Mike and I first became close friends through the house project my wife and I began last summer. I hired him as an extra pair of hands and was blown away by his efficiency of work. He worked carefully and precisely at a rate not many could keep up with. That is not common. I knew that when the time came to hire someone on part time in my studio Mike was the very first person on my list. Since December last year, Mike has been working on projects with me to try and keep some furniture moving through my studio. This has worked out wonderfully. Not only is he a conscientious worker but he is also a good friend and our time in the studio together has been very rewarding.
It seemed obvious when I needed help with the magazine that I would bring Mike on board. The same high level of care he has in the studio is brought into his work for M&T. For a few weeks now, Mike has been the friendly voice behind our email account. If you’ve sent an inquiry to info@mortiseandtenonmag.com, you’ve corresponded with Mike. This has been a tremendous help to me because this job requires a lot of email communication so having Mike take care of customer service relieves a lot off my shoulders. He also helps wrap the magazines and ship orders out weekly. I am so honored to have him on the team.
I will be adding each staff member to the website as we get bios and photos nailed down. I will be posting them here at the blog first so you won’t miss them. Here’s Mike:
Michael Updegraff lives in the woods with his lovely wife, 3 curious children whose names all begin with the letter "M", and a healthy population of very busy beavers. Along with his work with the team at Mortise & Tenon, he has been doing yacht painting and varnishing for over 10 years, and has recently joined Joshua as an assistant in his furniture conservation practice. He enjoys swinging an axe, running up and down mountain trails, old books, good coffee, curly plane shavings, and continuing to learn how much he has to learn.