Plymouth Business Has Grown From Owners Passion for Art
Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided
Kim Ols, co-owner of Big Green Barn Metal Worx, says it was a metal fish that inspired her to start her metal art business.
It was something she just had to have, so she decided to take a creative route to catch her fish.
It all started because of a metal fish I saw that I really wanted, Ols says. My husband Kevin, who co-owns the business, said we would need a plasma cutter for it. We bought one and I cut pieces by hand for about seven years before we built our plasma table. We have used the table for two years now.
The business grew from that special project.
We officially opened the storefront for Big Green Barn Metal Worx on October 27, 2021, but we sold our art out of the Chickadees Gift Shop for nine years before that, Ols says.
The Chickadees Gift Shop gave her a great place to showcase her work, and it led her to start her own business.
Big Green Barn Metal Worx offers one-of-a-kind metal art, and Ols says she has a passion for creating art for projects that are near and dear to her customers hearts.
We take the time to make your idea for a custom metal piece to be exactly what you want, Ols says.
The business offers large garden metal silhouettes, and also makes special custom orders.
We get requests for custom items all of the time, Ols says. We have done memorials for a three-legged dog, customized farm signs and garden trellises. We also get a lot of requests for older vehicle silhouettes made into custom signs.
Ols credits her customers for keeping her inspired and in business. She has also made a lot of friends through her business. She says she loves learning how to make almost anything, and also enjoys playing around with enamels and glass centers. Memorial pieces have also been well-received by many customers who compliment her work.
We have very loyal customers, Ols says. Their response to the storefront has been overwhelmingly positive. They have shared our pieces with their friends and family on a weekly basis. We also love seeing new faces.
Ols goes out of her way to make the business stand out. She says her customers can also make a statement with her large garden metal silhouettes.
Big Green Barn Metal Worx also offers new, colorful pieces as a nice contrast to the cold, dark winter months. Ols also tries to stand out among competitors.
We try to create unique pieces that other metal artists are not making, Ols says. There is something new coming into the shop if you come in here on a weekly basis. I like to make freestanding 3D pieces with a lot of color.
Powder coating is also available.
We offer powder coating for all of our custom pieces, Ols says.
Ols is continually inspired by many items around her.
I tend to look at discarded items and see something new and useful, she says. I like to create with old and new pieces together. I cut mostly animals and kid silhouettes before we went to plasma CNC. Now I have the ability to combine my love of shapes with words. I like being able to take someones idea into a workable design, and then to a finished product. I did newspaper layout design when it was all cut-and-paste graphics, which has helped me be able to design now.
Ols is also inspired by the people of Lakeville. They remind her of her childhood days.
I grew up in Bristol, Indiana, she says. We have been in Lakeville for about 25 years now. It has the same small-town feel and is very community oriented.
Big Green Barn Metal Worx is located at 12135 U.S. Highway 6 in Plymouth. For more info, call 574-780-1022 or visit biggreenbarnmetalworx.com.
