The Family Tree

Custom Wood Creations with Fairview Father and Son Duo Chorncustoms | Fairview, AB

Aiden and Tim with Aiden's daughter and son

For Tim Watchorn, starting Chorncustoms, a custom wood products business, with his son was an easy choice. After all, he had spent 30 years in business with his father, so launching a business with his son Aiden felt as natural as coming home.

“I was originally just looking for ways to kill time tinkering in the garage, and then it morphed into this,” said Tim. “Five years ago, Aiden suggested we get more serious about the craft and get some bigger tools.”

Aiden began to thrive at programing the software for the CNC (computer numerical control) machine, and the scale of their product line quickly evolved from kitchen cutting boards and custom décor to tables and sliding barn doors. 

“Luckily I learned a lot after three decades in business with my own father, and I know what it takes to run a business in the North,” said Tim. “Although we don’t have the exact same hurdles with this business, there are still challenges, mainly around the logistics of sourcing materials.”

Although Chorncustoms has built great connections with suppliers in Alberta and British Columbia, they still must arrange delivery. Because shipping can unpredictable and expensive, they often opt to haul their own raw wood to their shop—weather permitting.

“Bigger projects require a lot of preplanning to ensure we can get the right wood and transport it in the right weather,” said Tim. “Also, the humidity in the shop needs to be perfect to ensure wood doesn’t warp or crack.” 

Ensuring customer satisfaction plays a big role in their process, so they keep it in mind the whole way through each custom creation. A big project can take awhile, but Tim says it is always worth the wait.

“We meet with our customers and try to incorporate our visions with their own.

Communication is important because we want them to be thrilled with the final product,” said Tim. “We’ve never had a customer unhappy with the timeline because we are walking them through the process step by step.”

Big custom projects are only one part of the business. Aiden and Tim also offer a selection of pre-made smaller items as well as custom personalized items like charcuterie boards and cutting boards.

“Some items that are in high demand for Christmas gifts are coasters and crib boards,” said Tim. “Custom corporate gifts are also popular as we can engrave logos.”

All products can be personalized with a laser engraving or by using the CNC router. Tim and Aiden are passionate about creating functional custom wood products that will last generations.

Whether it’s a coffee table or a cutting board, Chorncustoms is committed to producing durable and beautiful items with high-quality, sustainably-sourced wood.

“It is definitely not too late to get a Christmas order in,” said Tim. “We always have wood ready to go and are ready to discuss potential projects with people. They can reach out to us on social media or through our website.” 

Tim’s favourite woods to work with are walnut and maple, but they have tried woods from as far away as Africa. They are always open to discussing ideas and incorporating exotic woods into their products.

“Contact us with your ideas, and we will do our best to bring them to life and create something that everyone is going to love,” said Tim.

Visit Chorncustoms on Instagram and Facebook and on their website chorncustoms.com

By Kelly Pippin | Photography Submitted