CHATTANOOGA AREA BUSINESSES REPAIRING CHERISHED ITEMS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VITYL MEDIA
Whether it’s a favorite pair of shoes, a family heirloom, or a prized instrument, wear and tear can take its toll on any item over time and with repeated use. Thankfully, the Chattanooga area is home to repair businesses that specialize in making items as good as new. Read on to meet five local business owners whose decades of skill and passion are bringing new life to beloved belongings.
“I love bringing smiles to my customers’ faces.”
More than 10 years after learning to tune pianos while working at a music store in college, Daniel Achten realized that his hobby could turn into a career. In 2018, he became certified as a Registered Piano Technician and was hired by Lee University to keep its pianos concert ready. Today, joined by technicians Joshua Knight and Daniel Miller, Achten services pianos across the Chattanooga area through his business, Achten Piano.
Tell us about your business.
Achten Piano offers concert-quality piano service to anyone in homes or institutions, spinets or concert pianos. We tune, recondition, and rebuild pianos. There is a singing voice in every piano, and we find that and bring it out.
Where did you learn the skills to do these repairs?
Mainly through the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG). They have a monthly journal, monthly in-person local chapter meetings, and regional and national conventions, as well as online literature and videos. I also read as much as I could get my hands on.
What inspired you to choose this line of work?
It dawned on me that this brings two of my favorite worlds together: I love building things out of wood, and I love music. I have an entrepreneurial personality, and this allowed me to run my own business, and it also offers amazing flexibility so I can stay involved with my wife and kids.
What do you love most about what you do?
Two things. I love making a piano sound great and play wonderfully. There are times I have to pull myself away after doing the work because I just want to play. The second thing is the smiles on customers’ faces when they hear the piano after we have done full service.
“It’s interesting to see the customer’s reaction. When they pick it up, some of them can’t believe what they see.”
While some choose to enjoy a retirement free from work, 89-year-old Ron Vallieres prefers to keep his hands busy repairing Bibles in a small workshop behind his garage. Over the past three decades, Vallieres has grown a loyal network of customers, and each year, word of mouth sends upwards of 300 Bibles from across the country for him to repair.
Tell us about your business.
My dad had his own bindery business, and I picked up little bits of information through the years. As time went on, my wife said I ought to learn, and my dad thought that was a good idea too. He said, “Get a room built where we can work, and I’ll come down with some materials and get you going.” That was back in 1990, and I’ve basically been doing that since.
Is there a repair you’re especially proud of?
A fellow sent me a Bible, and I took one look at it, picked up the phone, and called him … He said, “That Bible has been with me all around the country. I know it’s in bad shape; I’m just interested in getting it put together again so it’s in one piece.” So, I spent over five hours putting that Bible back together.
What are some challenges that come with the job?
Working with the cover. After cutting it out, you have to trim down the corners so you can gather them in, and that gets kind of tricky. My son-in-law wants to learn how to do this, so I’ve got him practicing, and he’s having fun with that.
What do you love most about what you do?
Well, I like the finished product. When I see what comes in and sometimes the hassle I go through, and when it’s all done, I’m thinking: it was worth it. And of course, the customer is real pleased with it. I enjoy doing it, and it keeps me busy in retirement.
“Seeing a client’s face light up when they see a pair of shoes they thought was lost forever makes all the hard work completely worth it.”
For more than 20 years, Oscar Urizar has been keeping the traditional craft of shoe and leather repair alive from his workshop in downtown Dalton, Georgia. As he tackles both simple and complex repairs from around the region, Urizar says his goal is to return shoes better than when they were brand new.
Tell us about your business.
Our shop was built on a simple yet powerful belief: a good pair of shoes doesn’t just carry us through the day – it holds memories, hard work, and the milestones of our lives … For us, shoe repair extends far beyond surface appearance. It is about restoring structural integrity, ensuring comfort, and honoring the original design.
What do you love most about what you do?
