LENEXA, Kan. - Whether it's for a kitchen, a study, an office or a church -- a Metro craftsman has been creating custom works for two decades now. Ian Byrne has built quite reputation building custom furniture.
He started
Byrne Custom Woodworking 20 years ago in a friend's garage after settling in Kansas City from Ireland.
“I saw a need for specialty woodworking, custom pieces of furniture, and that specialty piece of work that all those other production shops don't particularly want to get involved in,” Byrne says.
Today he employs close to 20 people in his 30,000 square foot shop in the Lenexa underground. His customers include homeowners, designers, builders and even churches.
“We just finished the renovation of St. Francis Church at 51st and Troost,” Byrne explains. “And also St. Patrick's Church down at 8th and Cherry. It's a beautiful, beautiful old church.”
Byrne doesn't advertise. He doesn't have to. Work just comes to him by referral. His mantra: make your customers happy with high quality work.
“All our interiors of the boxes are 3/4-inch plywood,” Byrne explains, holding a kitchen drawer. “We don't use any half-inch or particle board whatsoever. All the drawers, we dovetail all our drawers. And if the budgets don't allow that, we don't even take the job on.”
Byrne maintains that quality by using the latest in high-tech tools. However he’s quick to say it’s not all about those high tech tools. “
“I welcome machinery and new methods of making something easier,” he says. “But it’s got to be better.”
In addition to his very successful day job, Ian Byrne has made a name for himself onstage as well. He’s the lead vocalist for the very popular
Celtic Rock band "The Elders".
