MACON, Ga. — The city of Macon has been battling blight for over a decade, but one Central Georgia business found a unique way to help with the problem.
Georgia Artisan owner Andrew Eck has been turning materials from abandoned houses into furniture since 2013.
"I started that in college with a friend. We were building coffee tables out of pallets," said Eck. "We started building bigger things one at a time and several years later, here we are."
The Mercer University graduate turned business owner makes everything from dining tables and chairs to bed frames and dressers with what he finds in blighted houses.
"There are people that own these homes, and they need them torn down," said Eck. "We're able to go in for the same price, if not better than a wrecking crew and reclaim the material."
Eck's company is also responsible for some of the woodwork around downtown Macon.
Georgia Artisan built the Macon bench on Poplar Street in addition to signs and furniture in businesses like Z Beans Coffee, Lazy Susan's, and Fall Line Brewery.
"I've got a great team," said Eck. "We ended up selling more than we could make, so we've been increasing our staffing and being able to produce more."
Georgia Artisan works with customers to deliver furniture made to order.
"We don't have a standard small, medium, large table... we can change the stain, the wood type," said Eck. "We can do different elements, we can change the dimensions as well, and it doesn't cost you."
As for the future, Eck says he's looking forward to getting pieces of Macon into homes all over the country.
If you would like to learn more about Georgia Artisan, you can visit their website or visit them at 790 Fulton Street in Macon's Industrial District.
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