Lucas Sanders

       "What are you doing in the Czech Republic?" is a question that many puzzled Czechs would ask me. In short, I moved there in 2017 to be an apprentice under a master woodworker and ended up in love with a Slovak girl, a tale as old as time.​

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       Two years before I moved to the Czech, I had started my own woodworking company in America, but was presented an opportunity for adventure and a good story. Even though I was running an increasingly successful business, I knew this chance would not come again. I stuffed a suitcase with my clothes and a day later was waiting in line at the immigration police in Prague. Within a few weeks I had my new work visa (a process which I had started 8 months earlier) and began work for my new boss.

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       I quickly found out that he was a man of patience, seeing as how I knew only a few phrases in Czech and he knew "How do you do? Sit down, please." A genuine language barrier which he slowly tore down over time by continuing to encourage (some would say "force") me to learn and speak Czech. He also introduced me to his wine cellar, which I have found is the most effective way to learn Czech. What was intended as a one year apprenticeship turned into a three year university program. Through which I completed more than a 1,000 projects; cut, planed, and jointed miles of material, and used enough sandpaper to create my own beach. Thanks to his patient tutelage, I had learned and become proficient in all stages of woodworking.

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       After these three years, I was hired to build decks for a new company. I found out quickly that the past three years overprepared me for deck building. It was a much simpler process than building a kitchen or a wooden door. I really enjoyed my time there and learned new skills. In two years of work I had built over 50 wooden decks of various sizes from 10m2 up to 180m2. After reflecting on the time since I had moved to the Czech and looking at my growing family, I realized that I had the experience, skill, and need to start my own business.

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       2022 may have not been the best year to begin a new business, but for me, it was the right one. It took time to learn the necessary skills, both in communication and in woodworking. The past decade has taught me about purpose and how if you do not have one your path ahead will never be clear. I started American Truhlář with one simple thing in mind, providing clients with quality work and a personal experience.