Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Sullivan.
Dan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Twenty years ago I moved to Chicago for the music scene. I played in bands, made records, toured, and to make ends meet found work in the trades: on a trim carpentry crew, for galleries and museums as a preparator, and as a shop hand where I learned how to build cabinets and furniture. I had no formal training, the work taught me.
I started my own business working primarily as a general contractor fixing up shabby bungalows recently acquired by friends and acquaintances. Here and there, I landed custom fabrication gigs: a dining table, a built-in, a vanity. My early results surprised both me and my clients and I learned to trust my skills and their judgment: if they were willing to hire me, why should I doubt them?
In 2005 I met my future partners of Dock 6 Collective when I started subleasing shop space in East Garfield Park from Andrew Kephart, owner of -ism furniture. Forced to move in 2007, I signed a lease on a space in Kelvyn Park with -ism furniture, Seth Deysach (Lagomorph Design) Zak Rose (Zakrose design), Carson Maddox (Carson Maddox Studios) and Scott Patterson (SAP Design). We learned to get along, share knowledge, and build our businesses.
By 2016 we had outgrown the space and found a building in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. Its been a long process, but working together we renovated and retrofit the building, secured an SBA loan, and start looking toward the future.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a custom fabrication business the variables of each job are subject change: design, materials, finish, location, site conditions and client all may differ depending on the project. Some conditions carry over, but staying busy often means saying yes to a wide variety of work, which is very rewarding creatively and intellectually but makes predicting margins difficult.
My talent as a fabricator and a designer may have been somewhat innate, but the most important asset of any business is its reputation, and I always strive to give my clients my best work. I have also been fortunate to be part of a supportive community, both in Dock 6 Collective and Chicago in general.
This is crucial to anyone starting out in this business: find a community and be generous with your peers as sooner or later you will most likely be asking the same of them.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Navillus Woodworks – what should we know?
Saying Yes to a wide variety of work has helped my business survive and grow. This diversity is reflected in the work on our website. Our clients include museums, institutions, foundations, developers, restaurateurs, architects, designers, artists and homeowners. More than anything the common thread is probably the taste and kinds of people we choose to work with.
When not fully consumed with larger projects we find time to develop in-house design objects, like our Franklin Series (which includes sideboards, tables, and seating unified by a patented leg design), and the Humboldt School-House Series, our riff on a recognizably classic type of seating. We have also been designing and building electric guitars,
Navillus Guitars, and in the process really digging into using our CNC router to automate and streamline production as much as possible. Developing fluency in the latest 3D software and CNC skills translates into our ability to find cost-effective and innovative solutions for myriad projects that may come across our desk.
Ultimately the goal is to develop and market repeatable fixtures that help define our aesthetic and further our knowledge of process and manufacturing while continuing to establish Dock 6 Collective as a resource for larger hospitality and commercial projects.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Nearly 20 years ago I helped my wife, artist Edra Soto, engineer and fabricate her SAIC MFA installation. Now her commissions make up a not-insignificant portion of our business. My association with her has opened doors, expanded my mind, and trained my eye. I wouldn’t be here without her.
I have several very talented people working for me. My friend and design-collaborator Wyatt Mitchell started working for me 5 years ago and immediately upped the game with his incredible skills in 3D modeling, CAD, and digital rendering. He has been instrumental in all aspects of programming and running our CNC router.
Similarly, my partners in Dock 6 Collective were, and continue to be, very generous with their knowledge and resources. For years I felt like I was playing catch-up. Some of our best projects, Revival Food Hall, Aesop (Lincoln Park location) and Promontory among others, were collaborative efforts.
Contact Info:
- Address: Navillus Woodworks Dock 6 Collective 2100 N Major Ave Chicago, IL 60639
- Website: navilluswoodworks.com
- Phone: 312-375-2680
- Email: dan@navilluswoodworks.com
- Instagram: navillus_woodworks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NavillusWoodWorks/
Image Credit:
Tyler Mallory, John James Jetel, Steve Hall
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