ADRIAN TWP. — The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute has settled on a location for its planned future campus in Lenawee County.
The organization is purchasing roughly 30 acres of land from Gleaner Life Insurance Society. The property, which includes a significant amount of wooded area, is located at the corner of Hamilton Highway and Forrister Road, just west of the Adrian city limits.
The acquisition will allow the institute to construct a new campus designed to meet increasing demand for hands-on training in woodworking and fine craftsmanship, founder and president Luke Barnett said.
Construction on the new campus is slated to begin in spring 2026, with classes expected to begin in the 2027 academic year.
“This collaboration helps redefine the importance of post-secondary trades education on a national level,” Barnett said in a news releaase. “The land we’ll now call home reflects Gleaner’s founding mission to serve farmers and families, and our own mission to preserve the woodworking tradition. Our organizations dovetail perfectly together.”
Gleaner Life Insurance Society, which has been headquartered on its 106-acre Adrian campus since 1980, saw the partnership as a way to strengthen its long-standing legacy of supporting education and community growth.
“This collaboration reflects Gleaner’s longstanding commitment to education and community development,” said Todd Warner, CEO and president of Gleaner Life Insurance Society. “By selling this property to SBWI, we’re helping create an enduring educational resource for Lenawee County, one that will expand opportunities for hands-on learning and strengthen the local economy, while preserving the character and integrity of our campus for years to come.”
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