QCCI’s Commitment to Quality
Quality is a byword for large custom cabinetmaker Quality Custom Cabinetry Inc. (QCCI). Based in New Holland, PA, QCCI has made a name for itself producing “furniture-like” cabinets with a luxurious look and feel.
Known for its craftsmanship, QCCI has grown significantly since Martin Weaver founded the cabinet firm in 1968. Today, 118 employees work at the 126,000-square-foot facility, producing high-end cabinetry for every room in the home.
QCCI uses a combination of technology and old-world craftsmanship in the production process while creating a diverse range of cabinetry styles, including traditional, transitional, and even historically-correct period pieces. A sustainable manufacturer, the company’s products are certified under the KCMA’s Environmental Stewardship Program.
“The thing that sets QCCI apart is that we truly are a custom manufacturer, making anything our dealers and designers dream,” says John Fischer, QCCI door assembly supervisor. “We work closely with our suppliers to have the finest raw materials to make our cabinetry from nearly any species of wood.”
Optimising Precision
The company’s ability to optimise raw material usage and increase its efficiency is their key to the company’s productivity and profitability. Aiding QCCI in this endeavour has been the long-time use of TigerStop equipment in the plant.
The company purchased their first TigerStop in 1994 after seeing it at a woodworking show. Once installed on an Omega double mitre saw, “We immediately saw improved accuracy in our cutting and an increase in production,” Fischer says.
The company now has eight TigerStops in use in the facility. “Since all parts for the door and moulding are cut using a TigerStop, all pieces are exact. When making a multi-panel wainscot with centre stile and rails, all parts must be exact for a proper fit.” Also, Fischer adds, “By being accurate we have less rework, which leads to less waste.
“Now our cut lists are computer generated,” he continues. “We start with the largest size, and the cutoff from the largest stiles still are able to be used for a smaller stile or rail. When we are done cutting, only a minimal amount of small length material is left.”
Three of the TigerStops incorporate the TigerGauge interface for linear positioning and cutting of inset moulding. Used in conjunction with Accurate Technology’s ProPanel, it allows for the precise setting of the gauge requirements, positioning of the wood and cutting, all in one sequence. “Since introducing this factor to the TigerStop, the time it takes us to apply moulding to the doors or fit to an interior opening has been cut in half,” Fischer adds.
Door measurements can either be manually entered into the TigerStop or downloaded from a computer generated cut list. “We also use the TigerStop with the ProPanel to fit mullions in our mullion doors to ensure a tight fit. Other areas in our shop that use the TigerStop include our Front Department for making face frames,” says Fischer.
“Using the exact measurements in the shop, to a thousandths of an inch versus 1/16th of an inch with a tape scale, makes the overall cabinet much more accurate,” he continues. “It also allows spacing for door openings to be tighter, minimising rework”
Along with TigerStop, the machinery in QCCI’s shop includes: a Busellato CNC router, Holz-Her edge bander, Kundig and Timesavers sanders, a Voorwood shape/sand machine, Unique stile and rail machines, and a Martin sliding table saw.
QCCI sells its cabinetry through more than 100 dealers in the continental United States, and even one in Bermuda. “TigerStop has been a key component in our efficiency, and in helping us create the most beautiful homes in the world,” Fischer adds.
Cal Door: Technology Opens Opportunities
A wholesale manufacturer and major supplier of high-end cabinet components, Cal Door credits its success to a combination of old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The company has also shown resiliency in the face of economic adversity.
“We weathered a serious slump with the mortgage crisis and after-effects to housing and remodelling but have recovered and now employ 350 in our two facilities,” says Operations Manager Mark Souza.
Since its founding in 1988 by Edward Rossi, a lot has changed. The company was originally called The Cabinet Door Co., the name was changed by Rossi, son of the original owners. By the early 1990s, they became known simply as Cal Door. With annual sales of approximately $40 million, they produce a wide range of solid wood and RTF kitchen cabinet door and drawer fronts from its headquarters/manufacturing facility in Morgan Hill and a 150,000-square-foot state-of-the art plant in nearby Salinas.
Chief among the workhorses at the shops are TigerStop automatic stops and pushers, used with industrial pop up saws. The TigerStop equipment enables Cal Door to achieve precise settings of the stop requirements, positioning of the wood and cutting —all in one sequence.
“TigerStop has been a valued part of our operation for many years, beginning with the introduction of TigerStop equipment in the early 1990s to our Morgan Hill facility,” says Souza. “TigerStop is part of our company’s success story and history, and we have 28 industrial pop up saws between the two Cal Door locations.”
The TigerStops are used for cutting cope and stick frame doors, and frame and panel stock, mitre and applied moulding doors, as well as V-grooving panels.
Consistent Accuracy
One of TigerStop’s greatest values to Cal Door’s production is that it minimises variables, thus ensuring that stock is consistent from the very first stage. “It helps us be able to calibrate our doors to the thousandths of an inch,” Souza says. “The accuracy of the TigerStop is key to the thicknesses of doors.”
