Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Hendrick.
Hi Robert, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From 1993 to 2012 Robert was a startup tech and healthcare technology executive. With some of the success of those ventures, he bought an existing railroad contracting business in 2001. From there he realized that the seasonality of the railroad construction business wouldn’t keep food on the tables of his employees every week. That’s when Rail Yard Studios was born. It has kept his crew busy during the off times, and he now has a dedicated workshop with 5 full-time employees making industrial-strength furniture designs with genuine railroad components. Robert and his team are still chugging along today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Rail Yard Studios was born out of a need to make something of a business that was struggling. So the path has not been easy, but it’s always been interesting. In the beginning, learning how to work with railroad materials was the biggest challenge. The designs flowed easily and improved over the years as Robert perfected his process of making tables, desks, and racks using his industrial design master’s degree training.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Robert likes to change people’s perspective on things – be it as a furniture maker or as a tech or health care tech entrepreneur, he prefers to compete with himself to be better rather than competing against others. He seeks out things that other people don’t (or won’t) do. As far as changing others’ perspectives, he thought he’d have an uphill battle from the railroad industry for his most recent venture, The Graff Museum – a museum dedicated to harvesting and preserving graffiti off the railroads while highlighting the artists’ subculture challenged with mental health and addiction issues. As long as he focuses on highlighting safety around tracks, most do not seem to mind his creative spirit.
What matters most to you? Why?
Preserving history. Respecting the environment and the limited resources available. When Robert first started in this industry, he watched nostalgic names like Carnegie Steel and Tennessee Coal & Iron show up embossed on a piece of rail pulled out of service. Much to his chagrin, he found out these beauties were getting melted down at a thermal plant, forever losing the monikers. He decided to save as many of these as he could from his railroad construction jobs.
With every step of creating his furniture, he keeps sustainability and preservation in mind. Railroad ties are new but rejected from the tie plant for their unique features that don’t work for the railroad but are gorgeous in furniture. Date nails give a story of a time lost to new ways of dating wooden ties that are already in the ground. Every furniture piece gets a date nail embedded to commemorate its history. Thick wooden floors come out of retired boxcars to make some of the most amazing table tops on the market.
All in all, Rail Yard Studios offers a slice of history for your living room, bedroom, or boardroom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://railyardstudios.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/railyardstudios
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/railyardstudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/railyardstudios
