Great Northern Cabinetry has a nationwide reach
EMILY GOJMERAC
THE STAR NEWS
Great Northern Cabinetry, a manufacturer of high quality semi-custom cabinetry, sells its products to a national network of dealers. With a strong and growing market presence, the company employs approximately 85 people and has operated continuously on the same site since its founding in 1972.
According to Cheryl Graumann, Vice President of Marketing at Great Northern Cabinetry, “When a homeowner starts a renovation project, they may have a general sense for what they want, but they can’t appreciate all the detail and decisions that go into cabinet selection.” Great Northern Cabinetry is very selective in the dealers it selects, only partnering with dealerships with in-house designers who can transform a homeowner’s vision into their dream kitchen.
Creative Designs in Cabinetry in Medford is Great Northern Cabinetry’s local dealer. Sandi Kuenne, who has run this dealership since 2002 said, “We’ve had a long-standing great relationship with Great Northern Cabinetry. Because they are only a few miles up the road, we provide customers with local access to their product and great customer service.”
Many of Great Northern Cabinetry’s dealers have been selling the company’s products for decades. Because of its reputation for high quality products sold at a fair price, Great Northern Cabinetry has been able to expand its dealer base by nearly 30% since 2019, and the company aims to double its dealer count and expand its footprint to all fifty states within the next five years. Achieving this goal will create additional jobs at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in the village of Rib Lake.
The outlook for the cabinetry industry is positive. Nationally, the real estate market has been strong the past couple of years, and according to company management, the U.S. needs to build an additional five million homes to balance supply and demand. With a high backlog and positive outlook, the company is excited regarding its prospects for growth.
Great Northern Cabinetry offers three distinct product lines across seven distinct wood species. While the materials used in each product line vary (to achieve different price points), the company builds each cabinet with the same highcaliber employees and exacting quality standards. The company’s catalog has 44 standard door styles and 26 standard finishes available, allowing a homeowner to customize their design to fit their style. Among the company’s suppliers, many are also home-grown Wisconsin companies, while a few come from neighboring states like Minnesota. Company ownership has expressly stated its objective is to become the best manufacturing job in Taylor County. This is a big statement for a small company, but over the past two years, Great Northern Cabinetry has made strides toward that goal by increasing its starting wage, improving the company benefit plan and becoming more involved in the Rib Lake community. Among the company’s employee base, many have worked at Great Northern Cabinetry for decades. As they say at Great Northern Cabinetry, “We build cabinets, we build community, and we build careers.”
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