About Us
Jim LaMance is an aerospace engineer by trade. Sara Sharpe LaMance is a writer, activist, and health coach. The seed for EnCraft sprouted in Jim and Sara’s tiny garage shop, where, for several years, they carved spoons, built tables and bookshelves, poured candles, and made jewelry in their spare time.
In 2023, the little shop moved to its current location in Rossville, Georgia, just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. EnCraft quickly became known as the shop that could build anything.
With the help of Jim LaMance Sr. and their friend Jack Noonan, who worked after hours with Jim to bring the shop to life, EnCraft built everything from dinosaur puzzles and the set of a Coca-Cola commercial to a very tall mock-up of the Eiffel Tower for the convention center, a massive wine rack, and a beautiful bar rail for two popular Chattanooga eateries.
Building cabinets was nowhere on EnCraft’s radar. But then Jim, Sara, and Jack discovered deVOL Kitchens, a cabinet shop based in the UK, and the fine art of cabinetmaking. A new dream was born. EnCraft started building cabinets in June 2025 and hasn’t looked back. In a little over a year, the company grew from one employee to 15, six of whom are full-time.
In the spring of 2026, Jim and Sara met with Vicki Lawrenson, owner of Good Kinsmen, Chattanooga’s premier kitchen store. Together, they designed and built a line of freestanding kitchen furniture known as Kindred Kitchen. The collection is available at Good Kinsmen in Chattanooga’s historic district.
Ultimately, EnCraft grew from Jim’s love of building and his dream of creating a community where craftspeople could earn a living wage, alongside Sara’s two great loves: telling stories and creating rich, cozy spaces where family and friends gather. Together, they continue to find new stories to tell: stories of craft, beauty, belonging, and the lives that unfold around the table.
EnCraft is proud to be part of the robust and talented community of cabinetmakers and woodworkers in the Chattanooga area. Members of this community gather every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Oddstory on Central Avenue. Everyone is welcome!
