A Gentlemen’s Call: Wood Craftsman Finds His Calling in the Rockies

This message is brought to you by our partner, Ketel One Vodka

Ketel One Vodka has teamed up with GQ to celebrate today's modern gentleman through a program called A Gentleman’s Call: In Pursuit of an Idea that Matters.

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A Gentleman’s Call is inspired by the innovative spirit of the Nolet family, founders of Ketel One Vodka, which is the product of 11 generations and more than 300 years of family distilling expertise. They created the program to find and support ideas that improve society—and society’s behavior bar. They sent out the call asking people how $100,000 could help create a project that embodies entrepreneurship, craftsmanship and philanthropy. Five finalists and their proposals were announced in November, and their innovative ideas inspired others to follow their own convictions.

From the five proposals, one stood above the rest: Corbin Clay who shares a similar passion and conviction for entrepreneurship as the Nolet family.

Many might consider 4 million acres of pine trees killed by beetles as a lost cause, but for Clay’s business, The Azure Furniture Co., the pinewood in America’s Rocky Mountains was an opportunity. The craftsman and his team began building everything from office furniture and cabinetry to dining room tables and home décor with this abundant natural resource, which many considered as unusable. The results are designs that are eco-friendly and also can sell for an approachable price. By harvesting the beetle-killed trees, The Azure Furniture Co’s process reduces the chance of forest fires in the Rockies and allows the remaining trees to thrive, grow and rebuild the ecosystem around them.

The five finalists were all rewarded with an exclusive Ketel One and Tumi mixology set. Take a look at their ideas here.

First image via Ketel One, images of Corbin Clay via Vice

Join the conversation on Twitter with @KetelOne and @GQMagazine, use the hashtag #KetelOne and #GentlemansCall. Visit Ketel One on Facebook.

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