Jake has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative mind.  He grew up in Maple Ridge Township, where he had the influence of being a part of an extended family of horse owners and farmers. Jake was always building something new or figuring out how something worked ... his mind was always busy.

 

In high school he participated in Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs such as agri-science and welding. He completed the requirements of the welding program enabling him to graduate from Alpena High School in 2012 as a certified welder.

 

While working as a welder, Jake started a side business as a farrier. He built his clientele and was able to leave the welding job and work full-time as the owner/operator of Northern Farrier Service.

 

While in high school, Jake started to make small cowboy figures out of the scrap metal he found in the welding lab. Then he started using horseshoes to make the figures. Always looking for something bigger and better, he decided to challenge himself with a welding class project. The challenge: to build a rocking chair out of horseshoes. He had no pattern to follow, but he had an idea for a design in his head. After completing it, he added a coffee table. Some of his other projects have included coat hooks, boot racks, welcome signs, wine bottle racks, crosses, gun fighters, roping cowboys, and praying cowboys.

 

Now that he makes his living as a farrier, his supply of shoes is almost endless. Conscious of the environment, Jake repurposes used horseshoes for his projects. Combine those two elements with his creativity and there’s no telling what he may come up with next.