Behind the local carpentry business Summit Carpentry, LLC is a one-man operation that gets the job done. Gunnar Johnson, originally from Des Moines, began his business in 2020, a few years after moving to Grinnell. Originally operating under the business name “Gunner Customer Creations,” Johnson realized he wanted to stand out under a new name, and at the same time, narrow the scope of his work.
“I wanted a business name that resembled the peak of a project. And honestly, I also thought the new name would make me sound more professional,” he laughs. Now five years in the business, Johnson is celebrating his inauguration into the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce. Johnson is a self-described meticulous, customer-service-oriented carpenter, with skills in general contracting and custom woodworking. He picked up many of his skills from his dad, who worked in sales and carpentry. Like a typical father-and-son duo, they’d tackle home projects together. Soon, Johnson would improve on his skills by taking woodworking and shop classes in high school, too.
“My favorite project is the one I’m usually working on,” shares Johnson. “Right now, I’m working on a 9-foot built-in walnut mantle in a family’s entertainment center. It’s by far my favorite wood to work with — it’s just so pretty.” For clients, he has created bed frames, floating shelves, coffee tables, closets, and even custom cabinets that create a “flow for storing things.” With his general contracting background, he is extremely comfortable working on projects like hanging doors, finishing trim, sheet rocking, framing, and other exterior work. His eye for design and detail also allows him to build furniture that matches the clients’ home — for example, he matched a client’s coffee table to match the ceiling beams and design of their basement!
And when customers come to Johnson, the possibilities are endless. Usually, they’ll show him a set of pictures from Etsy and Pinterest — a vision for their furniture or homes. “They tell me what they like from each picture, and that’s usually how our process starts,” says Johnson. Together, Johnson and his clients develop a plan for a furniture piece or home design. This might be hard to believe, but the hardest part of Johnson’s job is resisting redoing his own house after seeing the beautiful work his clients are left with!
Johnson has been a Grinnellian since 2017, living just slightly outside city limits (it still counts!). Since then, he’s developed a plethora of meaningful, local relationships while getting his business started. One of his mentors is Dave Vander Linden, who runs his own business, Vander Linden Construction Inc. “He’s a role model to me and honestly an overall good guy to lean on. He recommended I join the Chamber and I called him immediately after I did!” laughs Johnson.
In narrowing his scope of work, Johnson has built relationships with local businesses to fill the gaps; for instance, he works with local folks to complete plumbing, flooring, and HVAC work in his clients’ homes. “I want to focus on my area of expertise and rely on others for everything else — and this is how we have the best finished products for our clients.” This also means that for Johnson, working on big, long-term projects roots him locally, traveling at most 20-30 minutes, and doing day trips to Des Moines for a quick project. His woodworking projects can also be delivered and installed within a few hours or a day!
“I like to make people feel like they are my only client,” Johnson says. “I want to make people feel like they are the only focus and take a lot of pride in giving customers the best products.”
Although Summit Carpentry’s Facebook page is slightly out of date, don’t worry — Johnson’s wife will make sure he starts posting more of his work on there in the coming days! Plus, there are stunning photos to look through until his next post. If you’re interested in hiring Johnson, he has started booking clients for the winter season! Give him a call at 515-326-0136, or email summitcarp@gmail.com.
Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:
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