Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandre Mattan
Hi Alexandre, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Nashville, grew up in Belgium and ended up in St. Louis by chance. I honestly couldn’t have pin-pointed St. Louis on a map 20 years ago. I came here because St. Louis University accepted most of my credits from a few different European universities I attended.
I spent my early life going between Europe and the U.S. and have never been pulled to a city like this one. I didn’t realize it at the time but my Belgian heritage left an imprint on me. I had kept with me a love for the craftsmanship and architecture I grew up with. St. Louis had the beauty and richness of the old world in abundance but also the opportunity of the new world.
From day one, it was always about the potential for me. I knew St. Louis had a lot more to live up to and I wanted to be a part of it. It just feels alive with opportunity. There’s an amazing amount to do and see. The food scene is fantastic, the cost of living is low and it’s a comfortable and easy place to raise a family. What more could you want?
Leaving school, I got into a small business with my mother rehabbing homes around the city. St. Louis looked like a museum covered in dust. The residential architecture in this city is second to none. I remember being blown away by the old buildings in disuse and got to work pulling it back into the 21st century. Though a little apprehensive at first, people appreciated and admired my enthusiasm for the city. They might’ve thought I was crazy, but they respected my willingness to pour myself into a place that was once the beating heart of America and my chosen home.
Unfortunately, as much as I loved rehabbing, I can’t say I loved working with family. There reached a point where the relationship wasn’t productive and I set out on my own.
During my time restoring buildings I realized there was a shortage of craftsmen who were willing to work on our windows and doors which eventually gave me the opening to start Ambacht. For the next few years I set out to teach myself as much as I possibly could about woodworking and glass cutting, more specifically windows and doors. I bought every book I could find and watched about every youtube video on the Internet.
I took my first order for 4 windows in a rented two car garage and got started…
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I started this business I jumped into the deep end. I had no experience in my field whatsoever but I enjoyed working with my hands and loved the historic homes in St. Louis.
In hindsight, I think being naive can actually help. Sometimes it’s easier not to be able to anticipate the problems you will be confronted with. If I had known of all the obstacles I was going to face, I may have never started. It took three to four years of hard knocks for the business to take off. Today, I am wildly appreciative of the fact that I started off in a garage with nothing but a table saw and a miter saw. Scarcity forced me to be creative and appreciative of the little I had available to me. To this day that same mindset helps me solve the problems I encounter in the custom work we do.
As the business grew and changed, so did our challenges. I’ve learned better who to surround myself with. When it comes to growing a business, you have to realize you can’t do everything on your own. And that it plays to everyone’s advantage to hire people who are better than you in a specific field. It’s all about finding people willing to work towards the same goal but from a different vantage point.
I would like to thank the people who helped me along my way. Ted Atwood, Andy Hahn, Stephanie Bliss, Bill Stanard, Andrew Weil, Steve Souder & Peggy Eng all believed in me and helped promote my work and continue to do so. Also my wife and daughter who have added a whole new meaning to my life here in St. Louis.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The name Ambacht is a Dutch word that translates to “handcraft” and speaks to the essence of who we really are. We specialize in historic windows and doors, with a recent addition of custom stained glass. Everything we do is completely tailor-made. Each window and door has its own specific measurements handmade to fit. We always go above and beyond to ensure our customers are thrilled. While we may not aim to be the cheapest, we do aim to be the best. We go the extra mile to make the client a part of the experience, and want them to be.
In the end, I think I’m the most proud of the dozens of returning customers we have. They’re who allow us to continue our work pouring our hearts back into the city one window at a time.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I think it’s important to find something that lets you be who you really want to be. I was getting my PhD in literature and economics but cut that short to rehab homes in St. Louis. While that didn’t quite pan out, it led to Ambacht. When starting a business, take inventory of what you are good at and passionate about. And by passion I mean what you are driven to work on in the long run. Accept the fact that it’s probably going to be harder than you anticipate. Roll with the punches and keep your eye on your long-term goals. Listen to the feedback you get from your community. Don’t let your pride get in the way, and hire people who are better than you in specific aspects or roles. Never stop growing and learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ambacht-stl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambacht_stl/
