Local Biz Cast Weekly Spotlight on Business Leaders

Dr. Pete Wohl of The Spine and Health Centers of New Jersey proudly presents the LocalBizCast, a weekly podcast featuring conversations with prominent business owners, entrepreneurs and influencers throughout the area. Tune in every week for new insights, stories, and success strategies from local entrepreneurs making an impact in the community.

From Driveway Experiment to Growing Business — Chuck Trottere of Pinecrest Cedars

In this episode of LocalBizCast, we meet Chuck Trottere, founder of Pinecrest Cedars, a side hustle turned passion project that’s bringing beauty and practicality to backyards and sidewalks with handcrafted cedar planter boxes.

What started as a simple attempt to start a vegetable garden quickly turned into something much bigger. After building two boxes—one for himself and one “extra” that sat in the driveway—Chuck’s wife "encouraged" him to get rid of it. A quick post on Facebook Marketplace turned into many hits very quickly, and soon, he ended up selling both boxes. That’s when Chuck realized he had stumbled onto something special, and Pinecrest Cedars was born. Now his biggest critic, his wife, became his biggest fan and even helped plan and design the logo he uses.

Chuck shares:

• How a DIY project turned into a business with real demand

• Why he loves woodworking and how it balances his career in pharmaceutical and medical device sales

• His dream of turning this side hustle into a full-time career

• The joy of building something and creating that helps people have gardens and flowers and spaces they love

• Growing up in Waldwick, NJ, and raising his family in Woodcliff Lake while building this venture

This is a story about creativity, persistence, and the magic that happens when you follow a spark of inspiration.