THE STORY of SRD Co.

1 out of 25,000 employees. I was just another person with a number in the corporate world for 12 years. Destined to work in a corporate office until I was 65 is what I thought.

That all changed the night of June 29th, 2014. A straight-line wind storm hit our family farm knocking down 63 trees. Trees that stood on our land for more than 100 years that my great grandfather hand planted in 1901. One look at those downed trees I knew it was going to change the landscape of the farm, but what I didn’t realize was those 63 trees would change the landscape of my career path too.

Having almost no knowledge of woodworking (other than the little bit my father taught me) I was bound and determined not to see these trees planted by my grandfather go to waste. We had the trees milled and six months later the wood came back from those trees and I started teaching myself woodworking.

After almost one year of teaching myself woodworking, it was time to give Spring Run Design my full attention and I would leave the corporate world after 12 years. I would spend the next year traveling, exploring, and sourcing wood for my business from fallen trees, fallen barns, and everywhere in between gathering any wood I came across. All while bringing back the stories and history of the wood that was sourced.

During that year of travel and places I would go to source the wood, I was inspired to design our logo along with a handful of other designs. Those designs and our logo would help start SRD Co apparel.

From a self-taught woodworker who never should have been, to a family farm that was devastated by a straight-line wind storm, Spring Run Design was Born From a Storm. Whose roots and heritage truly began in 1901.

From our handcrafted kitchenware, handcrafted canoe paddles, and apparel Spring Run Design brings craftsmanship and a style of functional art you won’t see anywhere else.

This is Spring Run Design, Born from a Storm and Rooted since 1901.

-Kory Helgens