In this Around the House Insider extended episode: Eric G is diving deep into the heart of custom cabinetry with the legendary Elvin Hurst, the mastermind behind Kountry Kraft Cabinetry. From humble beginnings with just a Sears table saw in 1959 to becoming a heavyweight in the cabinetry game, Elvin shares his inspiring journey of grit, innovation, and family values that have shaped his business. We’re chatting about how Kountry Kraft has evolved into a go-to source for stunning, high-end cabinetry—serving everyone from DIY enthusiasts to high-end designers across the nation. Whether you're dreaming of a kitchen remodel or just love a good success story, Elvin’s insights will inspire you to think bigger about your own space. So grab your apron (or maybe a toolbox), because we’re about to get into the nitty-gritty of cabinetry like you’ve never heard before!

Diving deep into the world of custom cabinetry, Eric G sits down with Elvin Hurst, the mastermind behind Kountry Kraft Cabinetry. The conversation unfolds like a well-crafted cabinet, revealing the intricate layers of Elvin's journey from a humble start with a Sears and Roebuck table saw in 1959 to leading one of the most respected cabinetry brands in the nation. Elvin shares tales from his early days as a farmer, where he honed his craftsmanship and problem-solving skills, making the leap into cabinetry after a push from his employer. We explore the evolution of cabinetry, discussing how styles, materials, and finishes have transformed over the decades. Elvin emphasizes the importance of quality and craftsmanship, highlighting how Kountry Kraft blends traditional techniques with modern technology to meet today’s demands. From the meticulous inspection process for each kitchen before delivery to the family-oriented culture at Kountry Kraft, this episode captures the essence of a company that values both its heritage and innovation. Whether you’re a homeowner dreaming of your next kitchen remodel or a designer looking for inspiration, this episode is filled with rich insights and heartwarming stories that celebrate the art of cabinetry.

Takeaways:

• Elvin Hurst's journey from a simple table saw to a thriving custom cabinetry empire is a true American success story.
• The evolution of cabinetry from pure function to fashionable centerpieces of modern homes reflects significant design shifts over decades.
• Kountry Kraft's commitment to quality is evident in their meticulous pre-delivery inspections, ensuring customer satisfaction every time.
• As cabinetry styles change, the move towards painted finishes and modern materials highlights the industry's adaptability to consumer preferences.
• The family-oriented culture at Kountry Kraft not only fosters quality craftsmanship but also creates a warm, welcoming workplace atmosphere.
• Embracing technology in cabinetry production has led to innovative designs that balance traditional craftsmanship with modern efficiency.

To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.

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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.

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Foreign welcome to around the house with Eric G.

Your go to source for everything home improvement.

Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric G.

Is here to guide you through the latest tips, tricks and trends.

Coming up in this week's first hour of the show.

Today, we're diving into the incredible journey of one of the most respected names in custom cabinetry.

Whether you're dreaming up your next kitchen remodel or just love a great American success story, this one's for you.

Now let's get into it right here on the around the house show.

So grab your toolbox, put on your thinking cap, and let's get to work right here on around the house with Eric G.

Welcome to the round the house show, the next generation of home improvement.

I'm Eric G.

Thanks for joining me.

If you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouse online.com and of course, this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.

If you're looking for that brand new barbecue, check them out@monument grills.com and I tell you why we've got a fun episode today.

We're going to be talking cabinetry.

And of course, with myself being a certified kitchen designer and doing kitchen cabinetry for about 35 years, we are right back in my wheelhouse and I'm really excited to be talking with Country Craft kitchens.

Now here's the cool thing here, guys.

I was at this factory probably 15 to 18 years ago checking it out when I was out in the Midwest.

And I'm looking forward to this conversation.

Elvin, welcome to around the house brother.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

And kitchen cabinetry is one of those things out there and it's, it's something that I have really spent most of my career messing around with.

But one of the biggest issues that I see out there is we kind of have two things.

We have these great manufacturers like yourself that sell stuff across the country.

But you guys do such a great job from cabinet construction, cabinet finishes that really exceed what even some of the higher end custom shops do in their little shops.

And I wanted to talk cabinetry with you today.

And how did you guys get started with Country Craft?

How did we get started?

Well, my background is aquaculture.

I was a farmer for the first 20 years of my life.

Grew up on a farm, the family farm, which is where country craft is today.

It's on the whole farm.

