Rodney is the entrepreneur and craftsman behind RTE Millworks.
In the summer of 1998, Rodney discovered his passion for woodworking shortly after his mother, Marion, hired him to restore antique doors and windows for the new home she was building. In the months following, Rodney disassembled and repaired old doors, windows, newel posts, handrails, and countless other objects. Working with his hands to restore the century-old millwork was fascinating to him. He began to study time honored construction methods and classical scale and proportion from none other than his mother who grew up in a family of historical restorers and antique collectors and is herself an avid student of art and architecture.
After finishing this summer project, Rodney apprenticed under a master craftsman for the next four years, learning about the production of cabinets and the art of door building. While apprenticing, Rodney opened RTE Custom Manufacturing in 2001.
“This is a visionary company, one that was built on core values of quality. I feel strongly that we’re one of the best in the industry.”
Marion Drennen is a professional artist who experiences the world visually. To her, the design is what matters.
Marion established the backbone of RTE’s quality standards with her diverse background in art, restoration, and her eye for proper scale and proportion. Having set these values, RTE has established a reputation as a custom manufacturer that plays close attention to detail, a fact that is evident in every project that RTE has designed and built.
Currently, she is pursuing her career as a professional artist and assisting in the design department of RTE.
“Good cabinet design is no more expensive to create than bad cabinet design. Not to be confused with features such as wood species, paint color, door style or specialty items, good design is determined by plan, scale, and proportion.”