Each Wednesday the Free Press profiles a local business who used the services of the Business Incubator Center, a nonprofit organization that provides entrepreneurial assistance to new and expanding businesses in Mesa County.

It started out where Bret Milligan would build something his wife Lacy wanted — like a serving tray, a table or a bench.

He'd make it and then friends and family would see it and ask Milligan to make them something similar.

Milligan crafts furniture and accessories such as wine holders, various styles of serving trays, and coat racks from recycled wine barrels.

Making furniture from wine barrels isn't new — Milligan said he's seen similar work in Napa Valley — but “I use iron and steel accents in mine. There's more support,” Milligan said. And “I haven't seen (the two materials) together.”

Milligan, 25, started working with iron six years ago. His dad taught him to weld and he also took a welding class in high school. At 18, he entered his ironwork in a Christmas craft show.

Then about a year ago, Milligan learned of wine barrel furniture. He added his own twist to it by adding iron and steel accents.

At the urging of friends and family the young couple decided last summer to turn Milligan's hobby into a business. With guidance from the Business Incubator Center, the Fruita natives formed Rock Creek Furniture Company.

“We talked to Julie Morey (Small Business Development Center Director) and she got us moving in the right direction,” Lacy Milligan said.

From Morey the Milligans learned about sales tax, and shipping costs.

Milligan crafts his furniture and accessories from oak wine barrels acquired from local wineries, and wine barrel crates from around the world. He works out of shops at his and his parents' homes.

One of their most popular items is a table made from a wine barrel top and staves forming the table's legs.

And, the serving trays, Lacy Milligan said, “are selling like hot cakes.”

Rock Creek Furniture's first public event was the Colorado Mountain Winefest held last month. They sold everything they brought.

“We got a lot of good feedback at the Winefest,” Lacy Milligan said. “Next year we're looking at possibly (selling at) the Vail Farmers' Markets.

“We'd like to show our stuff at a local winery,” as well, Lacy Milligan said.

Currently both husband and wife work other full-time jobs.

Eventually “our goal is to do this full-time,” Lacy Milligan said. “Entrepreneurship is in the family.”

The couple plans to host a home show sometime before Christmas. They are currently working on a website for the business.

To learn when and where the home show will be, the Milligans can be e-mailed at rockcreekfurniture@Q.com.

Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.