What's Eric doing? A Renaissance man has landed on the square

By Larry Backus / Sun contributor

The Renaissance refers to a historical 300-year period of European history flourishing with art, literature and music. The term has become generic with the birth or rebirth of cultural pursuits, discovery and education. Eric Buechel intends to be a catalyst for such a revolution in Cumberland County. Everyone who lives in Cumberland County should applaud and support such an effort even if your initial reaction might be to suspect that Eric believes in fairy tales. Eric has a vision, but he does not believe in fairy tales other than those he decides to make reality.

He grew up in New Jersey where his father was an artist. Eric attended duCret School of Art in Plainfield. Working as a successful New York illustrator might seem a natural career path. However, Eric moved in a different direction when he founded a small company in 1986, Advanced Recovery Solutions, in his one-car garage with hand tools. The Montclair, NJ company struggled until the early 1990s when Eric pioneered ways to reuse and recycle materials found in cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors. The New York Times did a front page story on the environmental hazards indigenous to CRT disposal and Eric's phone began to ring. Pan Am was the first big contract with many to follow as Eric's story was covered by Popular Science, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, NBC, CBS, PBS, FOX, CNN, as well as in industry journals and international publications. A few years ago he sold the business to a Fortune 500 company for a significant profit.

What would you expect a dynamic young man to do when he wins the lottery with his own corporate creation? You guessed it. He beat a path to Cumberland County with wife Naomi, son George and daughter Anastasia. Eric's older brother is also a resident and owns Silver Express in Crossville. Eric and his family settled down on 250 acres in Pleasant Hill to begin his vision for an artistic Renaissance.

He began a spectacular development of his Pleasant Hill property that will be modeled after a Japanese garden, as Naomi is Japanese. Plans are to plant 3,200 Japanese cherry trees, 100 more than were planted in Washington, DC; hundreds of fruit and ornamental trees; create 25 miles of trails and a large lake. Thus far, more than 1,600 cherry trees and 400 Japanese chestnut trees from Hiroshima have been planted. Plans are to open the property on a weekly basis to the public when it is completed.

Next Eric began a development in the Homestead called Panther Valley Estates. A quality subdivision close to schools and Crossville is important because Eric firmly believes, "If you build it they will come." Crossville is the focal point of Eric's vision and to demonstrate this economic and artistic revival, he opened The Art Corner School of Art at Rembrandt's Café at 52 N. Main St. across the side-street from the Cumberland County Courthouse. Rembrandt's Café serves as a school, art studio, art supply shop, garden supply shop, espresso/coffee and dessert stop, as well as business center/clubhouse for Eric's vibrant activity level. In one location you can learn about and taste fine coffee with great pastries, play high level chess, read newspapers, magazines or books, stock up your art supplies, take classes in art, learn Japanese or Latin and you will always find Eric there to enlist you in his Renaissance.

Eric is a pragmatic and dynamic entrepreneur, but he also has a passion for art coupled with a fiery social conscience. He is a talented art teacher and painter. He continues to paint and sell large landscape paintings for hotel lobbies. Art adorns the walls of the art corner. He believes in art and music education for children, which is demonstrated by his daughter Anastasia taking a first place in the Cookeville 2005 Reading Rainbow Contest sponsored by PBS Television and WCTE. The long list of art and language classes available for children and adults at the Rembrandt Café is a significant beginning to the Renaissance Eric envisions. David Wood, a talented local painter works and teaches at the Art Corner as well as Naomi Buechel, while son George shares in the busy work with a number of well-trained and enthusiastic employees.

The Buechels travel extensively for new ideas. This summer the family will travel to Amsterdam for the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt on July 15. One can only imagine the fresh directions and passion Eric will bring back to Crossville for the impending Renaissance. What does Eric envision for Cumberland County? He proposed a beehive of shops in Crossville, a pastry shop, book store and much more; he would like to see art dealers in New York and Los Angeles calling Cumberland County, that vibrant art center on the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau. Eric Buechel has the vision and the determination to make this Renaissance in Cumberland County a reality. Don't believe it? Obviously you haven't stopped by to talk with Eric.

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