How is a Production Cabinet Shop Run
Running a cabinet business is more than collecting the right equipment and building boxes. It's more than ordering wood and designing layouts on a computer. There are shops that generate high quality cabinets efficiently that consist of a table saw and hand tools, and there are mega shops that have the latest state of the art equipment, and churn out junk.
So what is the secret sauce?
A production cabinet company must know what it has, what it needs, how much it needs, and when it needs it. A production cabinet company must know how to maximize its use of material to facilitate the design at hand. But a custom cabinet company knows that the details drive the design.
Cutting corners and taking design shortcuts are not options.
When Keith and I purchased Closet Crafters and created Native Oak, I was confident. This isn't to say that I am vain or feel like I know everything about running a cabinet company, but based on my experience I had the ability to look at the product, the crew, and the facility, and envision what it can do.
Ideal Location
I could see that from its location in the heart of Ventura, CA, Native Oak would be able to reach a broad workforce and find the right employees with the right skills. And it could reach the customers that need the precision level of cabinetry a modern custom shop can offer.
Equipped to Build
I could see from its equipment that with a few strategic purchases, it could produce a quality cabinet that is on a par with anything else produced in Southern California. And I could see in the crew, from the designers, to the craftsman, to the installers, that Native Oak would compete on quality, timeliness, and price against any company out there.
What does this have to do with 'Heritage'?
The answer: everything, and nothing. My heritage is in cabinetry. It's what my grandfather, father, uncles, cousin, and I have done. We make - but mostly we enable others to make. It is something that can be learned, I know because I learned later in life how to do it. But I also know that I learned it on the backs of those in my family that came before me. So when I walked into Closet Crafters for the first time, I knew it could become Native Oak, Inc -- the place to go in Southern California for the cabinets in your home - custom cabinetry for living.
