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RECENT ENTRIES SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: MEET THE MAKERS SERIES w/ MENARDS® 01-13-2018 PROJECT UPDATE: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 12-29-2017 NEW COMMERCIAL PROJECT: BISSINGER'S 12-16-2017 NEW COMMERCIAL PROJECT: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 12-08-2017 PROJECT UPDATE: SEEDZ PROVISIONS 02-23-2016 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I'VE SIGNED A PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW BALANCE® 02-11-2016 PROJECT UPDATE: WEAVER RESIDENCE 01-29-2016 NEW COMMERCIAL PROJECT: KOHLER CO. 01-25-2016 MEDIA: I'M IN INTUIT QUICKBOOKS ONLINE COMMERCIALS 01-24-2016 PROJECT UPDATE: THE OPUS GROUP 01-19-2016 PROJECT UPDATE: 5BYFIVE CREATIVE 01-18-2016 NEW COMMERCIAL PROJECT: FUSION MARKETING 01-17-2016 PRESSE: I'M IN ST. LOUIS AT HOME MAGAZINE FOR "81 PROS TO KNOW" FEATURE 01-17-2016 PRESSE: I'M A FEAST MAGAZINE 2016 TASTEMAKER! 01-04-2016 PROJECT UPDATE: 4 HANDS BREWING CO. 01-04-2016 PROJECT UPDATE: AKINYEMI RESIDENCE 12-03-2015 PROJECT UPDATE: DUGAN-KOLTA RESIDENCE 11-20-2015 NEW COMMERCIAL PROJECT: GRAND CENTER ARTS ACADEMY PLAZA 11-14-2015 PROJECT UPDATE: BRENNER residence 11-09-2015 PROJECT UPDATE: DUGAN-KOLTA residence 10-30-2015 PROJECT UPDATE: peter busch residence 10-03-2015 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: ENDORSEMENT DEAL SIGNED WITH BETTER LIFE® 09-26-2015 PROJECT UPDATE: the kitchen sink 07-18-2015 MEDIA: I'M IN AN AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE TELEVISION COMMERCIAL! 07-17-2015 NEW PRODUCT: WOOD SIX-PACK CARRIER 06-13-2015 PRESSE: NINE NETWORK (PBS) 02-07-2015 PRESSE: BOBVILA.COM 01-24-2015 PRESSE: MAKE: MAGAZINE 12-15-2014 PROJECT UPDATE: THE OLD BAKERY BEER COMPANY 11-28-2014 COMPLETION: THE PULITZER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS 11-08-2014 PREMIERE NIGHT RECAP VIDEO OF "MWANZI": A SHORT FILM ABOUT CRAFTSMAN JERMAIN TODD BY ONCE FILMS 11-10-2014 MWANZI: A SHORT FILM ABOUT CRAFTSMAN JERMAIN TODD BY ONCE FILMS 11-08-2014 FILM PREMIERE NIGHT: THE ONCE FILMS PREMIERE OF "MWANZI" FEATURING CRAFTSMAN JERMAIN TODD 11-07-2014 THE UNLIKELY LETTER: A THANK YOU LETTER FROM ST. LOUIS CITY OFFICIAL GREGORY F.X. DALY. 11-06-2014 PROJECT UPDATE: THE OLD BAKERY BEER COMPANY 10-19-2014 |
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POSTED ON: 01-13-2018
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POSTED ON: 12-08-2017
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_______________________________________________ POSTED ON: 01-18-2016   the hand made, 96x42-inch, Missouri harvested and milled White Oak w/ 2x2-inch thick, recycled tube steel, semi-custom BEY TABLE for 5BYFIVE CREATIVE (www.5byfivecreative.com), from my FeRRUM™ (www.ferrumfurniture.com) furniture line drying after receiving its second of four (4) coats of a low-VOC, water-based, heavy-duty, satin topcoat sealer. for play-by-play fabrication photos of this entire project, click here.
