About Schouten Metalcraft
John
"Joop" Schouten was born in Holland and grew up working in his
father's "smederij" (blacksmith shop), where he learned the art of
shaping metal and the joy of working with his hands.
His love of the
work drove him in his desire to build a business centered on crafting unique and
creative wrought iron pieces for his customers. In 1957, John and his wife,
Trudi and their five children set off together for America in search of such an
opportunity. I was the oldest of the five.
Of necessity, my father took the long route to Indianapolis and to
establishing his business. There was a family to feed along the way. But by
1960, the seeds for Schouten Metalcraft, Inc. had been planted and sprouting
roots. From the basement of his home, and often well into the night, John began
to build decorative items of sheet metal and iron, and found his market -
customers with an eye for his artistic brand of workmanship.
Slow,
measured success led to the luxury of a building for the business and more room
for me to join him in the work. I had always been a willing helper, but as I
entered high school, "Pop" began to teach me the craft in earnest.
The "stubborn Dutchman" held high standards for me, but only because
what he wanted most was to produce a good product and a good craftsman. I was
fortunate to learn from the best.
As John forged a reputation for
himself, his enterprise grew into a full-time effort focused on producing ornate
railings, gates, tables and creative solutions to whatever a customer might
bring him. My role in the work grew as I earned his trust and developed skills
as a craftsman. Together, we began to develop a portfolio of projects
demonstrating our range of capabilities, and established Schouten Metalcraft as
a premier resource for quality wrought iron.
While we continue to evolve as an organization, Schouten Metalcraft
remains family owned and operated. I'm proud of my father's work and the course
he has charted for us. My commitment to our clients is that his standards of
quality and workmanship will remain the cornerstones on which we operate.
Ron
Schouten
Proprietor |
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