Meet Andy Michaelis of All American Reclaim in Northwest Suburbs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Michaelis.

Andy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
How did I get started? Well, for as long as I can remember I wanted to be a carpenter and in later years I found that I had a knack for building. I did a lot of custom cabinetry and started working with reclaimed wood. I didn’t have a local supplier so I got this crazy idea to go take down a barn and get my own wood. My wife thought I was nuts but she let me have my little adventure and then waited for it to blow over, but it didn’t, it did just the opposite. Reclaimed wood and re-purposing are huge right now, and I quickly became a supplier for all those out there looking for this sort of thing. My shop offers a huge variety of wood and is a place where someone can come in to buy one piece for a sign or a restaurant that needs a few thousand feet to cover a wall and everything in between.

We make custom furniture, we have a large selection of barn finds and industrial salvage and pretty much everything that we have we have gotten out of old barns and buildings. The old growth lumber that we salvage is so desirable and unlike lumber that you see in the stores today because it grew in a time when there was no pollution. It had the opportunity to grow to full maturity unlike the lumber of today that is all grown to be harvested. Old growth lumber is harder, straighter, longer than new lumber. It has a character that only mother nature can create, many have tried to reproduce the look of the old wood, but nothing compares. Since my start, we have grown from a small 400 square foot space to a 7,200 square foot indoor lumber yard, a 3,500 square foot custom wood shop, and about 30,000 square foot outdoor area that is filled with wood ready to be processed. We have grown to become the largest reclaimed wood dealer in Northern Illinois.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Does any new business have a smooth road? Of course not…but that’s what defines a good business owner. Its how you handle the struggles. When I first started out as an apprentice carpenter my boss told me that there are no such things as problems, only opportunities. There have been many struggles and I have learned and grown from each and every one of them. Some of them were very costly but I looked at those struggles as paying for my education. I expect there to be new struggles in the future and I embrace what they will have to teach me.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about All American Reclaim – what should we know?
Our company specializes in reclaimed lumber and materials. We take down barns and all of the wood and barn finds come back to our shop. We sell the barn wood and make unique products with the materials. I like people to think about visiting our shop as an experience, definitely a unique one. People walk into our shop with one project in mind and leave with ten projects in mind. You can take away a finished product or buy the materials to do it yourself. Aside from one of a kind item that we get from the barns, I am always on the lookout for unique items, even if they are not old, but look the part, I try to only buy “Made in the U.S.A.” You can come into our shop and buy one small piece of barn wood for a sign, or a truckload for a large job. We have the largest indoor reclaimed lumber yard in Northern Illinois and plenty of knowledge to go with it. There is so much to see at our shop some people like to come in just to look around. I am most proud of my customers and what they create. When they purchase wood from us I always tell them to send in pics of the projects after they are completed. I get to see some awesome reclaimed pieces! I am proud that I can be a source for them to be able to make their reclaimed dreams a reality.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’d like to say that that the most important qualities that have resulted in my success are hard work, long hours, and the fact that I will do whatever it takes to make this business succeed. But really it’s because of the support that is around me that keeps me going strong. Now that we have grown I not only have my own family to take care of but all of my employees and their families as well. If I don’t succeed then I am letting them down. I also have God to thank for giving me such big shoulders and staying by my side through some of the hardest times. There have been so many “God Moments” along the road, like whenever I have really needed something it has not been far out of reach or even just laid down right in my lap.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1095 Pingree Rd Unit 106
  Crystal Lake, IL 60014
• Website: AllAmericanReclaim.com
• Phone: 224-209-8283
• Email: AllAmericanReclaim@gmail.com

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