Ohio Workshop

When the metal fabrication job Joe Vojacek held for 37 years was phased out in 2017, the Perry resident was unsure what would be next. He soon found the answer when he and his son Matt Vojacek — creative director for Zwelly Co., a motion design and video marketing business in Columbus — launched Ohio Workshop. The duo crafts handmade decor such as wooden tables with cubbies, futuristic-looking tripod lamps with candelabra bulbs and a hanging planter featuring a blocky, plastic character named Dude, perched on a tiny swing. “Our goal is to make things you are not going to see anywhere else,” Matt says. 

Family Ties: Matt credits Joe as the reason he decided to major in 3D design and animation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. “Any time dad needed to build something, he did it himself,” Matt says. “When I was a kid, we’d spend hours taking apart and putting together computers and building model cars. It was a bonding experience that influenced what I wanted to do with my life.” Now, Joe makes the products for Ohio Workshop and Matt provides most of the design know-how. “We fit together like a little puzzle,” Matt says. “I’m the more outgoing one, and he wants to put his head down and make things.”

Customer Satisfaction: Tapping into their imaginations is just one aspect of the business. The Vojaceks also take project commissions, which have included a pine hope chest and a bathroom vanity with balustrades. Plans for a clock made of concrete are on the drawing board. “Doing the research, envisioning the design, following it through to the end and being positive the customer is going to like it — that’s what drives me,” Joe says.

Stop and Shop: Whether answering queries online or chatting at craft shows, the men enjoy sharing the stories behind the items they make. “We pay attention to what people are talking about,” Matt says. “Air plants are becoming trendy, so we designed pots for them. And when a customer called our character ‘Dude,’ it stuck. We want everything we make to have a personality all its own.”

For more information, visit ohioworkshop.com.