The Tap Root of the KBC

In 1994, I read a book by Rick Bass titled, "Platte River".  I was so consumed with this book that I immediately sought out anything else written by this guy and spent money I really didn't have to buy them all.  I devoured these books.  I read them multiple times, underlining sentences, writing down quotes, disecting it, savoring the words as well as trying to figure out the details of why it was so good.  I eventually broke the spine of, "Platte River" having read it so many times.  I was so taken that I decided to write him a letter.  I wanted to know what made him tick, and I thought maybe he'd be willing to read something I had written to give me a critique.  I didn't know his address, so I called the closest Post Office I could find to Yaak Valley Montana.  The lady that answered the phone said, "Oh, he comes in here a few times a week.  Just send us the letter and we'll give it to him."

So I did.

About four days later I received a hand written letter scribbled onto torn notebook paper.  He said he'd be happy to look at a story of mine, though he was very busy and it might take a while.  Then came the golden nugget:

"The only advice I have on writing is short and simple: write stories so good that nobody can't publish them.  That's the only way, the good editors will find them.  Make the stories better".

I was disappointed at first.  I was 23 years old and was expecting some juicy nugget that would ensure my success.  But no.  There is no juicy nugget.  I now know that.  

Today that is the premise for all things done KBC:  Make it better.  Do work so good that people must, "publish" it.

The flagship piece of the KBC is the Barrel Back Box.  It is inspired in design.  I will tell its story next.

-Steve

The Beginning

The day after Thanksgiving in 2005 the idea for the Kalamazoo Box Company came to me with such ease and clarity that I couldn't believe that I hadn't come up with it sooner.  

For years I'd been working on art and furniture, but it felt sort of aimless.  With the idea of the Kalamazoo Box Company (KBC), I now had a lightning rod for all the different pursuits that I'm crazy about.  Throughout the rest of 2005 and all of 2006, I thought non-stop about the KBC and how to make it work.  My "real job" was rather invasive that year and kept me from putting much rubber on the road.  At the beginning of 2007 I moved into a fantastic new workshop (rental), my job mellowed out and I had nothing but potential in front of me.  I also got these two:

Sam and Bear.  Plenty more of them to come.

Later into 2007, I resurrected an interest in buying my own shop.  An opportunity came about and pursued.  In September, I closed on this building:
Nice landscaping, eh?

But, the KBC got a home.  Still lots of activity, but not much progress on the business side of things.  

Now, in January 2008, I am fully moved into the KBC at 2330 S. Burdick.  The website is up, and I am more passionate than ever to really make this happen.   It's going to be a long slow road, but someone said that it's all about the journey...