So being a farmer, I got a lot of education in all kinds of challenges to build things and fix things and learn how to work.

And on the farm, my dad, whatever had to be done, we did.

We did our own carpenter work, our own mechanical work.

So I always enjoy woodwork.

Maybe you're seeing that when you were here to visit.

Yep.

And that's.

Wow.

And I started.

I had been working for a small kitchen company, Rich Made Kitchens here local.

I was working there as an installer.

And Hamilton bought me this table saw in 58.

And in the spring of 59, the owner of Richmond called me in his office, said, elvin, I understand you have a saw at home and you're making some cabinets at home.

I said, well, I'm making some hobby, I'm doing some crafts, small bookshelves and just small things.

Well, he said, it's our policy.

If you work here, you can't be doing wood, you can't make cabinets at home.

That would be a conflict of interest.

So I'm sorry, if that's your policy, I'm going to have to quit.

So I came home and told my wife, I said, well, I'm going to make good use of that saw you bought me.

We're going to start our own kitchen business right here in the garage.

So dad had a garage here on the farm.

Four car garage.

And my dad was electrical contractor and he had some builders he was working for.

So I said, dad, why don't you check with your builders if they'd be interested in me making their cabinets.

So he sold my first three kitchens to local contractors.

So it was an interesting journey.

No kidding.

That is super cool.

And you know, you guys, you know, farming in your, your part of the country is such a big thing.

And it was so beautiful when I was out there to see how you've got people out there literally working the land with their hands.

And then the middle of it is this high tech cabinet shop.

Yeah, right on the farm.

And I've been blessed with many good employees over the years that joined my team and they do an excellent job making beautiful cabinets.

And first of all, my education was from my parents on the farm and I was blessed with good, good teaching.

I'm blessed By God.

It's all a blessing.

It's all a gift from God.

Everything I have.

And you guys make some beautiful cabinetry there.

It's so amazing to hear coming from that Sears and Roebuck table saw to where you're at today with all the latest technology that helps make beautiful cabinetry.

Oh, I know Junior, Alvin Jr.

Which is the president of our company, he keeps up all the latest equipment.

He has all the computerized saw and CNC routers and break.

Very good equipment, very good employees.

Good, good craftsmans that take pride in what they're doing.

So we've been blessed.

Yep.

You guys do a lot of great stuff with that.

And what I thought was cool too was, was just seeing the mix of people that you have working in your shop.

And I know that your son has been a pride and joy.

But it is so cool to see all the different employees that you have working there.

Yeah, I've been blessed with a lot of good employees.

And first of all, my children all took an interest in the business.

And my wife was my partner from the beginning, so we started together.

My wife, Helen, she did the office work, the design, I run the factory and the installation.

And then our four children, Dale and Dolores, and Jerry, which is in heaven now.

So that was the saddest part of my journey.

Yeah, no question, no question.

Albin Jr.

Being the youngest one.

So they all three are in the kitchen business here and running things.

Dolores is a cfo.

She runs the financial end.

They own the business now and do an excellent job.

Oh, that is great.

With a great team of people.

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

I mean, what are some of the changes that you've seen over the years just in cabinet construction?

Yep.

Well, especially the finishes.

The finishes are endless.

You know, we start out mostly doing staining, hand rub finishes, oil stain and sealer and varnish.

Today I say maybe 60, 70% of the kitchens are painted.

So that's a big change is the kind of finishes and many, many different colors.

You know, years ago, white was white and black was black.

But now there's 40 shades of white and 40 shades of black.

Well, it used to be with kitchens, you know, you had the natural, the dark and the painted, and it was kind of like, kind of like the model T thing.

As long as you want it black, you're in a good shape.

Right, right, right.

Yeah.

But construction wise, everything is more disintended and it's built a lot like we always did.

Everything is built pretty well the same.

What's funny is that technology has almost made it easier to build a stronger cabinet because you can really dial in and take out that human error that we see that even the best craftsmen sometimes have with a table saw.

Yeah, yeah, we have.

The saws that they have today are very precision.

Yeah.

Very accurate.

So makes it easier to assemble a cabinet when all the parts are cut perfectly.

Right, Absolutely.

And the other thing too is on the design side, I know from, from my experience that we have really had a great time with, you know, using.

When I first started kitchen and bath design, I was using a little computer work.

But when I took my CKD exam with the NKBA to be a certified kitchen designer, it was hand drafted.

