Authored By ahuntergrah

Five years ago, Michael Brandt built a trellis for Rock City that stood as a symbol for the beginning of his new life since being arrested for drug trafficking.

Now, Brandt said he uses the same drive he felt during his time as an addict to drive his year-old metalworking business, Garage Bound LLC, forward:

A long time ago, I was addicted to substances. I learned a little bit is good, and a lot is much better. That’s just a part of my personality. In business, that’s a good thing because I’m never content; I want more. I want to grow my business; I want to help more people; I want to learn how to do more projects. I’ve just accepted that’s how I am and turned it into a positive thing. It benefits myself, my family and the others around me.

Shortly after winning Artist of the Year for his trellis, titled “Invitation,” in 2011, Brandt ended his time working for a forklift business and needed to find another job.

He decided to turn his metalworking hobby into a career and was able to use photos of his trellis and his Artist of the Year Award as a sort of résumé when applying for jobs that Brandt hoped would teach him more about the craft.

He landed a job at Ben Parker Co., where he learned the ins and outs of metalworking. He also started collecting tools and equipment that he hoped would eventually help him in his own business.

A few years later, Brandt made his dream a reality when he began working full time in July 2015 out of the garage in his home.

Brandt decided to name his business after what he told his wife when he headed out to the garage: “I’m garage-bound!”

Since this time, Brandt’s business has grown in a variety of ways because Brandt sees his new company as a sort of addiction.

Garage Bound LLC specializes in any job that involves metalworking, from custom pieces like the trellis to custom racks for coolers on ATVs to towing along his mobile unit for vehicle repairs.

Prices are based on hourly shop fees.

James Martin, who also owns Dead Girlz Tattoo in Rossville, Georgia, is his only full-time employee.

Brandt also makes videos for well-known metalworking equipment companies, such as Blue Demon Welding and Bailey Industrial, as a way to do cross promotion. He hopes to soon work with Miller Welders as well.

However, while the cross promotions bring him some business, he says that 90 percent of his clients hear about him through word-of-mouth. Brandt tries to go the extra mile because of this fact.

“I really go out of the way to do the extra step, and even if I have to eat some of that labor time doing it right because I didn’t quote enough, then I’m going to do it,” he said. “I want to earn that customer’s business.”

Brandt has also been able to move from his home garage since the opening of his business.

Brandt bought a garage at 3301 Curtis St. and moved in in June. Brandt said he thinks customers take him more seriously now that he has his own space for his business specifically instead of being seen as “some guy working out of his house.”

Brandt said part of the reason he’s been so successful is because he feels that he can get along with most people, and so he builds relationships that often benefit him later when he has questions about projects he’s never done before.

“Being able to navigate different people and relationships has been a key to my success,” Brandt said. “I think a lot of young people think they know everything, and I sure don’t. I rely on older men often in our industry to teach me when I come across a project that I haven’t done before. I’m humble enough to ask for help.”

Brandt’s hopes for the future also include helping his community through his talents. He said he hopes to work with community leaders to help youth groups get involved with something they’ll excel at. Brandt has also looked at becoming a halfway house to inspire former prisoners the same way he’s been inspired.

Brandt also hopes to soon be able to work with the local airport to do repairs, as well as put together another mobile unit and hire some extra hands by the end of the year.

For more information on Garage Bound LLC, click here.

Alina Hunter-Grah is a contributing writer. She is also currently attending UTC, where she is the news editor for the school newspaper, The University Echo. Alina is also the Chattanooga correspondent for 2nd & Church, a literary magazine based out of Nashville.