2: Renovating The Lititz Shirt Factory Building

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Have you ever wondered what goes into the renovation of a historic building? Look no further than The Shirt Factory, originally built at the beginning of the century and renovated into what is now known as the Lititz Shirt Factory.

Join hosts Jim Hoffer and Kim Schaller as they talk to Hunter Johnson, CEO of the architectural firm TONO Group, about the soul of the building and what it took to make it new again. From the difficulties of renovating such an old building to the impact the coronavirus pandemic had on the process, this is a great sneak peak into what makes the Lititz Shirt Factory the Lititz Shirt Factory.

Introducing Hunter Johnson (1:05)

Jim and Kim introduce their first guest of the podcast, Hunter Johnson of the Tono Group. Jim explains why he chose the TONO Group to renovate the Shirt Factory building and Hunter shares his first thoughts about the project.

The soul of the building (4:18)

Hunter saw an “old soul” when he first walked into the Shirt Factory building prior to renovating it. He talks about the delicate balance of bringing out that soul but also not ruining it by doing too much.

What did Hunter find (6:12)

Whenever an older building is renovated, there are always things that will be found — hidden gems and obstacles. When renovating the Shirt Factory building, Hunter and the TONO Group found plenty of difficulties, including quite an expensive one with the elevator.

Why choose the Shirt Factory (8:05)

With an impressive client list and portfolio of work, Jim wants to know why the TONO Group chose the Shirt Factory project in the first place. Hunter explains the choice to work with Jim and the Lititz Shirt Factory.

Bad juju (11:41)

Having renovated so many older buildings, Hunter has felt some special vibes — both good and bad — when entering a building project.

The interest in music and architecture (13:49)

As Kim points out, Jim and Hunter have quite a lot in common — a love of live music and architecture. Hunter talks about how his musical background and architecture go hand-in-hand.

Other projects (16:01)

Hunter details some of the other projects the TONO Group is currently working on and how the COVID-19 pandemic created some issues over the last year.

Finding inspiration (19:08)

Hunter shares some of the people that have inspired him throughout his life.

Obstacle running (22:13

Hunter talks about his love of obstacle running, including the World’s Toughest Mudder that is 24 hours long.

Favorite Collusion beer (23:43)

After a mudder run, a cold beer is thoroughly encouraged. Hunter gives his current favorite Collusion brew.

Links:

Lititz Shirt Factory – Website

Lititz Shirt Factory – Facebook

TONO Group – Website