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 Robert was born and raised in Uvalde, Texas, just 80 miles west of San Antonio. After a
successful career as a business man, then law enforcement officer, he pursued he dream and love for woodworking.
Together with Roberts Dad, Bill, they set up a small shop in downtown Uvalde in 1981. “That tiny 20 foot by 30
foot shop was our beginnings. In that shop I began to learn how to work with wood. We set up a sawmill and other
equipment in there, and from those humble beginnings, were set the foundation of my career as a woodworker.
Over the years, as Robert's expertise in working with Mesquite has grown, , he has become an advisor to others
pursuing the same ideals. “I guess I know as much as anybody about working with Mesquite, there aren’t that many
of us that have focused on this South Texas Tree for 20 years straight. Most of my background in woodworking, and
with working Mesquite in general, is self taught. I studied every book and magazine I could get my hands on during
the early years, but it always boiled down to the actual work I produced that lead to my ability to work as I do
today. I attended a couple of two day seminars at the Anderson Art Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, in the early 1990’s.,
but other than that, experience has been my teacher. I have a wonderful collection of books and articles on Scandinavian
furniture-makers, some from the 20’s and 30’s, and this has been an additional inspiration to my work., I am also
keenly interested in the furniture of the Egyptians. The style and curves has fascinated me for years. The Texas
furniture makers from the 1860’s have also been an inspiration my work.
Chronology
| 1949 |
Born, Uvalde, Texas |
| 1967-69 |
Attended San Antonio College |
| 1970 |
Enlisted in the USMC |
| 1973-78 |
Independent Insurance Agent, Fire and Casualty Lines |
| 1978-80 |
Criminal Investigation Division, Uvalde Police Department |
| 1981 |
Opened a small woodworking shop in downtown Uvalde |
| 1982 |
Moved to our current location, on Highway 90 E, Developed the Texas Classic
® , and the Hensarling™ Rocking chairs. |
| 1983 |
Incorporated as South Texas Fine Woods, Inc., also began giving tours and seminars |
| 1986 |
Was included in an article on Mesquite, in The Wall Street Journal |
| 1986 |
Featured in an article in the Uvalde Leader News |
| 1986 |
Featured in an article in the San Antonio Express and News |
| 1986 |
Featured in a issue of Furniture Today, reference my Mesquite Woodworking business. |
| 1986 |
Featured in the San Antonio Light, reference my Mesquite Woodworking Business. |
| 1986 |
Appeared on KSAT 12 TV, in San Antonio, Texas, reference my Mesquite work |
| 1986 |
Featured in an Article in the Uvalde Leader News |
| 1988 |
Featured in a issue of Co-Op Power, reference my Mesquite business. |
| 1988 |
Featured in a issue of Texas Monthly, reference my Mesquite chairs |
| 1988 |
Featured in a issue of USA Today, reference my Mesquite Rockers. |
| 1988 |
Featured in a publication of the Texas Department of Commerce. |
| 1989 |
Featured in a issue of Domain Magazine, reference to my work with mesquite, and my chairs |
| 1990 |
Appeared in Woodshop News. |
| 1991 |
Together with My Dad, and Herb Nordmeyer, Started the Texas Mesquite Association, at my shop, in Uvalde. |
| 1991 & 92 |
Attended the two day furniture workshop at the Anderson Art Ranch, in Snowmass, Colorado. |
| 1992 |
Appeared on the Eyes of Texas TV show in Houston |
| 1992 |
Featured in the Uvalde Leader News, mesquite work |
| 1992 |
Received the Texas Forestry Association’s 1992 Excellence in Wood Design Award. |
| 1992 |
I was commissioned by George Baker, Great Grandson of J.P. Morgan, to design and build a massive Mesquite Conference
table with sixteen chairs. This set was later acknowledged by Technologist Ken Rogers of the Texas Forest Service,
as being the worlds largest Mesquite furniture unit. |
| 1993 |
Featured on the Texas Country Reporter TV show out of Dallas |
| 1993 |
Featured in the Uvalde Leader News, reference my Mesquite Rockers. |
| 1993 |
Featured in the San Antonio Express-News Magazine, reference my Mesquite Rockers. |
| 1993 |
Featured in the Dallas Morning News, reference my Mesquite Rockers. |
| 1994 |
Donated a rocking chair to the Uvalde Chapter of the American Cancer Society. The chair brought over $12,000 |
| 1995 |
Featured in the Uvalde Leader News, reference the Rocker donated to the American Cancer Society. |
| 1995 |
Featured in a issue of Woodshop News, reference the Texas Mesquite Association, that I was instrumental in starting
a few years earlier. |
| 1996 |
A rocking chair of mine took First Place in the Furniture Division, and the annual Texas Mesquite Association Art
Show, in Fredricksburg, Texas.. An article about the same appeared in the Fredricksburg Standard Radi aPost. |