And I worked at companies that were high end that we did all the hand drafting and now, boy, the manufacturer creates the catalog to go into the kitchen design program and, and off people go designing it.

And you guys get a, a list of cabinetry.

Pretty easy compared to half having to do all the hand entering and hand keying of things.

Yeah, that's what we started with all, all hand drawing.

Drew.

Drew perspectives and a floor plan and elevation and 3D, 3D perspective.

Yep.

Yeah, that was a challenge.

It was enjoyable.

That's all we knew years ago is drawing by hand.

We didn't have any computers, so we started in 59.

Yeah, yeah.

And I was working for home centers in the 90s and they were starting to get, you know, in the early 90s starting to use the, the computers there.

But I tell you what, it was a lot faster.

Instead of me drawing a kitchen out, you know, a couple kitchens a day, I could do seven or eight.

And it was a lot more efficient and a lot more accurate because I wasn't have to rely on my math.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Everything's computerized now.

Yep.

And you guys build primarily face frame style, traditional American cabinetry.

Correct?

Well, it's, it's about 50, 50 with the frame, front frame and then the frameless.

We also do a lot of frameless.

Yeah.

All right.

That's a change since I was back out there a little bit.

It was a little bit you guys were messing around with.

But yeah, they're doing a lot more now.

Frameless.

Yep.

Well, that changes production as well because you know, you guys having to go through and build face frames and.

And doing the mortise and tenon on that type of thing versus just edge banding, it really changes the workflow within the shop, it seems.

It does, yeah, it does change it.

But I have a mix.

Yeah, they have a mix.

They run some with front frame, and then the next one might be frameless.

So it's.

It all blends together.

It works out.

Yeah.

For me designing small kitchens, I always enjoyed the frameless ones because it just gave me a little more drawer space.

When I was adding the drawers in there, I could get a little more into those small kitchens where I wasn't losing that, you know, that three inches or at least.

At least losing an inch and a half of space in drawer boxes going around a kitchen.

So for me out on the west coast, being a designer, we were very much afraid, frameless leaning company out here.

Yeah.

And it's.

It's a very practical cabinet.

It is.

Have you noticed a lot of the style differences?

I mean, you being where you're located, when you started to expand the company, did you start realizing, wow, regionally things change a little bit.

Did you notice that as you kept growing?

Oh, yeah, a lot more.

Different door styles, different colors.

Different styles, different shape hoods.

And the kitchen's much more of a fashion item now than what years ago it was just for function.

A cabinet was made for function and for practical use.

And today it's more of a designer type product.

Yep.

Yeah.

It is the center of your home, right?

Pardon?

It's the center of your home now, where before it was more like the laundry room, where it was just a function only, and you never took your guests back to the kitchen.

Public space nights.

A public space is a place where people love to hang out in the kitchen.

And a lot of homes are built now with the kitchen and dining room and living room all open in one big room where you can socialize and entertain and.

Yeah, it's nice where people like to hang out in the kitchen.

Absolutely.

And it's food.

Yeah, food and fellowship that goes together.

There we go.

And that's one of the things I noticed too, that.

That designing.

It was designed for function only.

But then you've got people trying to get in there that are trying to use it like you would a 20, 25 kitchen.

Now, where it's that great space and you just couldn't fit your 15 closest friends in there.

And actually be able to do something.

So that was always some of the design challenges we would run into.

And I think that's why you see so many remodels now with people taking walls out and trying to make that into the great room feel and trying to break up those smaller spaces.

Yeah, I see.

That definitely was a big change.

The open space.

Yeah.

Years ago, back in the 40s and 50s and 60s, people, the kitchen was a private place and dining room was another room and the living room was not.

It's a lot of open living.

Open space.

Yeah.

And it's so interesting too.

You know, back then it was really doors, drawers on the top and you know, the hinges were different.

And now with the soft close and all the different things that we've got, boy, it has come a long way.

It did.

It came a long way.

They have good hardware and good drawer guides and we use them blum under mount guides and from Germany and they're really nice.

Yeah, it's.

And remember, you know, one of the things that.

It's funny when I see consumers out there, whether you're a builder, remodeler or a homeowner out shopping, you know, that dovetail drawer box was always that thing with the side mount or the, you know, the white epoxy slides or out there in the 80s, that drawer box strength was all based upon that, you know, the heavy duty drawer.

