade including glueups, sanding, and finish prep. Morgan enjoys this trade as you get to create beautiful looking things from beginning to end. When she isn’t in the shop she spends her nights and weekends playing in a couple bands playing the drums. She’s local to flowery branch and is in a relationship. Her favorite animal is a platypus but has a dog of her own, Major Tom. We are glad to have Morgan on our team!

___________________________________________________

Meet Our Colorado Team!

Operator / Lead Craftsman

Ross Beard

Ross is a US Coast Guard veteran (Semper Paratus!) and University of North Georgia alumnus. He is also brother-in-law to Clay Adams, who hired Ross as the first employee of Rustic Trades in 2011. Ross grew up admiring the talents of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and furniture designer and woodworker Sam Maloof. His greatest passion is woodworking and he spends most of his time learning and developing his craft. When he’s not in the woodshop, you will find him, rock climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking and enjoying the amazing outdoor splendor of Colorado with his wife, Rebecca, and their two dogs.

Email:ross@rustictrades.com

Foreman

Scott Garbe

Scott is our shop entertainment. He claims he charges for the singing but the woodworking is free. He is a US Army veteran, small business owner and joined the Rustic Trades team in 2018, bringing with him over 15 years of carpentry experience. He enjoys spending time with his lovely wife Olivia and their three kids, camping, fishing and watching NASCAR.

Administrator

Olivia Garbe

Olivia makes sure everything is running smoothly in the Colorado office! She works closely with Scott, the project manager, overseeing the schedule and communication with customers. Given the fact that the two have been married for over 20 years, they work surprisingly well together, much to the relief of their coworkers. Olivia has been a mom for 20 years and she cherishes time spent with her kids, as they are growing fast! When her family is fishing, you can find Olivia on the shore reading a book or knitting.

Email:olivia@rustictrades.com

Lead Builder

Danny Long

Danny is marked by his charisma, a smile is always drawn across his face. Danny joined team RTF in October of 2018 and quickly proved his talent. He is a craftsman by trade and heart, putting passion into every project he sees from vision to completion. Danny is married with a young daughter. As a family they share love sharing their days hiking and camping. Catch him in the outdoors and he is in his element. We are so thankful to have you as our Lead Builder, Danny. 

Lead Finisher

Jaycie Kaltenbacher

Jaycie has been a part of team RTF for one year! As a high school student, she fell in love with woodworking and has dedicated time and energy developing her skills in our shop. She is our lead finisher. Her versatility and can do attitude is unmatched! Jaycie is a key team player filling in at the shop wherever she can. When Jaycie isn’t at the shop she shares her days alongside her sweet husky, Omar, enjoys fishing, whittling, and playing the banjo. Jaycie has dreams to become a Physicist, so we are grateful and fortunate to have her on our team for the time being.

Builder

Joshua Jordan

Josh is new to Rustic Trades but not to woodworking. He has been working in this craft for 6 years. Josh loves the process of a build, seeing a raw material be transformed into something beautiful. Josh is a family man. He and his wife are foster parents and currently have 9 kids at home! When he isn’t building or sharing moments with his family, he can be found fishing and camping in the outdoors.

Part Time Shop Staff

Jason Personius

Jason joined team RTF and has filled in the gaps for us. He works part time and gives help and extra hands wherever is needed! He is 16 years old and graduates in Spring of 2020. With goals ahead of becoming an entrepreneur, Jason has set himself up for success with several internships lined up after graduation. Alongside the internships he will be enrolled in classes to continue his education journey. Jason is an outdoors man and loves rock climbing!

Part Time Shop Staff

Drew Hartfield

Drew has been a part time employee of Rustic Trades for almost two years! He is a college student studying computer science. Drew is essential to our operations as a sander. He is a team player, always working hard and lending a hand! Drew is passionate about rock climbing and spends as much time tied into cliff sides as possible, as well as competing in rock climbing competitions!