Souza adds, “A machine problem will transpose to a product and affect its quality. We believe that being proactive helps the need to be reactive when it comes to machinery.”
It is that accuracy, along with its attention to detail, that helps set Cal Door apart from its competitors. “Accuracy is very important in all aspects of our operation and TigerStop has helped us achieve the accuracy that the business demands. We will routinely check all aspects of the production, from our complex machines and equipment, down to the accuracy of our tape measures. We take pride in our checks and balances.”
Standard and CNC machines are used throughout the facilities. Along with the TigerStops, also used to make the solid wood door and drawer fronts are: Omga saws, Martin shapers, Voorwood shaper sanders, a Jenkins automated arching system, Wadkin and Kentwood moulders, Accu Systems, and Taylor and Carslon clamps. Also at the shop, a Holzma panel saw and Burkle press, along with Komo and Heian CNC routers, are used in the manufacture of RTF products. Sanding is performed on Timesavers as well as Heesemann and Roba-Tech systems.
In addition to its machining capabilities, another factor in Cal Door’s success is its ability to quickly adapt to current style trends. Cal Door’s product line is roughly 80-85 percent high-end, custom oriented work, with a typical turnaround of five to seven days, says Souza. The RTF line also has evolved dramatically, from a basic slab to a look resembling a painted door.
The web has also helped grow business. Once primarily a regional firm, Cal Door ships its products nationwide. “Exposure on the internet helped things take off and we are always finding ways to tap into the benefits and be internet savvy,” says Souza. “We also have a much more diverse product line [and] having our catalogue online has helped. We’ve expanded so much of what we offer and we have a much greater reach.”
He adds, “We look at our business as establishing a partnership with our customers who recognize the value of outsourcing. We learned valuable lessons from the lean times. We retrained our staff. We diversified our products and we extended our reach. Quality has remained a core value and TigerStop has helped us in that regard.”
Leon Speakers’ Sounds of Success
Noah Kaplan is a commissioned artist, woodworker and business owner. He admits that he can’t paint a picture without a piece of music playing, so it makes sense that the successful entrepreneur would be the driving force behind arguably one of the coolest companies in the U.S., Leon Speakers.
In fact, Leon Speakers are used by a host of celebrities including New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, who shared an image on his Facebook page highlighting his custom Horizon Series Soundbar.
It illustrates how the company has become since its inception. Kaplan started Leon Speakers in 1995, after graduating from the University of Michigan. With $600 borrowed from his father, the 21 year old rented 1,000-square-feet of space in an Ann Arbor basement.
“I was an artist and a woodworker. My vision was to mix art with audio and design with technology,” says Kaplan, founder and president. “Speakers at that time were often made of plastic. They were black boxes hanging on a wall. We thought we could combine a good look with good sound.
“We wanted to raise the bar,” Kaplan adds, and 20 years later the company continues to do just that.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Leon Speakers occupies a 40,000-square-foot facility and employs 45 people, including 25 custom fabricators at its Michigan office and four at Media Décor, an operation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which the company acquired two years ago. “The rest of the staff is comprised of design engineers and electrical engineers. We are a true custom shop,” Kaplan notes.
Leon Speakers and Media Décor manufacture speakers and audio-visual treatments for both residential and commercial spaces, which are sold nationwide as well as internationally, including: China, New Zealand, Portugal, Great Britain and France. Products include the Leon ToneCase Hardwood Cabinets for Sonos, which lets customers “personalise your design as easily as you customise your playlists. It is one of our highest sellers,” said Kaplan.
The Timber Series is a full range of bookshelf or desktop speakers, available in solid hardwood and finished to match any colour. Also offered is media decor, such as Edge Media Frames which conceal TVs and speakers and Moving Art Screens, which conceal TVs up to 100 inches wide with high quality prints.
Stylish Sounds
A variety of materials are used to create the custom media products. “We use a lot of wood in our case goods—white oak, walnut, exotics, and MDF and HDF, all tailored to a customer’s specifications,” Kaplan says. “We hand select the wood from Armstrong Millworks, a gem of a wood store that is top notch.”
Equipment at the Ann Arbor shop has evolved over the years, from a standard table saw to now include CNC routers, a sliding table saw, double mitre saw and a joiner.
Also integral is TigerStop’s precision cutting automation. “I love how it operates. It allows you to automate almost any machine or table saw,” Kaplan says.
“It was a big help in letting us do more customisation,” he adds. “With the TigerStop you can type in what you need instead of having to manually adjust. It saves time and it takes some of the guesswork out of fabricating. We estimate that with some jobs, the TigerStop saves as much as one hour and 25 minutes per employee a day.”
Kaplan says they also are looking to purchase a TigerStop for the Florida operation. “The beauty of it is that it saves time.”
In addition to faster setup and production, the TigerStop also provides a big step “toward lean manufacturing and a huge savings all around,” by reducing material waste and rework; among the benefits of TigerStop is that it is 100 percent accurate, with a repeatability of 0.004 inch.