And nowadays when you're getting into those, the bloom, you know, tandem and the undermount soft close.

The.

The drawers are so much stronger on the glides.

They support the drawer so much better that maybe you don't always have to go with that dovetail drawer box to get the job done.

Because I tell you what, the glides take the beating where the drawer box used to.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We wouldn't have to make a drawer box as heavy as we do, but it's what people want.

They want a solid Mabel 5, 8 inch thick dovetail drawer box, but you could.

My first 20 years, I made my drawer boxes out of half inch birch plywood with an inch band on much lighter.

Now you have all this weight you got to carry around when you're shipping and handling in the factory.

So.

But it's what the market wants.

They want the big drawer box, which you wouldn't.

You wouldn't need it, but.

Exactly.

You give people what they want and they come back for more.

No question.

And you guys have done a lot about, you know, a lot of that over the years.

And are you guys shipping now across the country to cabinet dealers, independent cabinet dealers like that, or how far do you guys go now?

Well, we're covering the whole east coast from Maine to Florida, and we have a couple of dealers out west in California, where.

That's where you're from or where.

Yeah, I was actually up in the Seattle area.

I was trying to really push you guys to your farthest land limit at the time.

So I was trying to get it out here.

And that's, you know, that's one of the things I will say that I think that's getting better out there over the years is getting those cabinets successfully shipped, you know, across the country to people.

Yep.

Yeah, we have good.

We have a good independent truckers that all our cabinets very do quality, quality work, very dependable and handle things well.

Yeah, that is great, because I know when companies back in the 80s were really expanding, going across the country, they were palletizing them and they were shipping them like anything else, like towels and toilet paper or whatever else out there.

And yeah, those, Those trucking companies could be pretty tough on cabinetry.

Yeah, yeah.

There.

You can't just ship with anybody.

These people specialize.

We use Sounder Trucking from New Holland, Pennsylvania.

Yeah, they do a nice job for our long distance, like into Florida and out west.

And then we have a local company here called Cupboard Wagon, and that's all they do is kitchen delivery.

So they do a nice job.

That is great.

I tell you what, I have never seen so many wagons that out in your country, out there in your part of the woods.

It is a beautiful part of that.

And it's.

It's so interesting to watch how the different cultures have meshed in and worked together out there.

It's, it's.

It's a piece of beauty.

And I think that shows in your craftsmanship out there as well.

Yeah, we're blessed.

We're in a beautiful part of the world here.

A lot of agriculture and lot of local industries, craftsmen, and it's just a beautiful area.

Oh, absolutely.

I remember speaking of New Holland, I remember going through New Holland, and I was driving through there with some friends checking out cabinet dealers, of course, And I see this huge New Holland cabinet.

I mean, New Holland tractor dealership.

And directly across the road was somebody out there hand working the land with a horse.

Yeah.

And I was like, I am in this ying yang world of wow.

All right here.

And it was really cool to see.

Yeah, we have a lot of the Amish people still use horses for farming.

So we have all different kinds, from horses to big tractors.

Yeah, it's great to see and it's something for me that was just really foreign to see out from the west coast out here.

It's just not something normal that we would see in our everyday.

And I really thought it was beautiful and some of the buggies that run around there, and I'm probably using the wrong terms as a west coaster, but beautiful craftsmanship everywhere that I saw.

Yep, yep.

So with cabinetry, cabinetry now, I mean, it's really interesting.

Are you working now with, with builders, are you working more with independent cabinet dealers or is it a mixture of both?

We do some of everything.

We always did.

We sell to the.

We're our own local dealership right here at the factory.

We sell to the individual retail.

We have a showroom, so we have salespeople and installers that cover a 70 mile radius from our factory.

And then everything there goes from there on.

It goes through independent dealers.

So we sell individuals and contractors and that's how we build our business.

Selling everybody from individuals to contractors to dealers.

Yeah.

So Alvin, who is your customer as far as in the space of the cabinet, you know, kind of in that good, better, best.

And that's the one thing I learned early on in cabinetry, is that you've got kind of everything that starts out with what I would call is the ready to assemble, coming in off the boat from overseas to the high end architectural digestion, you know, $300,000 cabinet package going in a small condo that looks absolutely insane.

Where are you guys kind of fit in that, in that world of cabinetry?

Well, we are, I would say in the high end of the high end custom.

We.

Our motto is the only limitation is your imagination and your space and your budget.

