CGH Woodcrafters began in 2018 as a father’s answer to a simple question: how do I give my kids something that lasts?

Not a physical gift; something deeper. Time, wisdom, passion, a small legacy.

It started as a dream of buying some property where my kids and I could slow down together, but quickly became something different; a small family business, with each of us contributing in our own way, pulling in the same direction even while living miles apart.

Betsie helped shape our voice, our aesthetic, and our marketing.

Korey built our first website and pushed our brand forward, brainstorming with me to find new things to make.

Nate could occasionally be talked into helping in the shop.

It was imperfect…and wonderful.

My intent was to start paving the way to an active retirement. Design some products, tackle all of the engineering, find out what sells. If it worked, I’d have a great way to keep me busy after retiring. A hobby that paid for itself.

Within a couple of years, we became victims of our own success. During the day, I was selling software used in manufacturing. At night and during the weekends, I was trying to keep up with orders. After a while, I simply ran out of steam. We satisfied existing orders and quietly pulled the plug.

In January, 2026, I was the President of a manufacturing company just west of Rockford, IL. I’d drive down to the shop on Sunday afternoon, work during the week (living in an Airstream with my two dogs), then come back home at the end of the week. When I finally realized I was fighting a losing battle, I resigned. No safety net. Just the knowledge that I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing.

Four days later, I was diagnosed with cancer.

That changes things.

I still needed to work, but wasn’t really excited about plunging back into the grinder. Suddenly, there was an urgency. After a lot of thought, I found myself drawn back to the shop. Back to the wood. Back to the craft.

And back to the craftsmen who came before me.

My Grandpa Dodge made things… beautiful, solid pieces he gave as gifts to the people he loved. I still have several things he made over the years. He was also a sign painter, specializing in gold leaf, a man who understood that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary often comes down to one more careful pass with the brush. His father, my great great grandfather (also named George Niesl), was a painter, specializing in painting the interiors of Catholic churches throughout the Midwest. And in our family’s keeping is a nativity scene carved in Bavaria by my great great-grandfather, passed down through generations, still cherished, still present every Christmas.

These aren’t decorations. They’re proof that someone cared enough to make something that would last.

That’s what we make at CGH.

Every sign, every cribbage board, every bourbon flight, every trivet, made by hand in Ripon, Wisconsin, with the kind of intention that turns a piece of wood into something your grandchildren will argue over someday.

We use modern CNC technology where precision or complex geometry demands it, and hand craftsmanship where the work deserves it. To me, it’s the perfect blending of skills. The result is heirloom quality that doesn’t apologize for existing in the 21st century. I KNOW my Grandpa Dodge would be proud.

Your lake house is more than a property. It’s the place your family comes back to. It’s where the stories happen. It’s where the memories get made.

It’s your legacy.

We’d be honored to make something for it.

Todd Rathkamp, CGH Woodcrafters, Ripon, Wisconsin