What I love most is that our hands get to give things a second life. In a world where so much is thrown away, we get to restore quality, preserve memories, and send people back out into the world walking comfortably and with pride.
What are some challenges that come with the job?
Many of our clients bring in shoes that belonged to a parent, a grandparent, or were worn on a milestone occasion. The biggest challenge is working on a pair where there is zero margin for error. You aren’t just repairing leather; you are handling someone’s cherished memory, and that requires absolute concentration and care.
Is there a repair you’re especially proud of?
We once completely rebuilt a pair of vintage leather boots that belonged to a client’s late father when every other shop said it was impossible. Seeing the customer’s emotional reaction when he held those fully restored boots, ready to be worn for another generation, was an unforgettable moment. It proved that our work is truly about preserving legacies.
“After a visit to the shop, many players realize their struggles weren’t from a lack of skill, but rather because their instrument needed repairs and adjustment.”
Equipped with a lifelong love for music and an affinity for hands-on work, Jonathan Cathell opened his instrument repair business, Consistent-C Winds, in 2002. Since then, countless professional instruments have passed through his workshop in Red Bank and left ready to perform again.
Tell us about your business.
Consistent-C Winds is a band instrument shop that specializes in high-quality repairs to wind instruments such as saxophones, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, flutes, trumpets, trombones, and tubas. We service a very niche market, even within our field. Our craft ranges from things as large as complete restorations to as simple as perfecting a cleaning.
What inspired you to choose this line of work?
When I discovered a love for music. I began playing saxophone in elementary school, which continued through high school and led to being a music education major in college. But a passion of working with my hands overruled the desire of becoming a band director.
Where did you learn the skills to do these repairs?
Repairing instruments began at a music store when I was 15 years old. It started as an apprenticeship that was very “on the job training” based. However, I am an autodidact and mostly self-taught. I’ve always been mechanically inclined and grew up tinkering on all kinds of projects with my dad. I remember getting hooked after the first day, and now my shop is only the second job I’ve ever had 35 years later
Is there a repair you’re especially proud of?
I got the pleasure of working on three of Dr. Timothy McAllister’s instruments. He is a multi-Grammy award winning saxophonist and professor of saxophone at the University of Michigan School of Music.
What do you love most about what you do?
After 35 years of doing this, seeing clients’ faces light up after playtesting their instruments still makes me giddy. Developing close relationships and friendships through my journey is icing on the cake.
“Our goal is not simply to repair an item, but to restore it thoughtfully so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Driven by a passion for preserving the craftsmanship and history behind artwork, Tammy Celeste Shirley expertly repairs everything from fine art and antiques to specialty pieces through her business, Scott David Restoration & Design LLC.
Tell us about your repair business.
In 2011, we started in my home studio, initially doing repair and restoration work for local galleries, museums, and antique stores. As the business grew, so did the vision. In 2019, I moved into a retail setting, where we could not only provide repair and restoration services but also showcase the work of local artists and craftspeople. Today, our work encompasses much more than picture repair. We specialize in custom design and picture framing, conservation, monument repair, architectural restoration, and historic preservation.
What inspired you to choose this line of work?
My interest in this line of work began unexpectedly in the eighth grade, during a careers class. We visited a local gallery, where I saw a woman carefully cleaning a painting. I remember thinking to myself, “I would like to do that.” I didn’t give it much thought at the time, but the idea stayed with me. When I was 18, I began working for a local gallery, and that early curiosity grew into a career.
Is there a repair you’re especially proud of?
I’ve had the privilege of working with several remarkable original works, including pieces by American Impressionist Frederick Childe Hassam, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Peter Max. Each experience has been unique, but having the opportunity to work with original works by artists of such significance has been especially rewarding.
What do you love most about what you do?
The wow factor for me is seeing the expression on someone’s face when they see their art brought back to life. There’s something so special about taking something meaningful to them and transforming it into something they can enjoy all over again. That reaction – the surprise, emotion, and excitement – is what makes what I do so rewarding.
