Meet Wes Porter of WP Design

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Porter

Hi Wes, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started woodshop in 7th grade at Adams middle school in Redondo Beach. I enjoyed the process so much that i continued woodshop thru grade school and high school. In my 12th grade year at Mira Costa High In Manhattan Beach, i had 2 periods of wood shop, Advanced wood shop and was a TA for the beginner shop class and received an apprenticeship completion thru SCROC.

Upon graduating in 2000, I began my career in an entry position at Creative Cabinets in Torrance. We specialized in custom residential kitchens, baths, AV units, one off custom cabinetry & Millwork projects with locations thru the South Bay, LA, Malibu & Pacific Palisades.
Learning & working my way thru all positions within the shop and field after 6 years, i ended up as Shop Foreman and assisted in managing the field installations.
Unfortunately in 2009 i was the last employee to be laid off due to the housing bubble. During the downtime, i remodeled my dads bathroom and my bedroom due to water damage. About 6 months of being laid off i muscled up work wherever i could. These were tough times for construction. I continued part time work with Creative Cabinets until 2011.

I was offered a permanent installation position in 2011 with Zorn Productions Unlimited. Although i did not want to be an installer for a commercial shop, i accepted the position and stepped out of my comfort zone.
Within 3 years working with Zorn Productions Unlimited, i was promoted to drafting engineer/detailer.
About 1 year later i was promoted to Project Manager and remained in that position until i launched WP Design in 2018. During my tenure with ZPU, I was able to be apart of many high profile demanding projects. I ran about 1 million dollars annually worth of millwork projects while at ZPU and learned the ins and outs of the office side of the business.

Learning from Steve at Creative Cabinets and many mentors at Zorn Productions Unlimited would prove to be a perfect recipe for our current success.

We are currently 6 years in of launching WP Design Custom Millwork & Cabinetry. We focus on high end custom kitchens and all custom millwork projects in commercial and residential spaces. We are out growing our current shop space in Torrance and looking to relocate in the South Bay within the next 6 months in order to solve some of our current bottle necks.

We focus on client needs with excellent communication working with Architects, Designers, Contractors, or direct end users. Our professionalism, vast trade knowledge and excellent communication sets us apart from our competitors. We simply do it right the first time.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. There have been many small to large challenges throughout our career but the important part is to keep pushing forward.

Being a skilled tradesman during a tech driven era has kept wage growth low. This has put tremendous pressure on the high cost of living in LA. I never turned down overtime and completed as many little side projects as i could thru out my career. This does take away time from other things but this is how i was able to make ends meet.

Keeping up with tech in our trade was done after hours as well. I worked on learning trade software in my personal time which ultimately got me promoted years later at ZPU.

While unemployed, i had no idea what would be next. I entertained other careers but somehow always ended up back in this trade. I tried hiring in at Chevron about 1 year prior to launching WPD, at the time i did not want to open my own business.

Each day has its challenges whether, financially, logistically, changes in the project, delays onsite or with ordered product & materials… to name just a few. There are always things that will pop up and its just part of owning your own business. We focus on the long term goals to stay motivated and strive for success.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are not afraid of difficult projects. Our ability to hone in on specific client needs with excellent communication is just one of our best attributes.
We do not cut corners and give every project the same high level of craftsmanship no matter the size.
We hold ourselves accountable in everything we do and strive for perfection. The quality of materials and hardware we use are the very best in the industry.
Our pricing is competitive and we have vast knowledge in commercial and residential projects.
We can build anything successfully the first time.
Our team has the same mindset and understand the importance of delivering a superior product.
Our fabrication process combines computer aided machining as well as hand craftmanship which allows us to produce a product to last a lifetime in a timely manner.
Our ability to coordinate with other tradesman during the early stages of projects sets up success for delivering smooth, on time turnovers.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Just reach out and tell us about your project. There is no one size fits all in our business so a quick email or conversation is the best way to start any project. Discussing the wants and desired end use will go a long way in the beginning stages. We are not a big box store, we work with clients who understand the need for high end custom projects.
Visit our website WPdesignmillwork.com and request a free consultation.
DM us on social media on IG @wpdesign_ca

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WPdesignmillwork.com
• Instagram: @wpdesign_ca

Image Credits
Fortis Construction
DECOMA Industries
Angela Alex Interior Design
Liv Luce