Mock Woodworking is proud to celebrate our seventh decade of crafting the highest quality woodwork for residential and commercial clients. Join us in a look back at our history of growth and achievement – and peek into our bright future of continued innovation.
Starting With Raw Materials
It all started more than 70 years ago in Ohio’s heartland.
“I always liked to work with my hands,” Wilbur Mock once said. “Woodworking came naturally to me.”
Wilbur honed his craft while working alongside Amish and Mennonite craftsmen who adhered to time-honored traditions of patience, attention to detail and unwavering quality. He took those principles to heart and blended them into the American dream of starting his own business.
In 1954, he launched Mock Woodworking from his Zanesville workshop. Other talented woodworkers gravitated to him, lending their skills to the residential projects the company took on in Muskingum and other surrounding counties. Their reputation for outstanding quality spread, and the company grew.
Planting the Seeds of Growth
Also growing was Wilbur’s son, Doug, who spent much of his youth sweeping the Mock Woodworking shop floor. He absorbed the work ethic and dedication to craft that his father and the other craftsmen modeled. But soon it was time for Doug to expand his horizons, so he went off to college, earned an MBA degree and began a career in the corporate world.
Feeling the pull of more meaningful work, Doug returned to Mock Woodworking in 1983. His business acumen and vision of expansion would transform the company from a highly respected local shop into a national powerhouse.
Designing a Creative Vision
As the Mock team completed more and more high-end residential projects in the Columbus area, Doug became acquainted with several influential people with ties to the retail world. They were always impressed with the humble attitude he took, despite his great wealth of accumulated knowledge and expertise. Equally impressive was his creative imagination for developing innovative solutions and achieving gorgeous results with intricately bespoke details.
One of these acquaintances offered Doug and Mock Woodworking an opportunity to create custom architectural woodworking for a luxury retail store. It was a daunting proposal, as the Mock crew had never done anything like it before – they weren’t even certain they had the space or capabilities to see it through.
But Doug was confident in their collective skills, so he said yes without hesitation. Returning to the plant he said, “Let’s roll up our sleeves and create the needed process to produce this work with our signature quality.”
His willingness to take that leap led to a whole new level of success for Mock Woodworking. His team rose to the challenge, and projects for a slate of well-known retailers quickly followed: American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, The Limited, Vineyard Vines, Bath & Body Works and Abercrombie & Fitch. Before long, finely crafted woodwork from Mock graced malls and high-end storefronts across the country.
Building a Professional Framework
Along the way, Doug became involved with the professional trade association Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), eventually taking on the role of president. Ever the visionary, he also steered the company toward public sector opportunities as a way of opening even more potential for growth. Mock bids weren’t necessarily the lowest for these jobs, but they represented an attractive combination of very high quality, creative problem solving, strong engineering and professional transparency that often fast-tracked them to the top of the list.
Projects for the Ohio State House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House, West Virginia University, Ohio University, Denison University, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and others propelled the company forward into new avenues of creative expansion.
The Mock reputation for excellence spread.
Joining With New Leadership
After more than 35 years of leading the company through exponential growth, Doug was ready to step into a different role. He knew the Dix family through mutual acquaintances and adjacent business endeavors. The Dix family had experienced success in several industries, including print media. They loved the production and manufacturing aspect of the newspaper industry so thought a transition into an engineering-heavy field like custom woodworking could be a good fit.
After working together as co-leaders for a few years, Doug transitioned into a strategy and consultation position, and Andrew Dix assumed leadership of Mock Woodworking in 2020.
Maintaining Mock’s reputation for excellence was more of a challenge than Andrew and the Dix organization had expected, reflecting that Doug Mock had made it look easier than it was.
Continuing a Legacy of Quality
Despite the steep learning curve, Andrew immersed himself in the company. He relocated to be closer to the Zanesville headquarters and dedicated his own strong work ethic and humble attitude of curiosity to the task of living up to the legacy that Wilbur and Doug Mock had built.
This 70th anniversary is a testament to collaborative success that transcends individual achievement – and to the enduring values of quality, innovation and pride in craftsmanship that have become synonymous with Mock Woodworking.