Blaise Brogan started cutting trees when he left school at 16 years old. He was working for various tree companies and eventually started his own. He first bought a middle skid steer boxer machine which he’d imported from America. He was impressed with the first product he made and decided it was something he could actually do for a living.
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HOW THE BUSINESS STARTED
He was working for a firm on weekdays and then he would work on the weekends cutting trees. However, in 2001 he decided to quit his job and do his own thing.
Blaise has been serving clients in his northern London village, where they love him for his unique and creative pieces.
When he started, there was a lack of trees in the area so he tried to save on wood by cutting the hedges. Eventually, he started cutting the trunks in the yard which led to the purchase of his first milling machine.
DEVELOPING A MARKET FOR HIS PRODUCTS
In the UK, the market is quite different from the USA. People prefer buying things from stores rather than having them made from scratch. It’s more of a younger market that continues to grow.
With a well-established stock in place, Blaise feels that in the next five years, his business is going to take off. Currently, he’s trying to get into design agencies and talk to people, while also pushing a mixture of materials, as well as casting metal into pieces.
GROWING THE MILLING BUSINESS
For Blaise, it’s really about getting the wood to use and getting the word out there. Blaise specializes in big project items such as conference tables, and he’s continuously working hard to make sure that they’re unique and stand out.
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FUTURE PLANS
He just opened a new workshop that’s ten times bigger than the old one, this has given him the ability to start working on more items and larger projects.
Twitter: @BlaiseBrogan
Instagram: Blaiseintrees
Facebook: Blaise Brogan
