Cabinet, closet business enjoying steady growth

Tag : cabinets

Instead she parlayed her interest, along with a talent for design,into a growing cabinet and closet business.
Dune Ridge Cabinets & Classy Closets has expanded from a home-basedventure started 12 years ago to a store with a showroom and apart-time employee.
The business sells Canyon Creek and Robco cabinet products, as wellClassy Closet organizer products for the bedroom, bathroom, laundryroom, home office and garage. Classy Closets also has a line ofMurphy beds that fold up.
"When I started the business, it was something that was fun andflexible enough that I could work around my children's schedules,"said Manchester.
Her children grew, along with a reputation built from word-of-mouthreferrals, and Manchester felt it was time to expand. She opened ashowroom a year ago and hired Carrie Kohles, a graduate of the MSUGreat Falls interior design program.
Customers are often Great Falls transplants moving into the areafrom parts of the country where closet organization services arecommon.
"We do work with some contractors on spec homes, but the largestcustomer base we have are people doing home improvements andupgrades," Manchester said.
She credits programming such as the HGTV television channel withboosting an interest and an awareness in home improvement products.
"Our customers are more informed, especially about the prices, sothere's not quite the sticker shock when we provide a quote,"Manchester said.
She said her products are in the medium range when it comes toprice. It all depends on size, but a kitchen remodel could run from$8,000 to $10,000 depending on the products used.
"Most of the time, people finance remodels because they are moreexpensive," she said.
Many customers are homeowners preparing to sell, who want to settheir home apart from others on the market.
"They want to add things to make their home stand out in buyer'sminds," she said.
Another demographic is homeowners in their 40s ready to do aproject they've always wanted, such as a kitchen remodel.
So far, tighter credit conditions haven't slowed demand. Manchesteris also advertising now for her business, something she has notdone in the past.
"My goal is to attract enough business to keep us busy and rightnow, we have all the work we can handle," she said.