I am  a third generation craftsman. I began pursuing my interest in furniture design and construction while studying pre-architecture at the University of Minnesota. I ended up in the wood shop in Design class, and soon after, quit school to embrace a different path of education as a woodworker’s apprentice. After spending three years as an apprentice with chairmaker Jeff Miller in Chicago, I went to work at high-end furniture shops doing both production and custom work. At the same time, I was building a client base doing custom furniture in my own shop.
I have been building custom furniture professionally for twelve years. I have taught woodworking classes, and recently started building and writing as a contributer for American Woodworker Magazine. After spending the last three years in the scenic St. Croix River Valley, J. Holtz Furniture relocated to St. Paul. I am now working in a co-op shop with three other furniture makers. My work has been exhibited in jurried shows with the Chicago Furniture Designers Association and the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild.