In 1929, Carl Trostel founded our first store on Linden Street and supplied lumber and building materials to the growing Northern Colorado construction industry. In 1948, Carl's son-in-law, Bob Sears, took over operations of the business, and for the next 30 years ownership remained with the Sears family. Then in 1981, Curt Viehmeyer and Steve Schwartz, employees of Sears Trostel Lumber, purchased and began to transform the company. 

Recognizing a growing need for quality hardwood lumber and sheet good products along the Front Range, they restructured the company to better meet demand, as well as introduced custom moulding and millwork services. In the early 1990s, our 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art lumber distribution and moulding manufacturing facility opened on Airpark Dr., and at the end of 2004 the retail store moved to its current Riverside Ave. location, offering more space to move and grow. 

Now, 43 years since taking the helm, Curt & Steve have passed the baton to new Sears Trostel owner, David Seidl, a Fort Collins entrepreneur and native. A graduate of Colorado State with undergraduate and MBA degrees, he has worked closely with small and mid-sized companies during his career, helping them grow their businesses.

“We are pleased to see Sears Trostel enter this new phase under David’s leadership," Curt and Steve said in a joint statement. "His commitment to his hometown community and business experience make him an ideal candidate to move the company forward.”

“I am truly honored to take the reins of Sears Trostel," David said. "This company has been a vital part of our community for nearly a century, thanks to the dedication of Curt and Steve. Staying true to the values that have made Sears Trostel a trusted name, our focus will remain on delivering exceptional quality and service to our customers, as well as exploring new opportunities for innovation and growth."

While leadership has changed, business at both locations will carry on with the same great staff and service you know. To help insure a smooth transition, even Curt and Steve will continue working in their current capacities for the next year.

Help us welcome David and a new chapter for Sears Trostel!
 

Friday, September 8, 2023
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
1500 Riverside Ave., Fort Collins, CO

Learn about the NEW Festool products introduced in 2023!

Festool representatives will be at Sears Trostel to introduce you to the new Festool products making their debut in 2023, including the much-anticipated CSC SYS 50 Cordless Table Saw, which will be available to purchase in September. See the full line-up below.

Over the last 90 years tradespeople and woodworkers have come to trust the reliability and longevity of Festool products, which are built to stand-up to the toughest demands in construction, carpentry, renovation work and woodworking.

Please register to attend the Festool Experience 2023 to help us gauge how many representatives will be needed at the event.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


The first 50 registered attendees receive a FREE Festool swag bag. Enter to win a Cooltainer portable cooler at the event.

Have LUNCH on us from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm!

Thursday, September 22, 2022
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
1500 Riverside Ave., Fort Collins, CO

See the latest tools and products from top woodworking brands IN ACTION, talk with manufacturer reps, and enter to WIN great PRIZES at this fun and informative event. Whether you are a professional contractor, home DIYer or woodworker, this event has something for you.

Representatives from SawStop, Festool, Fein, Kreg, CMT Orange Tools and Kenryu blades will be on-hand to demonstrate products and answer questions throughout the event.

Don't miss the amazing hotdog-vs-SawStop table saw demos!  10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm and 1:15 pm



** SPECIAL ** DEMO DAY ONLY!  SAVE 20% on ALL General Finishes products, 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. This a great deal that you won't find often! Discount taken on regular retail prices.




Register on Demo Day to WIN over $500 worth of prizes between 7:30 am and 2:00 pm. You do not have to be present to win.

• Festool Systainer3 CENTROTEC Drill Bit Set 
• Festool Work Lamp SYSLITE KAL II-Set
• Festool TS 55 Plunge Cut Saw Blade
• Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig® 720
• Kreg Panel Carrier
• Kreg Multi-Purpose Project Blocks
• Kreg Drilling Guide
• FEIN 10pk Multi-Tool Blades
• CMT Cabinetmakers Series Blade
• CMT Combination Blade
• CMT 10" Ripping Blade
• TENRYU Silencer series Arbor Blade
• TENRYU Silencer series Arbor Combo Blade

Tacos El Diablo food truck (eldiablofortcollins.com) is serving LUNCH! The first 125 people at Demo Day will receive a voucher for one FREE entree* valid during Demo Day only (10:00 am - 2:00 pm).

* The entree includes 1 Asada, Pastor, Chorizo or Chicken Taco, or Cheese Quesadilla, plus beans and rice.

