About Clermont Woodworking and Design.

Clermont Woodworking and Design, Inc. is a one man shop and is owned and operated by Dr. Keith Neer. Keith has been active in carpentry since 1971. After retiring from the position of Vice President of Corporate Food Technology and Regulatory Compliance at the Kroger Company in 2005, he decided to follow his dream "full time" and founded Clermont Woodworking and Design. Shortly after founding CWD, Keith finished his Master's in Woodworking at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Since retirement, Keith has worked as a furniture designer and builder as well as a teacher teaching classes in woodworking. In 2013 Keith earned national recognition by being awarded the Michael Fortune Fellowship through the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Since the school's opening 20 years ago, only 8 individuals have earned this prestigious award. See this web site's "press" section for the complete article.

The philosopy at CWD is to honor the craft of woodworking by focusing on custom built furniture, heirloom furniture restoration, and teaching others how to work with wood. Teaching has become one of Keith's personal passions. One of the things he loves about this craft is the ability to work closely with a variety of clients. Getting "inside" their head and collaboratively discovering the wants and needs is a great "high". Seeing the finished piece emerge is truly icing on the cake.

Keith completed his masters degree and Michael Fortune Fellowship at the Marc Adams school of Woodworking and believes this accomplishment has further prepared him to live out his philosophy. Here are just a few of the world class artists with whom Keith has studied:

Graham Blackburn - Furniture Design

Jeff Jewitt - Finishing and French Polishing

Paul Schurch and David Lamb - Furniture Veneering

Mack Headley Jr. - Carving and Chair Construction

Marc Adams - Hand Joinery

Michael Fortune - Wood Bending, Sculptured Chairs, and An Apprenticeship

Bob Flexner - Furniture Restoration

Steve Latta - Inlay and Decorative Detail

Graham Blackburn - Furniture Design

Scott Grove - Furniture Design and Advanced Veneering Techniques