About

Who “we” are…

You’ll see these terms - we, us, etc. - throughout the site, and I want to explain who that is. I’m Steve Yochim, and for the most part, it’s me. But I use the term ‘we’ because everything I do would not be without the support of my family: my wife and kids. They are the motivation for everything I do! Not only that, but my wife is my behind-the-scenes business partner, the one I bounce ideas off of. Sometimes the bad ones don’t bounce back!

My father was a tradesman - multi-talented, but a painter by trade - and my grandfather was a carpenter. The house I grew up in was the house my six siblings also grew up in and was built by my father and grandfather. By the time I arrived on the scene, the house was already a couple of decades old, and it seemed there were always projects being done to improve it, and I was always involved in some way. This was my foundation!

I started a career in carpentry around 2002 by apprenticing with a local homebuilder and, after five years, started my own company, building houses. I was motivated to strike out on my own to make decisions that would positively affect the quality of the products I produced. Also, I could choose my own hours and schedule. This turned out to be more hours and fewer vacations, but far more rewarding!

From the time I was in trade school, furniture making was something I enjoyed. In my spare time, I would make surprise furniture pieces for friends and family members. I loved the process of designing a unique piece and joining it together in a creative way. I enjoy the challenges and problems that each piece presents and coming up with creative solutions for those challenges. I especially love designing for CNC machining! There are so many complicated shapes that can be achieved that would otherwise be impractical or just impossible to achieve by hand.

I started JOKM CREATIVE mfg. because I want to create things that bring as much joy to others as I glean from making them. At the end of the day, if I’ve made something that someone loves, I feel fulfilled!

Thanks for taking the time to look around, and I hope we can work together soon!

Steve Yochim

Owner, JOKM CREATIVE mfg.