Take advantage of our Cedar Sale deals!  LEARN MORE

We look forward to seeing you at Demo Day!

There's great satisfaction in a job well-done. The process is even more enjoyable when you have the right tools to help a project come together quickly and with ease.

Going cordless with your power tools offers a lot of freedom. Many brands and options are available to contractors and home DIYers in cordless power tools, and an equally wide range of quality, construction and life span.

We asked Sears Trostel customer, Jeremiah Sailer, why he has invested in many Festool cordless products, as well as the whole Festool line.

Jeremiah has worked in custom carpentry for 15 years, and six years ago started Sailer Carpentry in Fort Collins. Three years into business for himself, after trying-out a fellow contractor's Festool products, he started selling-off his tools from another tool brand and replenished them with Festool. Now his job sites are outfitted with nearly all Festool products and he has no regrets about making the change.

Festool manufactures many cordless tools -- drills, sanders, jigsaws, track saws, multi-tool, angle grinder -- and Jeremiah says he owns most all of them. Cordless makes up approximately 30% of his tool inventory. The convenience of cordless tools adds to the overall efficiency of a job by allowing his team to easily move between sawing stations on a job site with one track saw; walk through a house and do sanding detail work; and have freedom of movement with the twisting and turning of a jigsaw without the cord slowing you down.

"I think there is night and day difference" he said when asked about the battery life between Festool batteries and the batteries of his previous cordless tools.

"Cordless Festool lasts quite awhile. Plus their charger charges fairly quickly," he added. "All of our drills are cordless and we're not having to swap-out batteries all the time. We can go quite awhile before we would need a charge. Even our little drills for cabinet installs. We can almost get through an entire cabinet pack in a custom home without having to swap-out batteries."

"Drills in box stores are designed for a certain amount of use and then they fail," said Jeremiah. "They're not necessarily designed to break, but they don't have the gearing. They don't have the proper engineering to last like Festool does. That to me is the big difference. I feel like everything is geared and engineered to what we do. Cordless and corded."

Jeremiah is sold on both cordless and corded Festool. But why did he make the switch to Festool? There are several reasons he said:

• "Precision. Festool is specifically engineered for what we do."
• "The efficiency of working with the tools allows us to be quicker on the process of building so that we can take our time on the install."
• "The cleanliness of how Festool comes together and the set-up is very organized. I really love that."
• "Every tool hooks up to a dust extractor. That's really key with my homeowners and my clients."
• "Their warranty program is amazing."
• "Festool allows us to set-up shop in somebody's home and be able to fabricate anything out of wood for their house."

Jeremiah bases the success of his business more on the outcome of projects, rather than on the financial bottom line.

"The majority of what we work with and what we wear on our sleeve is Festool, and that is what creates a lot of success in what we do."
Sailer Carpentry specializes in finish work and custom carpentry in custom homes, and takes on projects like stairways, cabinet installs, built-ins and faux beams. Check out their website and Instagram to learn more.
 

THANKS to everyone that participated in the Sears Trostel 17th Annual Woodworking Show, Sale & Competition last week, February 20-22! There is so much talent in our community and we love providing a venue to share their creativity.

We also thank this year's judges who took-on the difficult task of picking the winners from the wide variety of beautiful and technically-challenging entries:
 

• Tyler Morris of Tyler Morris Woodworking
• Anne Bossert of Anne Bossert Fiber Art and Furniture  
• Forrest Cramer of Pin & Scroll: Elegant Wood Designs

 
Hobbyist Category Winners

1st Place — Dan Swaim, "Swirl Bowl" in Purpleheart, Redheart, Ash, Oak and Wenge



















2nd Place — Don Maul, "Blanket Strip" in Bigleaf Maple Burl












3rd Place — Brian Carroll, "Chillin" in Mesquite and Juniper


















Professional Category Winners

1st Place — Ray Cole, "Rosette" in Oak, Cherry and Maple













2nd Place — Terry Chaplin, "Prairie Storm Table Lamp" in Maple



















3rd Place — Spencer Young, "Everette Media Console" in Walnut, Bubinga and Maple











Best of Epoxy — Jim Stroh, "Serving Tray 2" in Reclaimed Red Oak, White Oak and Elm











Visitors at the show were the judges for the People's Choice Award. Congratulations to Doug Turner for his "3-Leg Stool" in Black Walnut!






















If you weren't able to make it to the show, you can see all the entries in the 17th Annual Woodworking Show Gallery.