A shot of innovation pays off for GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinetry
When the automotive industry began to slump a couple of years back, few cities felt the effect as much as St. Thomas, Ontario. Located in the southwestern part of the province, the city’s economy is closely tied to automotive manufacturing: two Magna plants operate there and Ford is nearby. Sterling Trucks was there butshut its plant’s door in 2009. Ford is scheduled to do the same in 2011.
The hit to the automotive sector has had a trickle-down effect in St. Thomas and many businesses have felt the impact. GCW Custom Kitchens & Cabinetry Inc. isn’t one of them.
Instead, the 10-year-old business is thriving.
There are multiple reasons for their success, believes Ron DeWeger, president and general manager of GCW. The company has ramped up its marketing and invested heavily in technology.
The right combination of leaders hasn’t hurt either. Including DeWeger, the company is owned by four partners. Dave Dryfhout is vice president and plant manager, and like DeWeger is involved in GCW on a day-to-day basis. Behind the scenes, George Vanderveen, a general contractor, takes care of the physical needs of the building while multiple business owner Terry Kuipers works with DeWeger on the visionary side of GCW. “It’s a very good combination,” says DeWeger who stresses the partners don’t step on each other’s toes. “Essentially our business is run like a board of directors — we make the decisions as a group, and my job is to implement them and follow them through.”
Operating out of a 21,000 square foot facility with a staff of 44 including installers and designers, GCW focuses on mid- to high-end cabinetry. “We’re not limited to kitchens and bathrooms,” says DeWeger. “We manufacture cabinetry for garages, dressing rooms, walk-in closets and bar units. Any cabinetry that a person desires, GCW can build it.”
Much of GCW’s business comes from retail and builders. So when housing starts slowed in the St. Thomas area, the company looked to greener pastures. Though work has taken them to Toronto and even the Caribbean, a much closer location has proven to be particularly successful for them. “These new builder accounts, mainly from London, Ontario are not as easily influenced by an economic downturn as we experienced initially with the automotive decline,” explains DeWeger.
In addition to expanding its reach, GCW embarked on an intensive marketing strategy via print and radio
ads. “We’ve taken the approach of advertising through a tough time. That, coupled with word of mouth and people coming through and seeing the quality and knowing that they have been serviced well and a
great product as an end result, has really contributed to our success.”
Further evidence of their success can be found in London where the company is in the process of opening a 6,000 square foot showroom, showcasing mid to high-end kitchens and cabinetry from entry level to high-end. The space includes a resource space aimed at the design professional. “Any interior designer can come in and use the space free of charge to complete their home decor selections along with our cabinetry.” For the London
showroom, GCW has partnered with the likes of Sony Canada, Benjamin Moore paints, Hunter Douglas and Armstrong flooring. “We’re putting an emphasis on closets and dressing rooms as well as garage and basement cabinetry.” The showroom is one part of a larger plan which includes diversifying sales to include a dealer network through their wholesale catalogue. “We have already begun to sell to kitchen dealers in a limited capacity but look to grow this end of our business,” says DeWeger. “We’re also growing in the commercial sector with regards to millwork projects.”
Technology and Process Investments
Much of what GCW is doing has been made possible because of its investment in new technology and process
investments. “We wanted to set ourselves up for bigger business and more volume,” explains DeWeger. The company applied to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) for a loan through the Southern Ontario Development Program. The loan allowed GCW to make some significant machinery purchases including the latest NTR CNC router from CNC Automation.
“We already have a CNC router from CNC Automation,” explains DeWeger. “This is just a newer, faster and more efficient machine.” Other recent purchases include a new BiesseArtech Akron 440 edgebander, a Koch Sprint PTP-3 insertion dowelling machine and a new Busch panel lifter. With the goal of improving the operational performance of their manufacturing operation, GCW also purchased Cabinet Vision from Planit
Canada with “Screen-To-Machine” and “Catalogue Editor” modules with help from a grant from the Canadian
Manufacturing Association. The addition of the Cabinet Vision software has cut out quite a few steps for the busy shop. “The software has enabled GCW to integrate the core business functions of kitchen design with product engineering, manufacturing and the operation of their CNC,” explains Giulio Bordignon, sales consultant with Planit Canada. “Using the Catalogue Editor, GCW has developed their own modular catalogue which also incorporates the unique system standards used to set up their manufacturing process.” GCW designers can modify the catalogue items and create custom cabinets while employing the construction methods used by the manufacturing software. “Once the data is shared with the production centre, all the manufacturing data is generated.” From there the machine-ready designs go to the Screen-To-Machine centre where jobs are sorted or grouped to reflect key considerations such as the ship date. “The software nests the jobs and affords GCW the option of selecting several machining methods to address the need for re-work, small parts handling, and the use off-cuts as well as full sheet production, says Bordignon. “Work is then distributed between two CNCs.”
Everything is integrated so machinery talks to each other,” says DeWeger. “And that’s our goal: to use automation and technology to our advantage alongside the use of GCW’s skilled artisans and cabinetmakers.”
Though seemingly at odds, the combination works for GCW. “We have married technology with customization
and the artisan approach to the finish and producing. So we have a bit of both worlds,” says DeWeger. “We have efficiencies in our production of the basic cabinetry and customized hand work from our custom department.”
The company also makes a point of inviting its customers to see it all first-hand. “We have laid out our
facility in such a way that we allow every client to tour through before they purchase from us and they are also welcome to another shop visit while their product is being made.” That transparency inspires confidence,
DeWeger says. “When they walk through they see how we make things. They see the quality of our construction and custom work.” GCW customers, says DeWeger, appreciate the hand finish and the quality they see in things like handmade islands, wall units and wood hoods. “People are able to get a look here that is still very customized and tailored to their home but made very precise with the technology that we have.”
