In honor of Renfrow+Co’s tenth anniversary, Principal Matthew Renfrow reflects below on his favorite memories, milestones, and vision for the next ten years.
In this snapshot, I’m hanging out with George Offenhauser, one of the most influential metalsmiths in Houston. You might be wondering what that has to do Renfrow+Co, and the answer is “Everything!” George was my boss back in my second gig post-college. You can tell he rubbed off on me because we’re practically wearing the same outfit! George taught me how to tackle large-scale and prestigious projects. The things I learned from him greatly impacted the beginnings of Renfrow+Co. His influence is still with me today.
What most people know is that Renfrow+Co started in a shared office space that consisted of an Ikea table I added to (Managing Partner) Bill Thorne’s desk. To say we had humble beginnings would be an understatement. I eventually graduated to a plywood table fabricated by Santos Gonzalez, our first employee.
Our first job involved fabricating water features and quarter edging for Haliburton’s North Beltway headquarters renovation. On the left is the first check we received from a residential project of beautiful fencing with Exterior Worlds. Thank you to Exterior Worlds Owner Jeff Halper for bringing us onto that project; he is still a great friend to me and our team. Since those early days, we have grown to a team of 60 amazing individuals with a completed list of more projects than I can count.
As I look back on the last ten years of Renfrow+Co, I hope that we continue to cultivate a culture of learning and exploring. We have grown into experts in so many facets of fabrication, and my goal is to expand even more. I want to see more craftsmen grow with us, becoming passionate experts who love what they do. I have achieved more than I ever envisioned, and I am thankful for this team that gives me energy every day. Thank you to my team for your hard work over the last ten years, and thank you to everyone who has worked with us and supported us along the way. Here’s to the next ten years.
