Disney, Apple, Google, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard, Harley Davidson and Nutmegger Workshop all started in a garage. It’s that “can do” place where seeds of inspiration are nurtured during long hours under bare light bulbs and alongside mowers, gas cans, shovels, rakes, bicycles and baseball bats. Most of these companies moved on to larger spaces and set their sights on diversifying and dominating the global markets — but one company decided to stay put, to stay small, to stay focused and true to its mission: Nutmegger Workshop.

I know, right? I should have been a writer.

We’re in our fifth garage now. The fourth was actually a basement, and the third was a 30'x40' detached renovated barn with 10-foot ceilings—hardly a garage. At 1200 square feet, it was work space that mortal men only dream about. My wife Julie called it the Taj Mahal. “Great things better come out of this shop!” Our current renovated space, about half the size, is high in the West Hills of Portland just minutes from downtown. A completely transformed garage space with brand new windows, insulation, drywall, attic, heat, double-basin utility sink, 16 electrical outlets, and state-of-the-art, energy-efficient T-5 natural-light fluorescent lighting. Hoowaaah! We have all the room and tools needed to work smarter and more efficiently than ever before. No mowers, no gas cans. And the view out the back is just killer.