So if you can design it and fit it in your house and can afford that, we can build most any, any size kitchen you want with any style, any color.

So we make small kitchens for 20,000, all the way up to a hundred thousand.

So what?

Whatever you want.

We don't just do kitchens.

We do furniture for the entire home.

We do the walk in closets, office furniture, bathrooms.

If it's a cabinet, we build it for any and for the whole house.

Yeah.

It's so amazing how, you know, kitchens were the big thing.

It expanded into bathrooms and really making the most out of that space where people started to really rethink about what went into that cabinetry.

And you're Right.

From family room entertainment areas to media rooms, to that luxury closet system which half the time in many of these big homes have better cabinetry than what's in the kitchen.

Right?

Yeah.

So we cover the whole house wherever you want.

Cabinets, even do the garage.

We do cabins in the garage, the basement, the laundry, the bathrooms, the entertainment centers, office, everywhere.

You can see it on our website.

We have pretty well everything going there.

That is awesome.

Yeah.

And you guys have really.

I was really impressed out there with, with the thought that you guys have put into the cabinetry.

And I just noticed like building your doors and things like that, the.

The attention to detail that you guys do on your stuff.

It.

There's a lot of companies I've been through, I've been through probably 30 or 40 different cabinet manufacturers and it still sticks into my head the little details to make sure that the, the doors can expand and contract correctly.

And just all the thought that went into building these to be something that's going to live a long life in your home.

And that to me is kind of the ultimate of a green cabinetry, is that you build something that's going to hold up through generations, that someone's going to get tired of the look of it before it actually fails.

Yeah, you won't wear it out in your lifetime.

The only reason people change them is because they get tired of the color or style.

But yeah, yeah, there's a lot of detail goes into building a custom cabinet.

Another thing we do to make sure your cabinets get delivered on time, complete with good quality, we schedule our kitchen to go into the shipping room in the warehouse for inspection one week before delivery.

So we set the whole kitchen up just so it goes in your room.

Inspect everything, every detail, make sure every door fits properly, every drawer and all the finish is good.

So make sure that when it gets delivered, it's going to be what you want.

You know, Elvin, that is one of the most important things that I have seen in a manufacturer.

And I think you were the first company I saw do that to that extent, going around through cabinet places.

Because so many times the final assembly crew that is at the end of the line is trying to keep up with pace.

They have a schedule to meet.

But by doing that, you catch the mistakes.

I mean, I have ordered.

I'm not gonna say anything bad about your competitors out there, but many times I, as a designer and as a kitchen cabinet dealer owner, had ordered cabinetry and I had ordered 24 inch wide single door cabinets.

They were clear on the order.

It was on the confirmation, and they were for an entertainment, tall entertainment unit, half the doors showed up as two 12 inch doors.

Half of them showed up with single doors.

And if someone would have actually stopped and looked at this and would have went, this doesn't make any sense.

We better look at the paperwork.

A lot of headaches can get solved right then before it leaves the factory.

Right.

It's so important to do a thorough inspection to be sure that you get what you ordered.

And our motto is here, the golden rule.

Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Do it right, do it right the first time.

And, and for our listeners out there, this is one of the most important things when I see this, because I tell you what, there are other manufacturers out there that lean on their customer service team afterwards that, well, we'll just get it fixed, maybe they'll catch it, they'll ship it, they'll send out parts the next week.

But what you guys do is so innovative.

To most cabinet manufacturers out there, it really makes that installation process and even just the receiving from the cabinet dealer, when that comes up into their warehouse or out to their job site, it makes for such a cleaner experience that, you know, it's something that I noticed as a designer.

We would sit there and I'll make up a name, Mrs.

Smith.

We would get the cabinets there and it would be, Ms.

A cabinet would be missing a door or they would have a note on it saying, hey, this one's damaged.

We've already ordered another one already.

It'll be there in a couple weeks.

Now all of a sudden that homeowner, the end user, is staring at that like it's a scratch in their brand new car.

Yep, yep.

And as soon as you open that door up to looking for the scratches, it's a slippery slope that can be a tough one to navigate for the homeowner, a cabinet designer, and of course the manufacturer, because they now their expectation level, they're looking for it.

And when you can ship that job out clean, it really reduces and keeps the schedule tight for the end user.

So their kitchen, master bathroom, their laundry room, or even their master closet is on track and on schedule.