| 1996 |
Designed the Texas Heritage™ rocking chair. |
| 1996 |
Invited to attend the First Annual “8 Country Reporter Festival”, in Dallas, by good friend Bob Phillips. |
| 1997 |
Awarded the Oklahoma Forests Service Outstanding Accomplishment Award, in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. |
| 1997 |
In an article in the Houston Chronicle, about my work and my rockers. |
| 1997 |
Invited to show my furniture at Neiman Marcus, in Dallas, to celebrate their 90th Anniversary. |
| 1997 |
Invited to attend the Second Annual “8 Country Reporter”, hosted by Bob Phillips, in Dallas. |
| 1997 |
Was invited to participate in a special exhibit called “A Reverence for Wood”, at the Wood Art Gallery at the Oklahoma
Forest Heritage Center. One of my Mesquite Chairs was the featured centerpiece of the show. |
| 1997 |
One of my Mesquite rockers was shown in a documentary on the Discovery Channel. |
| 1997-98 |
19981997 Featured in an article in the Oklahoma McCurtain Sunday Gazette-News, reference my Rockers. |
| 1998 |
Invited to attend the Third annual “8 Country Reporter Festival”, hosted by Bob Phillips, in Dallas. |
| 1999 |
Featured in the Uvalde Leader News, reference an article in Better Homes and Garden, that I was featured in. |
| 1999 |
Featured in Better Homes and Gardens, “Wood” magazine. 5 Page article about me and my work with Mesquite. |
| 1999 |
Article about my and my rockers in the April issue of Home Living, in Dallas. |
| 1999 |
I was part of a special exhibition at the Oklahoma Forest Heritage Center Museum, with one of my Mesquite Rockers,
and a dual table set being featured. |
| 2000 |
Invited to attend the annual “8 Country Reporter” Festival in Dallas. |
| 2000 |
Featured in a article in Texas Highways. |
| 2001 |
Featured in a article in the Rockport News. |
| 2001 |
Won First Place at the annual Rockport Arts Festival. |
| 2001 |
One of my Rocking Chairs was part of an article in a National magazine called Varanda. |
| 2002 |
2002 Donated a Rocking Chair to the Uvalde Library Fund Raising effort. Over $30,000 was raised. |
| 2002 |
One of my Mesquite Rockers, and Bob Phillips, appeared in Southern Living Magazine. |
| 2002 |
Appeared on the Texas Country Reporter TV show in Dallas. |
| 2002 |
Featured in the Uvalde Leader News. |
| 2003 |
Featured on a documentary on the Modern Masters part of Home and Garden Television. |
Note: There are many more newspaper articles, magazine articles, and TV documentaries that Robert has
been on.
Every piece of wood I work with has a specific place in my work, its as if the piece of wood was made available
to me just for that purpose. I enjoy being able to use Mesquite Wood that would normally be destroyed. I'm able
to see it function again, not as a living organism, but for a living organism. The newly created piece of furniture
takes its place in some families heritage, and history. That's a great feeling. I've always enjoyed seeing the
happiness on my clients faces when they pick up their furniture. Its a double benefit for me. Creating is the first,
and seeing what I've created making someone happy is the next.
The designs I've used in my work are accumulations of years of trial and error. fortunately, more trail than error.
There have been mistakes, and I've yet to build the perfect chair (never will, for that matter). As long as the
quality and visual appeal of my chairs continue to form, and the customer is pleased, then I'm pleased. A chair
needs to be pleasing, both in feel and sight. My chairs have a comfortable look and feel to them. I put enough
curve in the back legs, rockers, and back slats, to support the body well. I don't offer “Comfort” guarantees,
I don't need to. That type of marketing isn't necessary with the quality of my rockers and dining chairs.
Is it art? That's up to the client or admirer. I have the pleasure of building the piece, the definition comes
from those that see and experience the work. Myself, I'm a furniture maker, that's a given, but I've been called
an artist for so many years that I'm starting to get used to it. Perhaps I am.
All of my work is functional. It has not only pleasing lines, but also a use. Its designed for some reason, for
something, for someone. All of my pieces are made to be used on a daily basis. This is the double benefit one gets
from owning my work.
Its a wonderful feeling knowing that a piece of furniture I create will be in someone's family for generations.
I create a family heirloom for them. Hundreds of years from now, descendants of these clients will still have these
works in the family. The work I do now will become treasured parts of the families I create for.
Robert's shop is located three miles east of Uvalde on highway 90. Visitors are welcome throughout
the year.
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