_______________________________________________ POSTED ON: 01-17-2016   i'm very pleased to announce an extensive new commission to fabricate CUSTOM FURNITURE for a new space expansion at the ST. LOUIS head office of FUSION MARKETING (www.thisisfusion.com), an award winning experiential and brand marketing agency located in the old Missouri Light and Power Building at 1928 Locust Street in Midtown. i’ve been commissioned to fabricate four (4) of my popular MAXWELL TABLES (see www.mwanzi.com) at a custom size of 12-feet-long x 5-feet-wide, outfitted with a center computer monitor platform and made entirely out of solid MO-walnut. this will be the biggest single order of MAXWELL TABLES and the largest size per square foot that i’ve ever made for this table. as per you-know-how-i-do, this project focuses on a combination of eco-friendly raw materials and practices, quality craftsmanship, and healthy, low-VOC topcoat finishes to produce a unique look and feel for my client. stay tuned for project photos and updates.
_______________________________________________ POSTED ON: 01-17-2016   yours truly is in the new Jan/Feb 2016 issue of St. Louis At Home by St. Louis Magazine in a special feature section called "Fix Everything: 81 Pros To Know" on p.49. the feature section is a guide to some of "St. Louis' top home experts, as recommended by local interior designers, architects, real estate agents, and professional rehabbers," and there are eight (8) categories and Mwanzi CO. was listed under "carpentry", and joined by several other well respected professionals. this was a very pleasant surprise on this Sunday afternoon, and i'm honored to have been recognized in this way for my work. thank you! you can ready the feature online by clicking here.
_______________________________________________ POSTED ON: 01-04-20165  i have my copy. got yours? the highly anticipated, annual Tastemakers Issue by Feast Magazine is now on stands across the state and i was named a 2016 TASTEMAKER! i'm honored and thankful to be recognized for my work in the restaurant industry, especially because this now marks the second time i've been named a Tastemaker by FEAST MAGAZINE! you can read the feature written online by clicking here, or you can read the digital issue on Page 70 (read), or pick up a hard copy throughout the state. #MAKER #TASTEMAKER
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measuring 58-inch long, 35-inch high, 20-inches deep and finished with a low-VOC, water-based, heavy-duty, satin topcoat finish, the only thing left to do before delivery is install the pulls that they provided. #MAKER for play-by-play fabrication photos of this entire project, click here.
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ARTS ACADEMY PLAZA is one of the keystones of the Growing Grand Plan which strives to turn 30 acres in the heart of Saint Louis’ cultural neighborhood into a “special event district” and “an epicenter of creativity that serves the aesthetic and economic needs of artists, patrons, tourists and the entire St. Louis community.” the Arts Academy Plaza will serve as an anchor project on Grand Avenue and is situated diagonally across from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and adjacent to the Grand Center Arts Academy – an arts school in St. Louis that focuses on dance, orchestra, band, visual arts, choir, and theater. the design of Arts Academy Plaza will create an interactive environment, providing a variety of impromptu spaces for students, performers, and fans to engage throughout all hours of the day. a series of seating terraces will help frame these spaces while mitigating the 4’ grade change that occurs from Grand Avenue to the Grandel Theatre. an amphitheater and a series of HARVEST TABLES and BENCHES accommodate larger groups of patrons and provide outdoor dining space for the local eateries beneath the protection of the tree canopy. i have the distinct honor of co-designing and performing all the fabrication duties for all nine (9), 8-foot-long, custom OUTDOOR TABLES and their corresponding eighteen (18) custom OUTDOOR BENCHES. fabrication will incorporate both woodworking and steelworking using solid, locally harvested, premium hardwood and American-made, recycled and powder coated steel to create an outdoor furniture collection unlike any other in Saint Louis. to view architectural renderings by Forum Studio, INC. of the ARTS ACADEMY PLAZA, click here. as per you-know-how-i-do, this project focuses on a combination of eco-friendly raw materials and practices, quality craftsmanship, and healthy, low-VOC finishes to produce a unique look and feel for my client. stay tuned.
