Custom architectural millwork brings craftsmanship, engineering, production, and project management together. For employers, hiring well means understanding not only which technical skills a role requires, but also how that person will handle complex, one-of-a-kind work.
We asked Tio Escarda, Director of Operations at Crestmark Millwork in Arcata, California, what he looks for and where he sees the greatest workforce challenges. Crestmark specializes in the engineering, fabrication, and installation of commercial millwork.
Start with the work, not a generic job description
Tio identifies master craftspeople, senior millwork engineers, and senior project managers as especially important roles. Each requires a different mix of experience, but he sees several abilities as valuable across the team: attention to detail, three-dimensional thinking, clear communication, and composure under pressure.
Millwork often falls in the final 10% of a project lifecycle, when budgets are tight and schedules are compressed. Tio says successful millworkers need to think in three dimensions and understand complex physical situations over the phone or email. For employers, that points to assessing spatial reasoning and clear communication alongside equipment and software experience.
Know when industry experience is essential
For senior positions, Tio places considerable value on direct millwork experience. It is a specialty trade with knowledge that takes time to develop. For other roles, experience in construction or custom-shop manufacturing can provide a foundation for learning.
That distinction can help employers assess candidates more thoughtfully. A senior leader may need a deep understanding of millwork from day one, while a developing professional may bring transferable skills and grow with the right training.
For employers defining a millwork or cabinet engineering opening, use our millwork and cabinet engineer job description template to clarify scope, deliverables, and qualifications.
Connect craftsmanship and engineering
Traditional woodworking skills remain central to custom millwork, even as CNC machining changes parts of the production process. Tio also emphasizes the importance of CAD/CAM engineering: decisions made in engineering affect what the shop can build, how accurately it can build it, and how much material may be at risk when a detail is wrong.
A strong team therefore needs communication between engineering and the shop floor. Hiring criteria should reflect the handoffs a person will own, not treat software proficiency or craft experience as isolated qualifications.
Build skills instead of waiting for them to appear
Experienced millwork professionals are difficult to find. Tio’s recommendation is for companies to develop clear training programs that help the next generation learn inside the business.
He also points to competitive compensation and benefits, opportunities for growth, job security, and a sustainable workload as factors that matter to workers. Where a role can genuinely be performed remotely, flexibility may widen the talent pool; shop and field work still require an on-site presence.
The lesson for millwork employers is practical: define the capabilities the role needs now, identify which skills can be taught, and give people a credible path to develop. Recruiting experienced talent and developing future talent work best as parts of the same plan.
Employers hiring for custom architectural millwork, cabinetry, or wood-products roles can discuss their hiring needs with WoodJobs.
WoodJobs thanks Tio Escarda and Crestmark Millwork for sharing their perspective.
Crestmark Millwork: https://crestmarkmillwork.com
Photo: Patricia Chang.
