Turning a love of woodworking into a full-time business

Rich Palzewic

Staff

October 6, 2025

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – Growing up in Milwaukee, Tom Bodanske said he spent much of his time in the basement of his childhood home, where a fully stocked wood shop sparked his early interest in craftsmanship.

Though he didn’t realize it at the time, Tom said that early love of woodworking would eventually lead him to start his own business – Bodanske Wood Flooring – decades later.

Tom, who, along with his wife, Jenny, owns and operates Bodanske Wood Flooring in Pulaski (130 Memorial Drive), said the main focus of the business is hardwood floor installation, repair, refinishing and luxury vinyl flooring.

“If you think about an hour’s drive from Pulaski in any direction, that’s where we service,” he said. “Marinette to the north, Shawano to the west and Manitowoc to the south.”

Bodanske Wood Flooring, Tom said, focuses heavily on refinishing and repair work.

“Usually, it’s a customer who bought a house, and the first thing they do is tear the carpet out and see this nice-looking hardwood floor,” he said. “I come in and make it look brand new.”

From start to finish, Tom said refinishing an average-sized room floor takes about two days to complete.

“My wife and I just did an old farmhouse where the floor was covered in years of old linoleum,” he said. “There was also old black tar underneath, so we had to grind all that off. There was a beautiful maple floor under there, so it turned out awesome. I get a lot of satisfaction seeing how beat-up hardwood floors turn out after going through our process.”

Tom said he and Jenny – who works right alongside him – are pretty much booked out for the rest of 2025.

“We’re already [booking] into January of next year,” he said.

An early love of woodworking

Early support from his great-uncle and supportive family, Tom said, helped pave the way for what would become Bodanske Wood Flooring, which officially launched in 2013.

“I would say my woodworking upbringing laid the groundwork for what I do today,” he said. “I had all of the handtools a boy could ask for, plus a great-uncle who loved woodworking. From a young age, I was building projects out of wood.”

Growing up, Tom said his great-uncle lived just upstairs in his family’s duplex – a setup that quietly shaped his future.

“I spent a lot of time down in the basement, just doing odds and ends with him – I was his little helper,” he said. “He passed away when I was only eight years old, so then all of the tools in the basement probably sat unused and untouched for about three years.”

Recognizing his growing passion for woodworking, Tom said his dad began buying additional tools to help him hone his skills.

“My dad encouraged me to follow my dreams,” he said. “I was studying cabinet carpentry at a trades high school in Milwaukee. Then I’d come home and do more in the basement because I had all of my great-uncle’s tools, too. I was building cabinets for my mom when I was like 14 years old. To this day, I still have a lot of my great-uncle’s tools in my house.”

Tom said looking back, he feels he was born with a knack for woodworking.

“I do believe I had some natural talent there,” he said. “There are still times when I sit back and look at what I’ve done and smile. Last winter, I designed and built my own bird feeder outside, which I think is pretty cool.”

Tom said he landed his first job in the woodworking industry after graduating high school in 1997.

“I started my career by installing hardwood flooring for a small company in Milwaukee,” he said. “When I first began my career, I truly loved installing hardwood floors. I liked going to different places and seeing different areas of the state.”

While working in Milwaukee, Tom said eventually, he began working a few side jobs.

“I was making good money and doing these side jobs when I realized if I started slowly buying more tools, I could [eventually] go out on my own,” he said. “That’s pretty much what I did – every time I got a side job or a little bit of [extra] money, I would buy a new tool.”

Once he felt he had the necessary tools and industry experience, Tom said he took the leap into business ownership.

“In 2013, Bodanske Wood Flooring was officially launched,” he said. “For about the first three years, I ran the business out of Milwaukee, but then my wife had a job transfer to Pulaski. I also have family here, so it all made sense.”

The need for trade workers

Having built a career with his hands, Tom said he often tells young people that a four-year degree isn’t the only way forward, and that the trades are worth a serious look.

“We need plumbers, electricians, cabinet makers, woodworkers,” he said. “My high school trade school was special for me. I recently had a high school reunion [of sorts], and it was interesting to see people whom I haven’t seen for so many years and learn about what they do now.”

At the reunion, Tom said he ran into one guy who became a plumber and another one, an electrician.

“[Trade school] worked for us,” he said. “We all gained something from that school and then moved on to our own careers. You can also make a very good living financially by learning a trade. I’ve always felt that once my talent reaches a certain point, no one can take that away from me.”

Tom said one of the biggest misconceptions about the trades – especially hardwood floor refinishing – is that the work is dirty and overly dusty.

“Quite often, people think there is going to be clouds of dust floating around, so they’ll take all the stuff off the walls and want me to put plastic up,” he laughed. “They’re amazed when I’m done because we’ve got vacuums that capture most of everything.”

Thanks to modern tools that vacuum dust directly, Tom said the process is much cleaner than it was years ago.

“I also purchased a new machine about five years ago that makes the hardwood floors smooth as glass,” he said. “It’s kind of like using a big, giant magic eraser and takes out all the flaws. Once you get to know the equipment well, you’re creating something flawless and beautiful.”

For more information on Bodanske Wood Flooring, visit its Facebook page or bodanskeflooring.com.