Tim McClellan is an American entrepreneur and
master craftsman, best known for his work in
sustainable furniture design.
He is the founder of
Western Heritage Furniture, an Arizona-based company that makes one of a kind pieces of furniture with
reclaimed lumber obtained from old buildings and barns.
McClellan is also a founder of Verde Biofuel, considered the only company that manufactures a self-contained mobile biodiesel processor.
McClellan's work has appeared in numerous publications such as
The Arizona Republic and
Cowboys & Indians Magazine and books that include ''Contemporary Western Design'' by Thea Marx and ''The Best Places For Everything'' by Peter Greenberg. McClellan was also a featured contestant on the 1st season of
Ellen's Design Challenge
''Ellen's Design Challenge'' is an American furniture design reality competition series that premiered on January 26, 2015, on HGTV. The six-episode first season was announced in April 2014, as the first cable television series executive produced ...
on
HGTV in 2015.
McClellan is the host of Boomtown Builder, a pilot on
DIY Network, which first aired on July 25, 2017.
McClellan married Erika Lynn Roberts on May 28, 2017.
Early life and education
McClellan grew up as one of nine children and is a self-taught designer. He was raised in the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
of
Charles Town, West Virginia
Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,534 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of Pres ...
with six brothers and two sisters.
He was raised by his parents on a 100 acre farm located on the
Shenandoah River in West Virginia.
[ At the age of 14, he won his school's home-ec prize for his sewing and cooking skills as well as the AG Mechanic award for welding.
In 1985, McClellan's family moved to ]Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
where he graduated from Winston Churchill High School in 1987.[ He was accepted into an honors program at the University of Maryland but decided not to attend college after attending freshman orientation.][
]
Career
McClellan founded Western Heritage Furniture in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
in 1991.[ He began by making furniture from salvaged wood that he reclaimed from slash-and-burn piles. After founding the company, McClellan made a bet with his girlfriend that he could build a lodgepole bed that she wanted for less than the $1,200 retail price. The bed that he completed turned into requests for more beds which led to him being commissioned to furnish entire homes out of reclaimed wood. McClellan visited his sister in Jerome, Arizona in 1994, later relocating the company to this city in 1995.][ The company specialized in making self-contained mobile biodiesel processors that turn cooking grease into fuel. The biodiesel was then used in the vehicles that deliver Western Heritage Furniture's products to their final destination.][
McClellan's work has appeared in numerous publications such as '' The Arizona Republic'',][ ''Cowboys & Indians'' Magazine,][ It also led him to television in 2015 when he was featured as one of six contestants on the 1st season of ]Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer.
She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
' competition show Ellen's Design Challenge.[ McClellan was the winner of the challenge, but later disqualified after his winning design was found to resemble another piece of furniture from another designer. McClellan denied copying the design while admitting similarities of the pieces.][ The show became the most watched show in HGTV history and McClellan later appeared on an episode of Ellen where she informed McClellan that she did not believe that he intentionally copied the design.][
McClellan is the founder of Cowboy Customs Speed Shop, an automobile shop that customizes classic vehicles with materials such as saddle leather, copper, silver, and historic barnwood.][
McClellan separated from Western Heritage Furniture in 2016.]
References
External links
Tim McClellan Designs official website
Cowboy Customs Speed Shop official website
Erika Lynn Roberts official website
Western Heritage Furniture official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClellan, Tim
Living people
American businesspeople
American furniture designers
Year of birth missing (living people)
Businesspeople from Charles Town, West Virginia