Closet companies top WOOD 100

Closet companies top Wood & Wood Products' WOOD 100, a list of the fast-growing woodworking companies. This annual list looks at ways that companies have increased their profits and in this tough economic environment managed to stay afloat. Many of these woodworking firms found numerous ways to improve their businesses through: new marketing initiatives, innovative business strategies, productivity enhancements, technology integrations and customer service.

Following are closet companies that made the list this year and their strategies for success:
Marketing
A Perfect Closet & Cabinets Inc., Deland, FL
CEO Leonard Morreale reported 30.9% growth for 2010, and the custom closet and cabinet company is not done yet. Plans call to offer a wider range of productsand promote the quality differences to customers. For added sales, the company also markets its expandedmillwork capabilities to other area woodworkers.

Absolute Closets and Cabinetry, Las Vegas, NV
CEO Jay Ward cites “aggressive advertising, increasing product knowledge for salespeople, and a can-do attitude to go out of the box,” for helping to grow sales 38.4% in 2010.

Go-to-Market
Closet Works, Elmhurst, IL
Company President Mike Carson uses a three-prong marketing approach to grow sales: dominate the internet through SEO, blogging and social media; implement Partnership/Channel marketing; and target campaigns for Niche/Event marketing. Closet Works’ efforts to grow its brand awareness in the gay community are a perfect example of the latter.
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Business Strategies
Innovative Storage Systems LLC, Hamilton, NJ
Owner Adam Sherry says “keeping expenses to a minimum as well as putting off large purchases” helped the home and closet storage firm stay on a steady course.

The Closet Guy, Beverly Hills, CA
Despite being “at the mercy” of regulations and costs, the custom closet and home organization firm grew sales 26% in 2010. “We began keeping smaller inventories to keep costs down,” says President Michael Mueller.

Productivity Enhancement
Closet Factory, Waldorf, MD
“We have streamlined all of our processes and are daily concentrating on getting the most return on our efforts,” said Jan Stotlemyer, president. “We have even started to digitally link our sales staff and our production floor.” The closet company grew 44.5% in 2010.

Closet.Tec, Sarasota, FL
Strategies undertaken by the closets company include: bring drawer box production in-house, a move to a JIT process and switch to a part-time installation team.

Customer Service
Closet America, Lanham, MD
The closet maker recently received a Guildmaster Award for exceptional customer satisfaction. According to President Skip LaBella, Closet America utilizes a comprehensive customer satisfaction survey system to assess all aspects of its operation, and the feedback is used to pinpoint areas for improvement.

Smart Closet Solution, Brooklyn, NY
“As a smaller company, effi ciency is a primary goal,” says Ben Aviram. “All our salespeople are also installers, so there is no confl ict between design and execution — everything at a jobsite is taken into account prior to production.” Investments in technology also helped spur the closet manufacturer’s 5.2% growth last year.

Cabinet C ompanies Selling Closet Organizing Systems

Productivity Enhanced
Huntwood industries, Liberty Lake, WA
Huntwood is the largest cabinet manufacturer west of the Mississippi. A producer of high-end, mass-customized cabinetry and casegoods for the residential and commercial markets, Huntwood achieved 10% sales growth in 2010, due to a combination of product diversification, an aggressive move to increase market share and a corporate philosophy for sustainable manufacturing. (Editor's Note: photo courtesy of Huntwood.)

Product Innovation
Wellborn Cabinet Inc., Ashland, AL
The cabinet manufacturer’s Active Living Collection helps meet the needs of multi-generational family homes, including those with aging populations.