Corey Farnsworth, CEO of Architectural Wood Design, Inc., is pictured center, flanked by examples of the company’s custom commercial millwork and interior finishes. Photos courtesy of AWD/Business Journal composite

Corey Farnsworth’s path to leading Architectural Wood Design, Inc. started at the bottom — literally, sweeping the company’s shop floors as a kid.

Now 37 and CEO of the commercial millwork company, Farnsworth says working through nearly every part of the business has shaped both his management style and AWD’s approach to growth. Under his leadership, the company has grown fivefold and shifted from primarily public works projects toward private-sector work built around contractor relationships.

That growth has also required Farnsworth and his leadership team to strengthen internal systems, training and quality controls while developing employees from within. Farnsworth shared with The Business Journal for an Executive Profile Q&A about his path to the CEO role, AWD’s evolution and what he has learned while scaling the company.

Tell us about your professional journey with AWD.

I started at the bottom, sweeping the shop floors as a kid, and had to earn my way into each position as I moved up through the company. Working in nearly every part of the business gave me firsthand perspective on the challenges our team faces at each stage of a project. That experience has helped us build standards and processes that support our people, prevent problems before they happen and make the company stronger as a whole.

How has the company’s scope changed since you took over as CEO — and where do you see it going?

Since stepping in as CEO, we’ve grown from mostly public works to a private, relationship-based business. We now deliver more complete bid packages and take on metals and other scopes our clients ask us to handle. Public work tends to come down to low bid, while private work is much more about trust, performance and repeat relationships. That shift has been intentional.

Looking ahead, we want to continue strengthening those relationships and expanding our design-assist and preconstruction capabilities. Our goal is to be the partner general contractors bring in early because our team can help solve problems, not just build what’s drawn.

What is the proudest accomplishment of your career?

My proudest accomplishment is building a leadership and management team that has made our growth possible. Since I took over as CEO, the company has grown fivefold, and that’s a reflection of the people we’ve developed, the team we’ve built and the trust we’ve put in them to lead. I’m proud of the growth, but I’m even more proud of the team behind it.

What would you consider your biggest failure, and what did you learn from it?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that growth exposes weak systems. We had to get serious about standard operating procedures and creating a consistent meeting cadence. We put recurring meetings in place with clear agendas so the right people are in the room, decisions are tracked and there is accountability for following through.

That experience taught me that you can’t build a company around one person. You need good people, strong processes, cash discipline and consistent communication so the business can operate and continue growing as a team.

Favorite quote?

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” — Proverbs 22:1