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_______________________________________________ after installing and aligning all five (5) drawers, i completed a few sessions of sanding down the entire dresser, then I applied the first of five low-VOC, water-based, satin topcoats to the exterior of the dresser bringing out the beautiful natural wood color and grain. next steps will include making the remaining five (5) drawer boxes and applying the remaining topcoats to the exterior and interior of the dresser. stay tuned. for play-by-play fabrication photos of this project in progress, click here.
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i met with PETER BUSCH and his girlfriend ASHLEY ALBERS at the BUSCH FAMILY MANSION located on the top of a hill in Grant's Farm, where PETER BUSCH grew up as a child along with brothers and sisters, including WILLIAM "BILLY" BUSCH who now owns Kräftig Brewery. PETER BUSCH and ASHLEY ALBERS reached out to me to see if i was interested in coming to the property to look at tree logs that were feld due to rotting and to see if i could make them some CUSTOM FURNITURE out of the wood. the logs are massive SYCAMORE TREE LOGS and there are five (5) logs that average just under 6-feet-in-diameter, over 200-years-old, and one of the oldest trees on the entire GRANT'S FARM lands, and because the trees stood for at least 200 years, it was here when President Ulysses S. Grant once lived on these lands and planted many of the trees that fill this vast property. so, i called up my boy SCOTT WUNDER to come out with me to mill one of the logs on site for me, then kiln dry it. when the wood is properly dried and ready, i am going using it to make PETER BUSCH an X-TRESTLE BASE LIVE EDGE DINING TABLE and two (2) BENCHES — among many other furniture pieces. as per you-know-how-i-do, this project focuses on a combination of eco-friendly raw materials and practices, quality craftsmanship, and healthy, low-VOC topcoat finishes to produce a unique look and feel for the client. stay tuned for project photos and updates. for play-by-play photos of the entire project in process click here.
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Better Life has been featured on OPRAH WINFREY’s website and featured on the TODAY SHOW - just to name a few, and as the company’s very first professional endorsement figure, i’m very excited to partner with and promote such a top quality, eco-friendly, and fast growing brand that i’ve personally used exclusively in my studio for years. while BETTER LIFE has a full line of exceptional products, my endorsement deal will focus mainly on promoting their amazing wood polish currently called OAK-Y-DOKEY™, which safely cleans and polishes wood furniture, cabinets, paneling, and other finished wood surfaces. BETTER LIFE is currently in the process of rolling out a fresh new packaging design for their various product bottles and containers, as well as a complete design overhaul of their current website coupled with a more dedicated and consistent presence on their various social media sites and blog. part of the design overhaul includes the renaming of many of their products to make the labels easier to read. the product descriptions – all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, glass cleaner, and so on – are now front-and-center. OAK-Y-DOKEY™ will now be simply known as WOOD POLISH, with a tag line that reads: SAFER FOR THE MESS MAKERS (NOT THE MESS). but if you loved the old name, have no fear! i love it, too, which is why BETTER LIFE has placed fan favorites in an area of the newly designed label called the swoosh. BETTER LIFE has also made it easier to find the list of plant-derived ingredients, and the harsh chemicals they’ve left out. best of all, you’ll find the same wonderful product inside, with the same naturally powerful, non-toxic formula you’ve come to rely on. with this new roll out, look for me to have an integral presence in their various marketing campaigns, social media sites and website as i promote the countless features and benefits of their WOOD POLISH in my daily work as a furniture maker and owner of Mwanzi CO.. for more information about BETTER LIFE, visit their website at www.cleanhappens.com
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 i'm posted up in the studio with the acclaimed owner and chef ANTHONY ELLERSON JR. of THE KITCHEN SINK (www.letseat.at/thekitchensink) during a brief meeting and walkthrough of the progress on his extensive project. i’ve been commissioned to fabricate twenty-five (25) BEY CAFE TABLES from my FeRRUM™ (www.ferrumfurniture.com) semi-custom furniture line in several sizes, in both bar height and table height, two (2) large custom COMMUNITY TABLES, and eighty-four (84) feet worth of custom BOOTHS, for his new downtown location at 555 Washington Avenue, across the street from the National Blues Museum set to open next year. as per you-know-how-i-do, this project focuses on a combination of eco-friendly raw materials and practices, quality craftsmanship, and healthy, low-VOC topcoat finishes to produce a unique look and feel for the client. stay tuned for project photos and updates. for play-by-play fabrication photos of the entire project in process click here.
