Our Craftsmen and Staff
Craig Weis
Owner
I have a B.A. in Fine Arts and Education and more than 20 years of woodworking experience producing custom doors, windows, millwork, and finish carpentry of superior quality. This combined experience makes me uniquely qualified to provide outstanding leadership for my team of exceptional woodworkers. I employ both a custom production shop staff that works offsite and an onsite staff that prepares the location and manages the projects. With years of custom carpentry and fine arts training among them, both staffs are uniquely qualified and thoroughly professional. Lou Gargiulo heads the shop with an attitude that we can produce anything that has to do with wood to complete the design of historic and contemporary homes.
Lou Gargiulo
Shop Manager
Inheriting a basement full of his grandfather's tools as a child, certainly planted a seed, which drew him into a high school woodworking program. From that experience he knew this is what he could see himself doing all day, every day. In 1994, he entered the Wood Technology Program at Pittsburg State University and began working for Haley Pearsall Cabinetmakers in Manakin, Virginia, during summer and winter breaks. Upon receiving a Bachelor of Science in Wood Technology in 1998, Lou returned to Haley Pearsall Cabinetmakers as a full time cabinetmaker. There, he was involved in many custom cabinet projects as well as, furniture reproduction and historic renovation of some of Virginia's most historic homes and churches. Lou relocated to Asheville in 2005 and began working with Craig at Architectural Woodcraft, building doors and windows. This allowed him to move in a new direction while utilizing my past experiences and skills. According to Lou, "Doors and windows are such a necessary, dynamic, and attractive element to any home and they have proven to be a very gratifying 'niche' to be working within."
Lou would like to thank Craig Weis and Haley Pearsall and the countless others that have helped him along the way.
Shane Martin
Shane attended Haywood Community College's Professional Crafts for Woodworking program. He has been a cabinetmaker for 15 years, and has done many unique and custom projects. His other interests are riding his classic motorcycle. And tipping a pint from time to time.
Matt Morrissey
For as long as Matt can remember he has been immersed in the woodworking craft. Starting at the age of three he watched his father craft a sixteen foot sailing dory unaware that the seeds of a lifetime of woodworking and carpentry had been planted. At the age of sixteen, following in his father's footsteps he built an ultra-light canoe and various other projects throughout high school. In 1990 he attended Ferris State University in Michigan to pursue a degree in construction management. Matt came to find his passions lay more in the woodworking craft he had loved throughout his life, rather than the broader field of construction. After a few years of traveling in a 1973 VW Beetle he landed in the great town of Asheville in 1994. Over the last fourteen years he has put his heart and soul into designing and building custom cabinetry, furniture, doors, windows, and wood products throughout Asheville.
This work is a true labor of love for Matt, though the rewards are not in the objects he creates, but in the ability to transform the environments in which we live and work.
Jennifer Welch
Office Manager
Jennifer is a native Ashevillian. She started her career in accounting long before she graduated from Reynolds High School. She attended Western Carolina University and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College with an Accounting Major.
Jennifer is not only passionate about her work, but her family as well. Husband, Johnny, and their four children love the time they spend together. Power lifting, martial arts, softball, playing in the back yard, hiking, and bike riding are just a few of her favorite things to do.
Jennifer was excited to come to work with Architectural Woodcraft. Their love of the art of custom woodcrafting runs though her as well. Her Grandpa was a self-taught carpenter. She spent many hours along side of his work bench helping in any way she could with his projects.