After being at the front of a classroom for 12 years at Maywood, Gothenburg, and Arnold Public Schools, Bryson Kennedy came to the conclusion that he preferred to “do” rather than teach.

Kennedy had taken his love of shop and woodworking into a profession as an educator, while still utilizing the skill he is so passionate about by doing jobs on the side. “I was working all the time with two full-time jobs basically, so I decided I could cut ties with teaching and go out on my own,” he explained.

In 2021, he made the transition into a full-time business owner with Kennedy Construction and Woodworks. He had been working out of his garage and was now looking to expand. “I just found an old shop in Callaway that worked perfectly,” he said.

Kennedy said he does all types of construction and remodeling projects. “I do a little bit of everything from siding and remodels, to window replacements, to cabinets, and new construction,” he explained. “I’ve always liked to build things, from the time I was little. And I like to solve problems - that is kind of the draw for me. That is what drew me to teaching, too. I like the creative aspect and the problem-solving.”

He began learning the construction trade while still in high school, when he worked for Randy Kimball. “My granddad had a shop when I was little, and I always dabbled in there,” he added. “I’ve always enjoyed woodworking, and at the time Callaway had a really good shop program, so I learned a lot there also.”

A Callaway native, Kennedy and his wife Traci have settled into their hometown to raise their own family. He says there is nowhere else he would rather have his business and home.

Kennedy currently has three employees, and had a college student working with him during the summer. On Aug. 4, the Callaway Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and open house for Kennedy Construction and Woodworks at the shop at 403 W Pacific Street.

“I’m kind of a shy guy and don’t really like publicity, so I’ve been telling them no for several years,” Kennedy chuckled when asked about the timeline of the ribbon cutting.

Over the years of building his business from a part-time to fulltime job, Kennedy has developed a reputation for quality work - and that word of mouth, he said, is where most of his jobs come from. “I’ve been pretty blessed.”

He and his crew are currently finishing a new house in Callaway, and will be building new cabinets and doing the finish work on a new house in Arnold. “I think there are also a couple of new houses planned for the future and a pretty expensive remodel,” Kennedy

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building in Callaway that houses his shop. Kennedy Construction and Woodworks is located on Pacific Street in Callaway. (Photo courtesy Bryson Kennedy) added. “It doesn’t seem to slow down much.”

Bryson and Traci are the parents of two daughters; Edie is 5, and Ruby is 10.

As for his business, Kennedy said, “We will pretty much tackle anything as far as woodworking and building goes. I have a CNC (a computer-controlled router), so we are able to cut out just about anything out of wood - and as I said, I like to problem solve.”

For more information on the services offered at Kennedy Construction and Woodworks, call Bryson at 308-870-0025.