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i'm now featured in a new AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE television commercial called "Manifesto". the commercial is broadcasting across the country for part of their nationwide Dream Fearlessly campaign (www.dreamfearlessly.com). the commercial began popping up on television screens on July 16, 2015 and my segment in the commercial was filmed and produced by Emmy Award winning ONCE FILMS (www.oncefilms.com), my segment begins at the 0:21 second mark. click on the arrow button below to play. _______________________________________________
introducing the WOOD SIX-PACK CARRIER hand made in Saint Louis by Mwanzi CO. and available exclusively at Saint Louis Hop Shop (www.saintlouishopshop.com). light weight, strong and easy to carry, this unique wooden six-pack carrier holds two (2) different beer bottle sizes and beer cans. $45 for more product photos click here.
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tune in to Nine Network PBS (CHANNEL 9) on FEBRUARY 9 @ 7 PM (CT) for a featured segment of the short film 'MWANZI' featuring yours truly, by Emmy Award winning ONCE FILMS for their St. Louis Spotlight Series. the featured segment will air on the weekly series show called LIVING ST. LOUIS. it will also air on it's own with a special version of the film produced just for NINE NETWORK PBS, but that date is still pending so stay tuned for that. in the meantime, make sure to tune in on MONDAY!
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POSTED ON: 01-24-2015 OMG! check out my FEATURE on BOBVILA.COM, the official home improvement and renovation website of home improvement legend and trailblazer Bob Vila — the original host of This Old House and Home Again. i could not believe it when they contacted me to tell me that they love my work and want to feature me in a new series about 'great makers’, and that it's a new feature for them and want me to be one of the first makers featured on their website. i grew up watching BOB VILA on television as a young teenager, so to be recognized by such an iconic figure in the industry is truly amazing. big shout out to Caitlin Castelaz and her team for putting this feature together. it truly is one of the great moments in my career!
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going to resaw boards out of my special stash of ancient, 3-3/4-inch-thick, 1000-YEAR-OLD DOUGLAS FIR salvaged a few years ago from the demolished CHECKERDOME ARENA in ST. LOUIS, MO to make the SEVENTH of twenty-eight (28) BEY CAFE TABLES from my FeRRUM™ (www.ferrumfurniture.com) furniture line for part of the extensive project for The Old Bakery Beer Company opening in ALTON, IL. the CHECKERDOME ARENA (aka THE BARN) was designed by GUSTEL R. KIEWITT and stood from 1929-1999 across I-64 from Forest Park and was home to the SAINT LOUIS BLUES. i was able to acquire many of these historically significant and massive boards in NOVEMBER of 2013 (see). the wood is very old. we counted 70 RINGS on a 3-INCH SECTION on one of the boards used to form the LAMELLA DESIGN in the CHECKERDOME ARENA. the design consisted of these DOUGLAS FIR boards, called “RIBS”, that were 3-3/4-inches-thick, 17-1/2-inches-wide and 15-feet-long, fitted together diagonally and giving the appearance of fish scales. the huge structure was completed in 1929, just over a year after construction began. at 476 feet long and 276 feet wide, it was behind only MADISON SQUARE GARDEN as the largest indoor entertainment space in the country. based on the size of the ribs, the tree that they were milled from was at least 48-INCHES-IN-DIAMETER and easily ages it at over 1000-YEARS-OLD when the tree was cut down. stay tuned. for play-by-play fabrication photos of the entire project in process click here.
