Hope for the Craftsman
Mission
Our Mission
To provide sustainable, meaningful employment to craftsmen transitioning out of life hardships like addiction, homelessness, imprisonment, and displacement.
We believe everyone deserves a chance to grow and thrive – and that a man or woman with a job is a force to be reckoned with.
“We want to be a source of hope & a sustainable second chance.”
Our Story
Lamon Luther was born out of a passion for craftsmanship
In 2009 at a restaurant in Douglasville, GA, a conversation was overheard about a “village in the woods” where a group of homeless men had built a makeshift camp and were living in tents.
Many of these men were a variety of craftsmen, carpenters and millworkers who had fallen on hard times after the housing crisis of 2007 gutted the construction industry. Some had recently been released from prison. Some were recovering from addiction. They were all looking for work.
They performed handiwork and odd jobs when the opportunity arose. But with no addresses, few licenses, and only a couple of phones between them, it was difficult finding any real work. No one would hire them and no one wanted to take a chance on them.
On January 1st, founder Brian Preston picked up one of the men from the tent village and brought him to a local wood shop to see if his carpentry skills were up to snuff. Soon after more men joined them. They got the chance they were looking for. They began building beautiful furniture and other handcrafted items – and they were very good at what they did.
Lamon Luther was born. Our roots of empowering men with meaningful work became our defining purpose and the core of who we are.
The Man
Lamon Luther
Born in 1930 in the foothills of Randolph County, Alabama, Lamon Luther Wilson was a farmer, a carpenter, and a mechanic. With his own two hands he provided for his family and the community around him.
If the sun was out, he was in the garden. He shared his crops with friends, neighbors and folks who were down on their luck. His hands were calloused and hardened, but you wouldn’t know it on Sunday behind his neatly pressed suit.
Lamon Luther was rugged, yet selfless and kind. A true gentleman.
Our Impact
SOCIAL IMPACT
We measure social impact based on a few factors, including how many job opportunities we create, how many employees stay at Lamon Luther long-term or find stable employment after gaining experience with us, and our ability to support like-minded organizations through giving, donations, or volunteering. This includes spreading knowledge and awareness about social enterprise business models and how more businesses can be created with a primary goal of doing good.
Organizations and causes we support
The Blake
House
Atlanta
Mission
Furniture
Bank Atlanta
The Ellis
Center
Plywood
People
Sustainability
Environmental Responsibility
Sustainable materials
Food-Safe, Non-Toxic Finishes
Lumber Scrap & Waste
Reliable. Transparent. Trusted.
Purchase with Confidence
High Quality
Craftsmanship
Highly-skilled, experienced craftsmen and fabricators turn your drawings into reality.
Turnkey
Services
Cabinets, countertops, metalwork, furniture, feature millwork – or the whole package. From shop drawings to installation.
On Time &
On Budget
Top-notch, custom millwork delivered when you need it and on budget.
Architect &
Contractor
Relationships
We take pride in building long-lasting, value-added relationships with our architect and contractor partners.
