PETER Pomerantz
Favorite Part of Job? What I enjoy most about my job is leading a team of artisans in crafting projects larger than any one individual could efficiently manage, yet more personalized than a factory could ever produce. With the synergy of our hands and minds there is always a great deal of satisfaction in culminating large scale projects; knowing that our creations take on a life of their own.
Most Inspiring Mentor: I am inspired by the many great woodworkers who have come before me and by others who are also carrying on traditional craftsmanship, while at the same time honoring their own unique styles.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I have a Bachelor's degree in Wilderness Therapy and have enjoyed leading many expeditions with special populations.
Favorite Hobby: I enjoy backcountry skiing out our back door with my wife Sara and our black lab, Sully.
Favorite Vermont Escape: Camping trips with our sons Quin and Alden aboard our sailboat on Lake Champlain. While I enjoy living in the mountains, the cool open waters of the lake are a wonderful escape during the hot summer days.
Favorite Social Media: I occasionally use Facebook to keep up with friends and family and to share interesting tidbits on our Pomerantz Woodworking page.
Favorite Website: I often use Houzz.com with my clients and weatherunderground.com comes in handy when we're planning an outdoor adventure
Vermont Business Person you would like to have lunch with: John Kimmich, of the Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury.
Career Highlights: Kitchens are often thought of as the heart of the home, and I have had the pleasure of building many. Career highlights include: Building my first commercial kitchen for cooking classes at one of our oldest local retailers, The Store; Resurrecting a family's heirloom grandfather clock by crafting all new woodwork to house the valuable mechanism that was salvaged from a devastating fire; Packing up our Pomerantz Woodworking trailer and heading out for installations from the back roads of VT to the metro areas and suburbs of MA, NYC, NJ, CT and PA. I am honored to receive this award, to have been featured as a cover story for Woodshop News, and for being awarded as a Vermont business environmental partner.
Community Involvement: Since the inception of Pomerantz Woodworking I’ve been collaborating with Harwood Union High School to offer internships for prospective students interested in learning the craft of woodworking. This experience has proven to be a great solution for students who might not be "traditional" learners and who may benefit from a more hands on, experiential approach to learning. We are able to mentor several students each academic year, and strive to individually tailor the curriculum and activities to meet the unique needs of each learner. Everyone at Pomerantz Woodworking truly enjoys the opportunity this program affords, to not only share their skills and passion, but to also serve as a positive role model for the participating youth.
The Mad River Valley is a very active community full of creative and unique individuals who are really making a difference. I’m proud to call this place home and I’ve enjoyed many opportunities to be involved in the community, including being a volunteer on our Ambulance Service’s technical rescue team; Serving as an Artist in Residence for Spring Hill School, where over the years preschoolers have helped design and build a “peace bench”, a work bench, a block pedestal, and bird houses; Coaching T-ball; Donating artisan cutting boards for local fundraisers; And running each year in the Mad Marathon to raise awareness and funds for our local, non-profit therapy center, Hannah’s House, for which together we raised over $50,000 this year.
