Community Highlights: Meet Adam Schwoeppe of Encompass Woodworking

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Schwoeppe from Encompass Woodworking in Cincinnati Ohio. He shares his story with us below:

Art and building have been an essential part of Owner & Founder Adam Schwoeppe’s life since childhood. At an early age Adam enjoyed tinkering around tools and building things. As he grew older the tinkering turned into more of a craft and passion. A passion that led him to Art & Design School. He attended Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus Ohio. Upon Graduation in 2008, Adam started a small art and furniture shop in Ross Ohio (where Adam grew up) when he wasn’t busy in the shop, he was working on construction sites gaining more knowledge of building as well as the business aspect. In 2010 as Adam’s desire to expand the business grew he moved his shop into a larger facility, where Encompass currently resides. In 2012 he acquired more space for the business, he stopped working in construction to solely focus on growing Encompass Woodworking. As of 2023 Encompass has shifted from art, furniture and residential work to commercial custom cabinetry as well as making a strong push into the hospitality sector, creating furniture for hotels, schools/colleges as well as hospitals. “We are excited to see the growth over the last several years” says Adam. What started as a hobby at a young age has turned into a passion which has led to creating a small business that has jumped from 4 employees in two short years.  “We have a great core team and are looking forward to adding even to our team in 2023 and the years to come as we hope to continue to grow”.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Anytime you are creating a business from the ground up, you are going to face obstacles and challenges. I try to look at the obstacles & challenges as an opportunity, an opportunity to learn and grow. Early on for Encompass it was trying to get our name and product out for the public to see in hopes to gain interest. In the early going, we relied heavily on word of mouth. As the company grew we tried what many small businesses were doing at that time, which was to get active on social media. Since most of the work we do is often seen and used in everyday life, we still rely more heavily on word of mouth and social media is just a tool for us to try and let others see what we are capable of.

The pandemic hit us pretty hard as it did many small businesses and there were days, we were wondering how or if we would survive. With business slowing down and the supply chain being as stressed as it was, it was challenging to keep a steady flow of business and like so many companies experienced it was hard to find the workforce who were willing and/or wanting to work during that time. Our core team and myself continued to keep our heads down and grind it out until we started to see some improvements in the supply chain, workforce and economy.

Now that we are on the backside of the pandemic, the challenge(s) we are faced with is rapid and substantial growth. An opportunity that we are extremely excited about. We have made a concerted effort to focus on making sure we have the proper systems, procedures in place and make sure we tighten up the organizational structure so we can continue to execute at a high level with the added-on business. We hold ourselves to high standards, we want to make sure we don’t let those standards slip due to the added volume.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me, early on it was my professor at college that helped keep me focused and stay on track. He would allow me to bounce ideas off of him (no matter how crazy they might have been). He would make sure I was realistic about my ideas/goals but staying supportive at the same time.

Now that I have become a more seasoned business owner and professional I rely heavily on the business relationships I have developed through the years.  Many professional relationships have been created working closely with other professions in our field. A few have developed into mentors for me and my business and they have been able to help guide me through the challenges of creating and growing a business. These individuals are the ones who are always willing to take my calls at any time of day, and willing to listen and/or give me advice or tough love depending on what is needed.

What I recommend to anyone who is considering running their own business would be to create relationships early and often. It is always nice to have a sounding board when it is needed and multiple people who you can reach out to when you are in need of advice or input.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.encompasswoodworking.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/encompasswoodworking/

Image Credits
Eleven:11 Photography