The productivity and flexibility are integral to the company as it continues to grow. “We are interested in doing more 3-D design of products,” Kaplan says. “We are continuing to look for what we can ‘conceal’ next — who knows, it could be a refrigerator. But at our core, we are all about art, audio, design and technology.”
Leon Speakers provide factory tours to give a firsthand look of their products. “We want people to be able to see the design process and we want them to hear our products,” Kaplan says.
The company also hosts national and international touring musicians in the “Leon Loft” — a dedicated performance space above the shop — in conjunction with the Acoustic Café. “It’s another way to showcase Leon Speakers but it’s also a lot of fun,” he says.
It also supports the firm’s mission: “As complex as our world may seem, we promise to bring the music to more people and more spaces, and always do it with style.”
Elite Woodworks : Opening Doors to Opportunities
Since opening for business in 2010, Elite Woodworks, LLC of Somerville, AL, has enjoyed remarkable success. The company, which is owned and operated by the father and son team of Earl and Dustin Whisenant, began as a three-person shop operating from a 3,400-square-foot facility. By August of 2014, Elite Woodworks’ size more than doubled, and the eight-person crew moved into a new 8,400-square-foot shop.
Sixty years of combined woodworking experience have helped Earl and Dustin transition Elite Woodworks from a door shop into a full-service component manufacturing facility. Among their product offerings are: cabinet doors and drawer fronts along with custom cabinet components and accessories: face frames, custom box components, mouldings, valances and more. The company is located near Huntsville, AL, with customers primarily located in Northern Alabama and Tennessee.
The move to component manufacturing was a natural, given their history.
Earl began his woodworking career in a millwork shop back in 1972, and in 1984 he opened Mastercraft Woodworks, a custom cabinetry business. By 2001, the product line had expanded to include full-size doors and cabinets for manufactured housing. The Whisenants sold the company in 2006, though Earl and Dustin, who had been working at the shop since the age of 12, continued to run it. After a fire in late 2009 resulted in the owners closing the shop rather than rebuilding it, Earl and Dustin opened Elite Woodworks.
The Equipment for Success
Accurate and optimised cutting of the raw materials is key to Elite Woodworks’ productivity and profitability. According to Earl, the shop has been relying on Tiger- Stop equipment for a number of years after first using it on a parametric upcut saw.
“We put in the TigerSaw 1000 in October 2014,” added Dustin. “The TigerSaw 1000 replaced manual cutting, which produced a lot of scrap.” Now, he said, “Whatever is in the door program will be downloaded into the computer and available for the saw. The bottom line: There are less mistakes and less scrap with the TigerSaw 1000. The days of missing parts are also over.”
Cabinet Vision and SuperDoor programs are downloaded from the office to the Tiger- Saw. “It goes straight to the saw with orders for doors and frames,” said Dustin.
“The TigerSaw has been a big help in many ways,” he added. “With it we can drop a grade in lumber and still produce the same quality doors and components — with less scrap and unusable parts.”
Since adding the TigerSaw 1000, the company has upgraded the upcut saw and TigerStop in the panel operation, enabling the panel parts program to also be down- loaded from the office, “and added another TigerStop to the Omga radial arm saw for sizing panels,” Dustin said.
“The program does the thinking for the operator,” he continued. “It is so user- friendly and easy to learn that a 52-year-old operator who can’t turn on a laptop can run it. All you have to do is read the monitor and it tells you what it wants to know. It’s self-explanatory and smart.”
Other equipment and capabilities in the shop include: a ripsaw in the roughmill area; a Weinig Unimat 500 for mouldings; the Pillar MMTJ CNC machine for producing mitre joints on the cabinet doors; Unique 315 and 318 machines for coping and stiles; a Unique 336 for shaping and sanding outside profiles; and SCMI and Buetfering widebelt sanders. A Rosenquist RF is used for gluing the raised panel door construction, with a Carlson door pinner used in the assembly process.
Elite Woodworks also has in place a Vitap boring machine for preparing the cabinet cutouts and drawer sides. In addition, the company relies on a Holz-Her panel saw and edgebander, along with a 4×8 CNC flatbed Cam-Wood router. A Legacy CNC router is also in used for ornamental mouldings while a Laguna CNC produces custom turnings, posts and corbels. The company also has a full library of software, including Cabinet Vision, SuperDoor, Aspire, Rhino and RouterCAD.
“We are not just a door shop,” Earl and Dustin are quick to point out. “We set ourselves apart from our competition because we can do total cabinet components.
“We see our relationship with our customers as a partnership. A partnership shows an investment and we want
to invest in our customer’s success. To do that we have to be able to provide what a shop needs, from cutting 32mm cabinets to butcher block tops,” Dustin said,
“We primarily work with maple, but will use any wood specified including oak, hickory and poplar. We can do just about anything with wood and if our customers want it and we can get the wood, we have the ability to work with it.”
Dustin added that Elite Woodworks also has a good relationship with TigerStop. “The company is available to us when we have questions. It is a good partnership.”
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