In the corner of a wood working shop on the North Side, three guys are cutting shapes out of metal, polishing them, and shipping their shiny product around the country. Humming with machinery and echoing with clanging tools, this small shop is where 21st century manufacturing is alive and well. This is Makerset Design Co., a Richmond based business built in part by the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

For those unfamiliar with Kickstarter, the online platform has quickly become one of today’s best ways to raise money for creative projects. Project creators can quickly build a profile on the site, set a funding goal and determine a deadline. If people like the project, they can pledge money to make it happen.

A successful project on Kickstarter usually reaches its prescribed goal or maybe a little over. When a project achieves eight times its original goal and has over 2,000 backers, however, it’s something truly unique. Such was the case for local Makerset co-founders Adam Hogsett and Ryan Shoemaker.

Hogsett and Shoemaker, along with their teammate Alex Bruce, have used the momentum gained with Kickstarter to produce a keychain that doubles as a bottle opener called the Keysquare. Utilizing their shared skills — design, machining, and fabrication – the trio is creating this well-designed and durable device for RIchmonders and beyond.

Makerset has its roots in a project for local retailer, Need Supply Co. who wanted a fashionable, well-made men’s product and thought a bottle opener would be a perfect fit. After several prototypes, Hogsett hit upon a design that worked, garnering some much deserved attention. It wasn’t long before Hogsett was concocting his next iteration of the bottle opener, wanting something lighter that he could attach to his belt loop without the hassle of moving parts. This would have obviously required well-machined parts and therefore some form of precise machining tool (mta.org, for those interested to learn more) to help with the prototyping as well as production to come later From there, Keysquare was born.

With Shoemaker’s help, the local craftsman produced a polished version and decided to use Kickstarter as a way to fund the manufacturing of a proper batch. “We had a few ideas around the potential for a company,” explains Shoemaker. “It was more of a ‘wouldn’t it be cool if’ sort of thing. But what started as a pipedream became real pretty quick. I guess, be careful what you wish for,” he laughs.

What makes the Keysquare so unique, says Shoemaker, is the team’s dedication to craftsmanship. “We’re making something that will never rust, corrode, or wear out. When you hand it down to your grandchildren, it will look like it did when you first bought it.”

Taking the necessary time and using the right tools is where quality comes to life. “You have to go slow or the pieces won’t last,” says Shoemaker. “The prototype I did was made on a machine from the 1940s. And it still works fine. There’s something in that,” adds Hogsett.

As the Makerset team grinds away at fulfilling the remaining orders for Keysquare from the Kickstarter campaign, they are also building connections across the community. “We’re establishing relationships with local business,” says Shoemaker, “that way the business stays local, the money stays local. At the end of the day we can say, ‘We made this ourselves, and we made it right here.’ It’s a hard thing to do these days.”

Throughout their time in Greater Richmond, Hogsett and Shoemaker have been encouraged by the support of other local entrepreneurs. The two say that they have witnessed a chain of inspiration spread throughout RVA. Collaborating with other local craftsman and branching out to do projects with businesses like Hardywood Brewery, Hogsett and Shoemaker are building lasting bonds. “We’re trying to build a community of like minded designers, fabricators and wood workers so we can continue to collaborate here in Richmond.”

While staying focused on the present, Hogsett and Shoemaker have an eye to the future. “We want to keep doing what we’re doing now just on a bigger scale,” says Hogsett. “More products, more things going out. We want to be able to have time to do research development stuff, coming up with new ideas. Keep doing furniture design and keeping that collaboration and community energy up,” he pauses and looks at Ryan. “ere just tryin’ to keep it sweet, I guess.” They both look away laughing, seemingly agreeing that the future looks bright.