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A Bit of 'Bama in that Kitchen Remodel?

So if you've followed my Twitter over the last few days you've probably wondered about the enigmatic tweets having to do with Alabama and cabinet factory tours and all that stuff.

Well, I'm here to clear up the mystery...

About four months ago we decided to try out another cabinet manufacturer, one that came highly recommended from a couple different sources.  Even so, it is always nerve-racking to try someone new.

We've developed a pretty sweet system for basement finishing and kitchen remodels, and it's hard to rock the boat knowing that you're messing with a proven method.

But we've committed ourselves to constant improvement and that means sometimes you've got to try new things.  Besides, this kitchen remodel deserved a high quality cabinet, and the recommendations vouched for the quality more than anything else.



So we gave Wellborn Cabinets a try.  If I'd been paying attention, I would've noticed their cabinets in the 2008, 2009, and now 2010 HGTV Dream Homes (more from the 2010 Dream Home: 2010 Bathroom, 2010 Kitchen).  I learned later that they are the second most recognized cabinet brand in the United States! 

The experience was awesome.  Cabinets came in 4 weeks after the order (fast for custom cabinet orders) and the order was 100% complete.  A couple doors were damaged during construction and replacement doors were shipped to us in less than 2 weeks so we could finish the kitchen remodel on time!

We decided we liked working with them so well that whether its for a finished basement or remodeled kitchen, we were going to present Wellborn to our customers as an option to consider.



Then, we were approached about a month ago about taking a special course to become an Authorized Remodeler for Wellborn - setting us apart as one of a select few preferred remodelers in Colorado.  We jumped at the chance and headed to Ashland, Alabama to take the course.

Besides lots of classroom training on the products and best practices for installing their cabinets, we received a tour of the approximately 2 million square foot manufacturing facility.

Wellborn is one of the only cabinet makers that handles 100% of the process of building their cabinets.  Their sawmill cuts all of their own wood, they have outdoor facilities for air drying the cut wood to 35% moisture, and then 6 huge kilns to kiln dry the wood to 6% moisture.

Then their sawmills cut the dried wood into smaller  pieces that can be used to start building cabinets.  Face frames are cut to size, cabinet pieces are milled, then mortise and tenons and dadoes are cut to join the pieces together.  They even have a pin and lock system that holds the center panels to the frames without nails (so the cabinets don't crack down the road).



Every part of the frames and doors are hand-sanded and checked for quality.  Multiple finishes are applied in a controlled environment and colors are checked multiple times to ensure consistent cabinets.

The cabinets are put together, packaged, and then shipped to kitchen remodelers from their manufacturing facility by their own shipping company.  A truly impressive and quality-oriented operation!  They have 99.7% on-time, correct order fulfillment!

I discreetly took several photos with my camera phone, but after being told they didn't allow any pictures of their operations (for corporate-espionage reasons), I decided I better not show them to you.

Instead, here is a video that talks about their operation and shows portions of the process I just described for you.

 Whether it's a kitchen remodel or a basement finish, we look forward to presenting Wellborn Cabinets to you at our next meeting.

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