Mitch Kohanek had formerly been an instructor for the National Institute of Wood Finishing at Dakota County Technical College in Minnesota for 35 years. He also performed an internship at the Smithsonian Conservation and Analytical Laboratory. His graduates have become some of the best professional finishers in the wood-finishing industry, the furniture restoration/refinishing field, and spot-repair artists this country has to offer. His program was the only certified wood-finishing program in America and has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, WOOD, and Fine Woodworking magazines, and he has written for American Woodworker and Fine Woodworking. Mitch currently has his own consulting company, educating individuals and companies on finishing and repairing wood. He is also part of Fresh Air Finishers, a high-end finishing company in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fresh Air Finishers specializes in waterborne finishes, on-site location finishing, custom finishing, and on-site wood repair and restoration. Mitch has lectured for The Woodworking Shows out of Los Angeles and is a consultant to the entire finishing industry.