And it's always looking beautiful.

Yep.

You only get one chance to make a good impression.

You know, the first time you gotta, you gotta, if you, like you said, if your kitchen gets delivered with parts missing or damage, it just dampens the whole job, you know, so we make, we put a lot of effort in to make sure that your kitchen comes complete, in good quality, on time.

Yeah, yeah.

I gotta ask you, you have been around this industry for so long and, you know, you're such a legend in the industry.

I gotta ask you, do you have any wild stories of stuff that you've had that were head scratchers, people that have ordered, stuff that you went really?

Yeah.

We had our challenges.

People order things that you wonder if you can build.

But we are blessed with many good craftsmen here now that build most everything that people want.

There's very few times that we will turn down an order because we don't know how to do it.

So yeah, there is challenging times, but oh yeah, we, we, we figured out, we get it done.

Yeah.

One of the things that have always been one of my Achilles heels with designers that I've always worked with are those wood hoods, you know?

Oh, yeah.

And the challenges that can go with those, from making sure that it meets fire code, where it extends over the cooktop to.

Can you actually get it in there?

We, we make a lot of wood.

A lot of wood hoods.

Yep.

Sweep hoods, sweep front sweep, side sweep and three.

Three sided.

Yep.

That is, that is great to be.

A popular thing, these wood hoods.

Yeah.

One of the things that I did, I think my biggest wood hood that I had ordered for a client in my 30, almost 35 years of design was this homeowner had a 14 foot long run of a hood because she had a heats 14ft and it was crazy to build.

So we ended up building it locally because shipping it was never going to be something that was going to be capable without having to rent a whole truck out and ship it, you know, just getting it out there.

But we built a 14 foot long hood because she had a, like a 7 or 8 foot French range, a pizza oven that was in there, that was underneath it.

And it was really a commercial hood that we were hiding under, you know, residential woodwork.

But she first wanted ordered and I was like, we have to build this here locally because it's going to cost you tens of thousands of dollars just to try to ship it across the country on a semi truck.

So you made a wood hood 14 foot long?

Yes, we did.

Wow.

We had craftsmen, we had, you know, the.

It was a nightmare, you know, trying to get the hood to work correctly.

And to put.

We really basically had to get with a commercial hood manufacturer and then build us around, around the hood that they had to build around the line.

That's.

That's too long.

We'd probably say no to that.

We'd probably make it in two sections make two seven foot hoods instead of one foot 14.

Yeah, well, she wanted a 14 foot arch.

So.

It was not easy.

It was not easy.

I'm sure we said yes when we should have said no.

So those are those lessons you'll learn, right?

Yeah, we've had plenty of those.

We've had plenty of those.

You know, the other thing is, I don't know if you're seeing that out here, but out here on the west coast we're seeing a lot more of the waterborne finishes just to be able to meet our state regulations on, you know, what's coming out of the finish room.

Are you guys dealing with that out there as well?

Yeah, we just recently, the last couple of years switched to all polyurethane finishes.

So we have a very good finish, very high quality.

That is my favorite finish of 20, 25.

Is that polyurethane?

It is so much better.

Got it from Sherwin Williams.

Sherwin Williams makes it.

Yeah.

That is the only right answer right there, my friend.

That is the beautiful stuff.

That is.

It's kind of the best of all worlds.

You get that really clear clarity that doesn't look like plastic, but it has that durability that combines with it.

It's a good, it's a good finish.

It's just absolutely beautiful.

Are there other things that kind of surprise you that you see out there that have really changed in the cabin industry over the last few years?

And I know you're a lucky one to be able to watch from a little of the outside and not having to be on the, on the shop floor managing that every day.

But I tell you what, I, I love the kitchen and bath industry.

But when I hung my hat up on the design stuff and not waking up at 2 o' clock in the morning wondering if I ordered the crown molding for a project?

It's nice, but you have seen so much what's new out there that kind of makes you go, wow, we sure never had that before.

Yeah, well, I don't know.

Like I said, I'm.

I don't know of anything that they.

That's that new that they can do.

But I know they're always dealing with new materials and new lemon that some people want, want high gloss laminate cabinets and, and different woods.

They want this.

A lot of quarter sawn oak.

That's very popular now.

White oak, quartz on quiet oak.

So yeah, the white oak and the walnuts are sure hot it seems right now.

You know what I mean?

