Gerald Beal I began timber framing ten years ago. I cut my teeth in the Franklin, North Carolina timber framing community, working and learning from the fine people at Goshen Timber Frames, Inc. and Cabin Creek Timber Frames, Inc. and still maintain strong working relationships with both. In 2004, I incorporated Smoky Mountain Timberwrights to manifest my own style of framing. I am proud of the work we have done and the people that have come to work for me.

Petelo Leota “Talofa lava” is Petelo Leota’s greeting to those who arrive to our shop. He was born and raised in thevillage of Falefa, in the Pacific island nation of Samoa. He moved to the United States in 2003, settled in Asheville, NC soon after, and has been associated with Smoky Mountain Timberwrights since May 2005. He has enjoyed learning all aspects of Timber Frame construction.  Coming from 12 years experience working with the Public Works Department in Samoa, Petelo had no knowledge of timber framing. He started off sanding and has since worked his way towards learning exact measurements, cutting, fitting and design. His love of being part of the crew on a raising is invaluable.  His mantra is, “I am all about the frame and all about the trade and willing and eager to learn every aspect for many more years to come. I feel very fortunate to have found such a job that I can use my hands and my mind to help build such a beautiful piece of work and have had a good time with these guys at SMT."

Eli Berkowitz Raised by feral hippies in the woods of southeastern Vermont, Eli gained an appreciation for trees, hard labor and working with his hands early on. His experience working on dairy farms as an adolescent ingrained in his mind the beauty and craftsmanship of old New England barns, many of them timber framed. After a long and fruitful career washing dishes on the West Coast, Eli returned to the East, settling down in Asheville where, feeling he had reached the apex of his skill in the dish pit, he set out to learn timber framing. Hired on at Smoky Mountain Timberwrights, Inc. when it was just two guys and some pigeons, Eli has since become highly proficient in many areas of the job and has filled the positions of sander, joiner, ladder man, panel guy, friendly ear and biting wit-man, just to name a few.

Jamie Herrmann Jamie started learning timber framing at Timber Framers Guild volunteer projects in 2002 after studying sculpture and getting into old tools. This gave him the opportunity early on to work with some highly skilled people and to gain knowledge through their generosity. That brought many interesting travels and work experiences, including time working for Rudy Christian in Ohio and a year spent with Bear Dance Joinery in Lexington, Virginia. He joined Smoky Mountain Timberwrights, Inc. in 2006 and has been an integral part of our projects since then.

Raivo Vihman Raivo’s timber framing began in 2000, when he decided to build a cabin ‘the old way’ on some land in Freedom, Maine. It had a dry stack stone foundation, locally cut pine and hemlock timbers, and white ash knee braces from a neighboring farm. The joinery was cut by hand over the course of a beautiful fall and the frame was raised by hand with an enthusiastic group of friends. What inspired the project is still what gets him excited about building: combining natural materials with traditional techniques of building to create functional, simple, beautiful spaces. These are the elements that make vernacular architecture so pleasing. He worked in two timber framing shops, Birdseye View Woodworking in Maine and Oregon Timberworks in Portland, before coming to work with Smoky Mountain Timberwrights, Inc. Raivo wears many hats at the shop and on raisings, and answers to many nicknames, just don’t call him Foreman.

Melissa Wiklinski While the crew is hard at work in the shop or on site crafting our beautiful timber frames, Melissa handles all of the bookkeeping and marketing aspects of the business. Upon moving from New Jersey to Colorado, Melissa gained extensive experience in Vail as a bookkeeper for an architectural firm and its affiliated general contracting company. She then progressed to also be their Assistant Project Manager, coordinating the budgeting and scheduling of all projects. When she decided to move back East to be closer to family, she made her way to Asheville and met a skilled craftsman looking for a business partner. She collaborated with Gerald Beal to create a business plan and has built the business end of Smoky Mountain Timberwrights, Inc. from the ground up. Currently working on the sales aspect of our business, Melissa will be your main contact at our downtown office and will be ready to arrange a meeting with you and Gerald to discuss your future timber frame home!