As reported in The Stratford Beacon Herald, Marcel Pepping has spent four decades building bridges. He’s had enough.

“I felt it was time for a change,” he said.

Now the recently retired owner of Stratford-based Maloney and Pepping Construction is shifting his sights to something he truly enjoys: woodworking. The 62-year-old handyman is opening up a new business later this month called The Woodworks.

It’s a build-it-yourself concept featuring all the tools required to create anything from a small piece of wooden furniture to a large project.

“A guy can come in and build a little toy box for his kids, or he can come in here and build an entire kitchen for himself,” Pepping said.

The shop is located on Hahn Court in part of the building Pepping owns that used to house his heavy construction machinery. They have a wide range of tools on site and are continually adding to the collection, he said.

“We’re providing equipment that people can’t afford to invest in, or it’s not practical for them to invest in,” he said. “People just come in and bring their ideas and their material.”

With a sawmill, kiln and planer there, users can take raw materials and turn them into a finished product.

“You can go right from a tree to a dining room set,” he said.

Knowledgeable supervisors will be on site during business hours to offer instruction and maintain a safe environment. Pepping said they plan to encourage people to take on bigger projects.

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