Columbia Forest Products (CFP) announced last week they have sold its Cabinotch Division to Cabaxis Inc, an affiliate of Phillip Crabtree, the originator and creator of the award-winning cabinet box system.
Crabtree, President and CEO of Phill’s Custom Cabinets, lives and works in Owensboro and said the success of the company comes from his 64 local employees.
“I couldn’t do it without the employees here they are the ones who come in every day with a smile on their face, bust their tail and enjoy what they do,” he said.
Crabtree sold the patent to CFP back in 2011 and with the sale, Cabinotch and Cabaxis will now be under one roof.
Details of the sale were not revealed.
Greg Pray, Columbia’s President and CEO, said that “the persistence of unfairly-traded imports – both cabinetry and hardwood plywood products – has impacted a wide spectrum of wood industry markets. We felt that the Cabinotch operation was an excellent candidate for a different ownership model given our new strategic plan, and it will be in great hands with Crabtree’s team.”
“We have invested in robotic technology in our facilities and are excited to introduce new construction methods and cost-saving materials in 2020,” Crabtree said. “Outsourcing is the most effective way to build and maintain a healthy woodworking business and Cabinotch is making that process easier and more cost-effective than ever.”
The Cabinotch cabinet box system, which involves a patented interlocking joint, helps shops reduce costs and improve productivity, says the company. Cabinotch provides a custom-sized “cabinet chassis” – including the face frame, sides, backs, bottoms, tops and shelves – that cabinet shops can finish and assemble themselves. Box parts are customizable to within 1000th of an inch.
“We will continue to support the cabinetmaking market – and are confident that the Cabinotch system will continue to be a terrific option for many of them.”
Crabtree said they do all of their hirings through 323 Staffing and he encourages people who are looking for a job in wood manufacturing to apply.
