My name is Brian Webster and I am Southern Restorations.
I’ve had a lifelong entrepreneurial relationship with wood in many different impassioned pursuits. My early years coming out of High School had me working in the Residential Construction trade toting lumber and learning to swing a hammer and wield a saw framing Houses. My Experience grew through Trim Carpentry, Siding and my first entrepreneurial pursuit–building Decks, Porches and Fences. The seasonality of “Outdoor Living Improvements” as I labeled them became a challenge and my second winter I began to steer more toward Commercial and Residential Remodeling. Business success through a few large partnered projects drew me foolishly away from Business School believing I had all the cranial fortitude I needed to succeed in a skilled Contractor trade. Tough years in the cyclical construction economy of the late 80’s and mismanaged business finances forced me to take a five year hiatus from woodworking to serve my country full time in the US Marine Corps, and allowed me time to evaluate my most rewarding skill sets and plan for my next entrepreneurial venture into Business as a ‘Furniture Medic’ Franchise owner. I believed the structured business guidance would fill the void in my educational development, and allow me to better utilize my propensity for Detail and Finishing work.
This venture grew from a part time operation while in the Corps, to a full time business back home in Marietta, Georgia following my release from Active Duty. My Business prospered and grew for the next five years and allowed me to grow beyond my sole proprietor limitations with 7 employees and a full service Restoration, Repair, Refinishing business. 9/11 rocked the economy in 2001 and upset the precarious balance of my overhead-heavy operations and brought about a rather abrupt demise to my Franchise commitment at the timely end of my Contractual obligation with Furniture Medic. An icon in the Atlanta Furniture Restoration market, Mr Alan Noel, just so happened to be looking for an individual to come in and work for him managing the productive work flow of his operation and so began the next phase of my rewarding development.
My ongoing Independent Contractual relationship with Mr Noel grew as we reformed in 2009 as A.Ross Noel and Associates. These next 12 years were very rewarding, allowing me to hone my skills and work almost uninterruptedly in the market segment I love–Antiques and Heirlooms. Finally in the final Quarter of 2013, I made the choice to emerge from under the guiding wing of Mr Noel, feeling the call once again to follow my dreams in a shop of my own closer to home in Woodstock, Georgia.
In December of 2013, I took occupancy of my own leased space focusing on the Restoration, Repair and Refinishing work, further exploring the dream of expanding into Eco-Friendly Commercial and Residential Wood Finishing for volume and profitability in the years ahead. My client following grew fast in 2014 but within 6 months, change came knocking again as Mr Noel approached me with interest in retirement and passing the torch in Chamblee. Finishing up 2014, I decided to move back to Chamblee and build my dream for what I felt a CoOperative could be and with the agreed buyout of Mr Noel signed in January of 2017, we began the transition to expand services and opportunity for our core practitioners and a few new faces—building, designing, repairing, restoring and even renting furniture and related goods to our broadening client base.
End of 2018, I had to succumb to a promise I made to my fiance, Victoria, 2 years prior, that if operations where not profitable, I would dissolve the business and do something else to make money and support my family. Doing something else for me was just not an option as restoration is the passionate pursuit of my life and something I am very good at. Unbridled by the burdensome overhead and managerial tasks of the larger operations, I now return to doing the work I love and serving my loyal clientele independently.
If you are looking for services, call me and check out my work and some of my current projects. If I can’t help you, I probably know someone who can. If you are a Craftsman or Artisan interested in pursuing your passion, give me a call and lets talk. I hope to one day again provide the platform for a larger operation and will keep an eye out for any talent that can help me to better serve my ever broadening client base.
Veteran Owned. Proud to serve.