# Craig Hedges, Goliath Hardwoods

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-woodpreneur-podcast-1118875/craig-hedges-goliath-hardwoods
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-woodpreneur-podcast-1118875/craig-hedges-goliath-hardwoods.md
Podcast: [The Woodpreneur Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-woodpreneur-podcast-1118875)
Published: 2026-05-28T15:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://stevekex.podbean.com/e/craig-hedges-goliath-hardwoods/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/mhof4gb7m6lryc3y/49c705fa-48d2-4df7-bd6e-f4b23b11c655_0c37efa5-44fe-4ced-a736-a67383c432fa.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-woodpreneur-podcast-1118875/episodes/craig-hedges-goliath-hardwoods
Duration seconds: 2474

## Resource

At 41 years old, with no woodworking background and tools made from hot-glued blocks of wood, Craig Hedges won a YouTube scholarship that changed the trajectory of his entire family's life. In this episode of the Woodpreneur Podcast, host Jennifer Alger sits down with Craig Hedges, the new owner of Goliath Hardwoods in Evansville, Indiana. Craig's story starts with a $250 check from a YouTube woodworker's scholarship fund, a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a drill. What began with cornhole boards made alongside his wife and four kids eventually grew into pen turning, laser engraving, craft shows, and ultimately the purchase of a nearly 30-year-old hardwood retail business that was days away from closing its doors forever. You'll hear about how Craig and his family funded a trip to Disney World entirely from cornhole board sales, and the car ride home where the kids declared they were done making them. You'll hear about how he discovered Goliath Hardwoods as a customer, watched the sale fall through multiple times with other buyers, and negotiated an owner-financed deal that let the business pay for itself from day one. Craig also shares how he inherited a loyal customer base, kept the existing staff, and immediately went to work building a social media presence from scratch with his son Ian behind the camera. You'll also hear about the incredible historic restoration project that landed on Craig's doorstep, resurfacing 130-plus-year-old flooring from the old Cargis building to be installed in 121 new apartments. Craig talks about his plans to create custom wood urns with military branch scroll work for local funeral homes, his vision for a dedicated maker space, and the heartwarming story of helping a pair of newlyweds build their first dining table in his shop. Jennifer a…

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## Transcript

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