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it was a great honor to design and make custom casework for The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts (www.pulitzerarts.org) — to say the least, founded as a cultural organization by donations from former St. Louis Post-Dispatch publisher Joseph Pulitzer and his family, for whom it was named and of which its founder and current chairman is none other than art icon Emily Rauh Pulitzer. ever heard of The Pulitzer Prize? but i digress. anyway, i was tasked with designing and fabricating a custom, minimalist, JOCKEY BOX COVER for their jockey box. for those unfamiliar with a jockey box, it’s an insulated container, containing ice and water, as well as a long coil of hollow tubing, used to cool beverages being served on tap in temporary locations – it's a cooler with beer tap handles on it. the fact that there are numerous companies around the country that specialize in making this kind of product makes the fact i was asked to do this even more special for me. i made the JOCKEY BOX COVER out of quarter sawn, wormy white oak, milled in St. Louis from a tree feld from a residential property in the Bogey Hills area of St. Charles, MO due to the bottom of the tree rotting and posing a threat of falling. to see a photograph of the raw boards click here. the JOCKEY BOX COVER was finished with a low-VOC, water-based, satin topcoat finish, and features BOX-JOINT JOINERY with CHAMFERED JOINT DETAILS. for play-by-play fabrication photos of the project, click here.
_____________________________________________ here's what you missed at the 'MWANZI' short film PREMIERE PARTY featuring owner + craftsman JERMAIN TODD of MWANZI CO. (www.mwanzi.com) on November 6, 2014 by ONCE FILMS (www.oncefilms.com), for their critically acclaimed ST. LOUIS SPOTLIGHT SERIES. it was an awesome night!. upon release of this short film, the ST. LOUIS EGOTIST stated, "Simply put, this has quickly become one of the most important series taking place in St. Louis right now." ready the full article right here. _____________________________________________
below is the highly anticipated short film documentary 'MWANZI' by the EMMY AWARD winning Once Films (www.oncefilms.com), featuring yours truly, owner and craftsman JERMAIN TODD of MWANZI COMPANY. over 150 people came out to celebrate the premiere on November 6 at URBAN CHESTNUT BREWING CO. BIER HALL in THE GROVE, and now it's available online for all to see. the experience with the crew at ONCE FILMS was one i will cherish for the rest of my life. their genuine passion for what they do, hard work and talent, was an honor to be around. it was great to have their creative energies in my studio for the three months that they worked on this project for their critically acclaimed SAINT Louis Spotlight Series (www.stlouisspotlight.com). i'm honored to have been chosen to be part of it. i hope you enjoy it. _____________________________________________
this past thursday, more than 150 PEOPLE came to celebrate the premiere of MWANZI, the 6th short film in the critically acclaimed SAINT Louis Spotlight Series (www.stlouisspotlight.com) by the EMMY AWARD winning Once Films (www.oncefilms.com), featuring yours truly, owner and craftsman JERMAIN TODD of MWANZI COMPANY. THANK YOU to everyone who came out to share an incredible and memorable evening at URBAN CHESTNUT BREWING CO. BIER HALL in THE GROVE. for more photos of the event click right here.
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POSTED ON: 11-06-2014 so this happened a couple months ago. when i saw the envelope i immediately thought to myself, 'what do they want now'. lol. to only be surprised by this really kind and thoughtful letter from none other than thee St. Louis Collector of Revenue GREGORY F.X. DALY. i always thought he wasn't an actual person, but rather some sort of mythical government guy. you know, with the whole "F.X." in his middle name and all. anyway, all jokes aside, i just want to publically thank Mr. Daly for taking time to send me this awesome letter. i appreciate it. cheers!
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pre fabrication / project fabrication will start in a couple days. today i drove out to the brewery in Alton, IL to measure the framed out bar completed a couple days ago by the general contractors. they did a fantastic job. now it’s time for me to do my thing. i will install the 54-foot-long BAR TOP that i will make out of the 2-1/2” thick, 100-year-old, Douglas Fir joists provided by THE OLD BAKERY BEER COMPANY. and reclaimed from a one-room schoolhouse in Collinsville, IL. plus, clad the entire 54-foot-long BAR FAÇADE with a wide variety of reclaimed, repurposed, and locally harvested woods, far part of the extensive project. stay tuned.. for play-by-play fabrication photos of the entire project in process click here.
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