Mitch is best known for the 35 years he spent leading the National Institute of Wood Finishing program at Dakota County Technical College – the only certified finishing program in North America. His graduates have gone on to become the best professional finishers this country has to offer.

His program has been featured in Wood, Fine Woodworking and Better Homes and Gardens magazines and his technique articles have been published in both American Woodworker and Fine Woodworking.

He is a member of the American Institute of Conservation and has served an internship at the Smithsonian Conservation and Analytical Laboratory. He has lectured for The Woodworking Shows and is a prized consultant to the entire finishing industry.

Currently, he divides his time between his professional finishing shop at Fresh Air Finishers while he continues to educate others in the craft. He routinely teaches at Marc Adams School of Woodworking, at his own  shop in Minnesota and in professional shops around North America

For those of you who desire a more targeted approach, the next level (and in my opinion, the best option) is one-on-one instruction with me. These sessions can be one day or several and the subject matter is carefully customized, with plenty of input from the you, so as to specifically address your finishing needs. These sessions typically take place in my shop at Fresh Air Finishers in South St. Paul, MN.

The peak level of custom instruction involves me coming to you and can be especially advantageous when troubleshooting site conditions or specific equipment. It is often the choice of professional finish shops with multiple employees to train and specialized requirements.

I also lecture and consult at locations around North America.