Building a Cabinet Shop
Hard work, problem solving, machinery and construction have always been in my life. I grew up near my grandpa, who was a farmer till the late fifties, when in his later years he started making furniture. I got inspiration from that work and his tools, and was influenced from his reputation as a gentleman who treated everyone with respect always did what was right in business.
My first real job was working for a small engine mechanic. I was always interested in seeing how things work, and to this day I love to watch machines work. This became very helpful in setting up machinery for woodworking .
My dad was a building contractor, and I spent 7 years working for him and with him, learning as much as I could.
A Dream Begins
In the fall of 1989 I began making cabinets in my father's ft chicken barn, and soon after hired my first employee. In our first 8 years we had grown to 10 employees and were quickly filling up the barn. So, in 1997 we constructed a new 15,000 sq ft building on his property, where we are still located today.
By 2012 we had added 8 additional employees and added a 9,000 sq ft finishing area for our shop. Three years later we added a 12,000 sq ft final assembly and warehouse space, and this year we built a 7,200 sq ft dedicated warehouse building and reworked all existing areas to simplify workflow and increase our efficiency from raw wood input to warehousing and shipping final cabinetry.
Growth with the help of clients
In the past, the majority of our cabinets had been made for residential customers in about a 150 mile radius of our shop. However, in the 35+ years that we have been serving those customers, many have sold their homes and moved elsewhere - only to contact us again to build their next dream home. With those clients, and through their word-of-mouth referrals, we have built cabinets for clients from Alaska to Florida, from the east coast to the west coast.
Standing on our past, looking to our future
Today, Cabinet Specialties has 25 employees, with my 2 sons now helping in the business. It's hard to believe that my oldest, Benjamin, has been here for 19 years and he now is running the shop. James, my younger son, has been working with me for 13 years and works directly with our clients in sales.
We have been fortunate to live in a rural area where most people have a pretty good work ethic. Many of our employees have been with us for over 20 years and are instrumental in our continued business growth. And all of our sales related employees really know their stuff, as all have started and worked in our shop - many times in multiple departments - before working with customers. We treat our employees with appreciation and respect, as they, along with our customers, are our greatest asset.
Our cabinetry has always been custom-built, one cabinet at a time, per our customers' and designers' specifications. We use the finest quality materials, finishes and hardware available coupled with the best construction methods in order to create a quality, lasting product. We have been very fortunate to have a great labor force, from our sales team to cabinet makers, finishers and installers.
We have always listened intently to our clients to fulfill their needs, and recently many have been looking for a line of cabinetry that is a bit more economical but with high quality. So, in 2024 we have plans to introduce a modular custom line that will be cost efficient butt still hold to the quality standards we have always delivered.
Robert Weaver, Founder