Where you know, that was not used in cabinetry for 25 or 30 years.

For many people it wasn't one of the in ones.

That's when we had the, the maple and the alders and maybe some fur and things like that.

But yeah, that quarter sawn white oak and in the light stains have been just tearing it up across the industry, it seems.

Yeah.

And like you said, walnut.

We're doing quite a bit of walnut too.

Yep, it's, it's that stuff for the 70s and 60s has come back again.

Yeah, I know.

Yep.

There's more stains coming back again too.

Instead of paint.

The hand rub finish.

Yeah, it's, it's interesting.

And are you guys still doing.

When it comes to the finish shop, are you doing more spray stains or are you kind of doing a mixture depending on what the color is?

No, it's all the stains are all wiping stains.

Are they cool?

Yep.

Hand rubbed oil stain.

Nice.

That is something that I really like.

There's some companies that have, shall we say, gotten away from that and they use the, like a flatline finisher that they will spray the stain on.

But I just love the, I love the look.

You get a much more furniture look with, with that hand rub stain.

It's just more of, well, that old school way doing it.

That looks good.

It brings the grain out.

It really make really pronounces the wood.

Nice.

Yeah, yeah, we like the hand rub.

We don't spray any stains.

Nice, nice.

That is a good one.

Well, you know, Elvin, we're running a little out of time here.

We're getting close to the one hour mark on this show.

But if there are people out there that want to maybe become a dealer for you guys that are, that are a kitchen cabinetry designer, we have a lot of designers that listen to us here on the national radio show and podcast.

What's the best way for them to reach out to you?

Well, the best way is just to call us and tell them they're interested and we'll gladly communicate with them and connect with them.

You want my phone number?

Do you have that?

Our number and address and website.

Our website.

Website's perfect.

Perfect.

They can track you down from there.

We have a beautiful website.

You have that.

Would that be on your show?

Yeah, absolutely.

Go ahead and we can put, go ahead and give it out there and I'll, we'll make sure that it's in the show here and I'll put it in the show notes as well.

Yeah, you put your, put the website on.

In our phone number.

We're, we have we still love to talk to people one to one.

We don't.

When you call the Country Craft kitchens, you'll get a live person answering the phone.

You don't have to talk to a robot or push buttons.

And, you know, we have a friendly receptionist that likes to talk.

That is perfect.

That is perfect.

And for the consumer out there that's thinking about building a house or last year at Thanksgiving they said, I'm not cooking another Thanksgiving in this kitchen again.

What's the best way for them to find out more about you guys?

Same website.

Yeah, we have good sales people here, good reps to follow up.

Any, anybody's welcome to call us.

We love to do business with anybody, anywhere.

That is perfect.

I love it.

We invite people to come to visit us, come for a factory tour, Come and see the beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch country and take a tour of the factory.

Pennsylvania Dutch country.

I tell you what, it is beautiful.

My little brother actually lives up in Mechanicsburg and anytime I can get out that way to come take a look at that beautiful part of the world.

I sure don't, I sure don't turn it down, if you know what I mean.

Well, I hope if you come the next time, come and visit us again.

I would love to.

And seeing factory tours, I think if you're in the area that is the, the most simplest place to start is to see the people and you guys are jam packed with the people that love what they do.

You know, I, I noticed that you had a lot of families working out in the shop.

Multi generational people that, oh, this is their person's cousin and this person's dad or grandfather, grandmother, whatever.

You have such a great crew out there.

We do.

We have a wonderful team and they love, they love to give the welcome tours here.

We like to give tours so we, anytime anybody's in the area, welcome to come, come and visit us.

And the great thing here as well is you guys are made right here by hand in the usa.

So anybody's worried about tariffs out there, don't have to worry about that.

That's coming out of the nation's heartland.

Amen.

Yeah, for sure.

All right, well, Alvin, thanks for coming on today.

Guys, check out Country Craft.

These guys know what they're doing.

I've been through the shop, it's beautiful and the work is amazing.

So this might be a great answer for your next cabinetry project.

Thanks again for coming on the show, my friend.

Thank you so much for interviewing us and we welcome everybody to come and visit us.

All right.

I appreciate it.

I'm Eric G.

And you've been listening to around the House.

To find out more about Country Craft, visit their website@countrycraft.com make sure you use the letter K when you spell country and craft.

Thanks for tuning in.

We will catch you next time You've been listening to the around the House Show.