01 Aug Dave’s first post…March 16, 2020

Blog #1 – What do we do…

Moorestown, NJ – What do you write in a Blog? “Anything”, my IT guy says, “but be sure to  use lots of words for your industry. And let me read it before you post”. So, here ya go, my first Blog post….

When I tell people I am a cabinetmaker, the response is usually “What kind of kitchen cabinets do you make?” Truth is, we make relatively few kitchen and bath cabinets; the most common cabinetry in most people’s homes. Most of our work is residential, however, it is most often designed and built for other areas of the home, such as wall units for living rooms, shelving for private libraries, work and storage cabinetry for home offices, built in storage for bedrooms, closets and pantries, custom designed cabinets for entertainment equipment for dens and family rooms, bars for basements, game rooms or pool houses, buffets for dining rooms, armoires for bedrooms and the list goes on.

If there is one common thread in our product, it would be unique solutions, in wood for our client’s specific needs in their home or office. We do not have a catalog of cabinets to select from, we start with a blank sheet of paper and a customer’s idea for a project. Occasionally, a new client will approach us with plans and details of exactly what they want, but often, it’s a specific result they are after and we help them to fill in the blanks, to get them where they want to be, using a variety of skills, of which cabinetmaking, is only one. 

The first skill we utilize is listening; listening to what our customer has in mind, what their room looks like, what kind of style the space calls for or they particularly like. We listen to how they are going use the project we will be building, who will be using it, what they expect of it, any specific requirements it may have, etc. We then develop a basic concept of the finished project and scope of work, with a budget, so the client can decide how to move forward, or even if they want to, often depending on cost.

The second skill we use is planning; we plan how the project is going be executed, a time line for the work and who we need to work with on the project, such as other trades. As much as we would like to get right to the bench and start cutting wood; planning is extremely important for us and the client, to result in a successful completion, with everyone happy. 

And, finally, the third skill is cabinetmaking, usually with a fair amount of woodworking, joinery, millwork and some furnituremaking thrown in to accomplish our goal. On top of this we add finishing and, often field installation to complete the project.

There is a fourth, very important, skill that is being used, running in the background all along; good common sense business practices. Good business is a set of skills, such as communication, scheduling, bookkeeping, recordkeeping, human resources and office organization. Paying attention to all of these things makes the experience a pleasurable one for our clients and us and keeps the focus on the one skills we are known for; cabinetmaking and fine crafstmanship.

In the end, the theory is, that if we show up with what we said we would, on the day we said we would and for the price we said we would, we will have a successful project and a happy client.

-Dave

March 16, 2020