With clean lines and fine craftsmanship, a Mid-Century Modern Credenza won over judges to give a young woodworker from Pennsylvania the top prize in the 2024 #YoungWoodPro contest.

Joel Keener, 24, a graduating student at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Pennsylvania who is just about to embark on his professional woodworking career, created the piece. It combines an elegant liquor cabinet with a record player. Keener used solid domestic cherry wood and Makore veneer to make the piece, which is also accented with brass hardware and knife hinges.

Keener accepted the award in person at a reception held during the Wood Pro Expo and Closets Conference in Schaumburg, Illinois, April 18.

Matt Buell, an award-winning custom furniture craftsman who is the host of the #YoungWoodPro program, congratulated Keener. Buell said Keener’s work and presentation of it for the contest exemplified the lessons Buell has been trying to share in the program to promote a higher level of professionalism among young career woodworkers.

The contest and yearlong education program has been sponsored for the last two years by Grizzly Industrial. As part of their sponsorship, Grizzly donated a Grizzly G0899 10-inch, 2HP professional grade table saw with a retail value of $1,825 to add to the $500 cash prize Keener won. Grizzly also paid to fly Keener from Pennsylvania to Illinois for the award ceremony.

Woodworking Network will feature  Keener in an upcoming article in FDMC magazine, and with an interview on the Woodworking Network Podcast.

Ethan Roe, director of sales for Grizzly, said the company’s support of the #YoungWoodPro program is an important part of new initiatives the company is making to enhance services to schools and professional woodworkers, investing in the future of the industry.

Look for a full feature on Joel Keener coming in next month’s issue of FDMC.  To see a video of all the contest finalists, go to youtu.be/WVlK38HcSRU