Generations of Craftsmanship.
Built for What Comes Next.
Cleveland Millworks, founded on family, brings together generations of building experience, advanced manufacturing technology and drives our company’s commitment to doing the work the right way.
Matt and Mark Howells (center) with the extended Howells and Cleveland Millworks family.
Building Is in the Family
Matt and Mark Howells come from generations of Cleveland family tradespeople. On their mother’s side, Virginia Howells (Somerville) , the family included carpenters, builders, bricklayers and pipefitters whose work helped shape homes and neighborhoods throughout the region.
Their grandfather, Tom Somerville, built finely crafted homes on Cleveland’s west side and some of the early houses in Fairview Park, when much of the area was still farmland. Tom worked alongside other family members, including their uncle Joe, who was also a carpenter.
Tom Somerville at work
Their mother was born in a brick house her father built in the late 1920s, giving the family’s connection to the building trades a history that can still be seen and touched.
The brick house Tom built for his family
For the Howells family, building is more than an occupation. It is knowledge passed between generations, grounded in pride, craftsmanship and the responsibility to create work that lasts.
Four Decades of Experience Behind Every Project
Matt Howells developed his expertise through hands-on construction, layout and field leadership.
Matt Howells began his career as a union carpenter, developing the technical skills and practical judgment that can only be learned in the field. He advanced into layout and crew leadership, taking responsibility for translating drawings into accurately built spaces and coordinating the people and details required to complete demanding interior projects.
After gaining experience on sophisticated, high-end interiors, Matt founded his own construction company in 1985. Over the four decades that followed, he worked across every stage of the building process, from estimating and planning to fabrication, installation and final completion.
Today, that experience influences every Cleveland Millworks project. Matt and his team can identify potential problems before production begins, recommend practical alternatives and preassemble complex work in the shop to reduce surprises during installation.
Two Brothers. Complementary Strengths.
Mark Howells, Matt’s older brother, began his career in public service. He joined the Cleveland Division of Police as a high-school cadet and became an officer after completing college and the police academy.
Mark Howells served 20 years with Cleveland Police, just blocks from the future home of Cleveland Millworks.
During his 20 years on the force, he served from a station just two blocks from the building that would eventually become the home of Cleveland Millworks.
Mark later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he founded M.S. Howells & Co., a boutique broker-dealer. Over the years, he has helped establish and served on the boards of other successful companies, developing the financial and business experience required to build and sustain growing organizations. Yet his connection to Cleveland remained.
When Matt was ready to expand his millwork business, the brothers joined forces. Matt brought four decades of construction and architectural millwork experience. Mark provided the financial backing and business perspective needed to turn that experience into a larger manufacturing operation.
Their shared ambition extended beyond the company itself. They wanted to invest in the Cleveland community and return productive work to an area shaped by the city’s industrial past. The building at 2324 Lakeside Avenue is located within the Cleveland Enterprise Zone, where local tax incentives encourage business investment and job creation.
“I spent 20 years serving Cleveland, and for part of that time I worked just blocks from this building. Coming back to invest alongside my brother feels like another way to serve the city, by creating good jobs, returning a historic building to productive use and building something our family can carry forward.”
Together, Matt and Mark are combining craftsmanship, business leadership and a commitment to their hometown to build Cleveland Millworks for the future.
Carrying the Tradition Forward
Matt and his sons, James, Jesse and Jared
The next generation is also involved in Cleveland Millworks. Matt’s sons, Jesse, James and Jared, each contribute their own experience and abilities to the business, from customer relationships and field operations to hands-on problem-solving.
Their involvement reflects what carrying a family tradition forward truly means: bringing different talents together around shared standards, taking care of customers, valuing the people doing the work and building relationships that last.
Returning a Cleveland Industrial Building to Productive Use
At 2324 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland Millworks is giving a substantial industrial building a new working life. Its heavy concrete structure, generous electrical capacity and proximity to downtown made it well suited for advanced manufacturing, while its manageable size allowed the family to preserve much of the original building rather than replace it.
Cleveland Millworks is returning a historic Lakeside Avenue industrial building to productive use.
Inside, the team has restored the building for modern production while preserving its industrial character. Exposed piping has been cleaned and painted, the sprinkler system has been rebuilt and the structure has been prepared for advanced CNC and European manufacturing equipment.
“It’s rewarding to repurpose something and know people will use it for generations after you’re gone.”
Original brickwork and exposed infrastructure preserve the building’s industrial character.
For Cleveland Millworks, the project is about more than finding space for machinery. It is an investment in a historic manufacturing district, a commitment to bringing productive work back to the neighborhood and an opportunity to carry a well-built Cleveland structure into its next chapter.
Made in Cleveland. Built to Last.
For us, success means more than completing exceptional projects. It means building lasting relationships, creating meaningful opportunities and preparing the business for the next generation.
Have a project in mind?
Let’s talk about how Cleveland Millworks can help bring it to life.