In this edition of our “Member Spotlight” blog series, we interviewed Patrick Carroll, founder of Patrick Carroll Designs. He’s a woodworker who creates wooden jewelry and uses laser engraving to create designs in the Hartford area. 

What’s Patrick Carroll Designs?

“I do a lot of laser-engraving and cutting, woodworking. I’ve been working on value-add things where someone has a design or imprint and we turn it into something else. I work with a lot of local businesses where I take their logo and turn it into a new physical product, something new they can sell in their store. They are an expert in one thing and I’m an expert in something else so we collaborate. Companies like Hartford Prints, I work with their “Small State, Big Heart” design a lot to take it from paper into wood or leather. Materials, that as a small business, they don’t have the time or resources to invest into learning this whole new process.”

How did you get into woodworking and design?

“Woodworking has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. There was no shop class in high school, so I found a place where I could work in a shop. I taught classes and got a job there. I worked there for many years, selling power tools and teaching woodworking. I was also always into art and volunteered at art shows. I saw all the jewelers with silver, gold, and glass but never any wood. And I thought, ‘let’s try this.'”

When was the turning point?

“I started doing woodworking by hand before I knew about laser-engraving. They wouldn’t pay me for my labor because it was so much work. I found out about laser-engraving through another project and went through a progression. It was still a hobby, but I was making a little bit of money. There was a point when I was working with someone else who had a machine and we continued to grow. I was at Hartford Prints, saw one of their shirts and thought that would be cool. I left my day job of many years in the spring and said, “You know what. I’m getting my own machine and turning this into a real business”. And that’s where it’s been going. The laser cutter was a big turning point. Because I own the machine, the cost is so much less. I can prototype and I can do smaller runs. I can offer a better price to my client. It has a breadth of capabilities that I couldn’t have someone else do.”

What’s your favorite part of your work?

“My favorite part is figuring it out. The challenge. Can this be done? Can we do it for a reasonable price? Connecticut-grown leather, for example. That was a challenge because it had never really been done before. Ok, how do we do this. Can I keep it at a price point where someone can resell it? We are working with Hartford Prints, Brothers Crisp, and Hartford Denim to use them for products. ”

Do you see yourself as part of a larger movement of makers and creators in the Hartford area? Do you see that as a growing trend?

“Absolutely, especially in this little corner of Hartford, where there is a lot of small-scale manufacturing and everyone has the old-fashioned craftsmanship mentality. They are not going to compromise their quality for a price point, which so many larger manufacturers do. With Hartford Denim, there is a lifetime warrantee. They don’t care if you rip it, cut it, slice it, they’ll fix it. Josh at Brothers Crisp is huge on quality and he will pay more for material. It’s becoming easier for craftsmen to do that because people are realizing quality. Instead of “oh, it’s just cheap.” Sometimes it takes convincing. Look at it, feel it, because it’s a physical object. Jeans, shoes, it’s handmade objects that people are beginning to value again. I’m part of that movement and I want to build it even more. That’s part of collaborating. It’s all a community.”

Are there any new projects on the horizon that you’re excited for?

“I’m working with a new client who does paper invitations and they’re all hand-cut. We’re just starting this week. I have a couple of small project ideas. One is wooden combs. A lot of people have done it but I want to do it better. So I’m working with a process and seeing how I can prove it. One thing I learned from my day job. 1% every day, a little bit better, a little bit better. Cost and improvement. Be it better quality, better price point. That’s a challenge I make to myself.”

As a member, how do you see reSET fitting into the equation of assisting you?

“The biggest thing for me is networking. Getting to know all of the folks in this area, all the other entrepreneurs who are building their businesses. It reminds me of the old way of shopping. You go to the bakery store for bread, the meat shop for meat. All of these specialists who do it really well. I have one skill and someone else has something to offer. It’s almost like a family corporation. To be able to work together. To grow Hartford, Connecticut, all of this that’s here.”