Is it okay to rave about Executive cabinets?

14 years ago

We have been living in our new house for about 8 months. I redid a kitchen 3 years ago before the DW decided we had to move.

We had done a DIY Kitchencraft kitchen - we used the defunct buycabinets.com. It was a large kitchen with maple cabs, some painted, some stained.

Flash forward to the build. I couldn't imagine living without frameless cabs. I wanted everything to be at least equal to my remodel. The new kitchen was bigger but perhaps less uppers - maybe the same.

Basic design specs (for both kitchens) - maple, crown/light rail, end panels everywhere, full extension/soft close, drawers in everybase except 1, glazed, appliance panels.

Differences - New was not raised panel, old had the large flip out pantry (in the end - not really convenient)

Cost - $17k for KC in 2006, $17k for executive (in bigger kitchen) in 2009. (vs a $26k for KC)

Advantages of executive - plywood sides, much higher sides on the tall drawers, better garbage pullout.

What is my point? - Executive is a small manufacturer out of SC that makes a great frameless cab for far less than Kitchencraft. You don't hear much about them but I am a very satisfied customer. I was a frequent poster back with the DIY remodel so hopefully I don't look like a spammer.

Random lessons - refrigerator drawers were not worth the money (hard to open), we didn't use the Advantium 240 so it was a basic microwave this time, we had a stainless gas cooktop that showed every spec - the Wolf's dark is much more forgiving, a counter depth basic width fridge is too small.

Silgranite and Ladylux rock and were repeated. 2 bin garbage pullout repeated. Dishwasher drawers repeated - the Kitchenaid this time, vs F&P last time. I miss the F&P sometimes but the new ones are much quieter. The service reps on both don't know their .....

I can't believe we planned 2 kitchens in such a short period but we actually made money on the house we remodeled so it all worked out.

Featured Answer

pa28fish

9 years ago

I'd watch out going with Executive Cabinetry these days. I'm in middle of nightmare trying to get acceptable cabinets. 1/3rd of initial order was bad, their rep came to house & confirmed, they said would resend replacements. After waiting 1 mo, over 90% of replacements order was worse than initial order. We just put in 3rd order & haven't been given any time frame. We waited month for initial replacement order, so looks like we're without kitchen for at least another month. We're praying they get it right this time, but track record not looking good.

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Comments (19)

ccoombs1
14 years ago
There was an article in the paper about 2 weeks ago. Executive apparently went out of business. all the employees showed up for work and were handed a letter that told them they could pick up their last check the following week.
ccoombs1
14 years ago
oops....posted in the wrong thread.

Here's a link. It's really sad that the employees were not even given any notice or warning that they were going to lose their jobs. The economy in South Carolina is pretty bad and those 180 employees will have a hard time getting new jobs very quickly.

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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david_cary
Original Author
14 years ago
Ouch - I guess I'm a curse. First buycabinets then executive. Hopefully we won't need any warantee items. I wonder if they will reopen or get bought out. They really did have a nice product...
ccoombs1
14 years ago
Yes, it is sad. From the looks of their web site, they did some really first class kitchens! I became pretty good friends with my cabinet guy and his business is suffering right now too. You know how the economy is in SC. Even though my cabinet guy has actually lowered his already very low pricing, he can't get the jobs if no one is building. I'd be suprised if anyone buys Executive out. they had been in business for a long time and if they went under, I don't see how anyone else could buy them and make them profitable again. Hopefully because they did have such a good reputation, you won't have any warranty issues with your new kitchen. I bet it's gorgeous!
patrushka_ma
11 years ago
David,
Is there any chance to see pics of your new kitchen? Executive Cabinets is back in business and I am thinking of buying them. Are you still happy with them a few years later? Good to know about their previous financial problems, though; I'll do some more research. Thank you.
runninginplace
11 years ago
WAIT!!!! Executive is *not* out of business! When I was preparing to do my kitchen, the contractor recommended Executive and I too saw the information about them closing down. But what ensued is that after being family-owned, an investment firm bought the company and re-opened the business. If you check the 'about' section of the Executive website the letter from the new owner is posted as a PDF file. As far as I know Executive is still in good financial shape and back to full operations.

My contractor has worked with Executive for many years and knows the firm very well. I was disturbed about the financial issues but he reassured me that he was comfortable doing business with them--my job was ordered immediately after the transition. And indeed everything went beautifully. I also know that as of this past December/January Executive was not only in business but had expanded into a 'builder grade' line called Impact. I know this because a colleague and friend had those installed by the same contractor, who I had recommended.

So please don't assume the worst, because it most assuredly is not true. And as David mentioned, Executive makes a very, very nice product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Executive Cabinetry Buy Out Announcement
robbcs3
11 years ago
Executive did shut down. They were bought out by a buying group and have re-opened. As far,as I know the product has not changed.
olivertwistkitchen
11 years ago
I emailed them days ago asking for a dealer in my area. No response...
Buehl
9 years ago
old thread
PRO
Lowes
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This thread is still very worthwhile. It is very helpful to have a sense of customer experiences now working with the executive lines after their business challenges and transformation, as compared to previously. pa28fish, your input is very helpful, but could you please post the resolution of your reorder issues? Has executive completely resolved the issues? Would you mind describing exactly what was not acceptable about the initial order? (i.e. scratches / finish / construction?)
pa28fish
8 years ago
Lowes - we are still not finished with our kitchen renovation which began in Jan 2015. Since we're still waiting on a couple replacement items to complete our kitchen, we want to be fair with Executive Cabinetry and wait until our experience with them is totally finished before writing a comprehensive review. We hope to be 100% finished before month end (May.)
pa28fish
8 years ago
Our experience with Executive Cabinetry has been a terrible experience. We started in Jan 2015 and are still waiting for final replacement items. Over 1/3rd of our initial order was of unacceptable quality and workmanship (verified in person by their own field rep.) It took 4+ additional orders to get most of the panels, cabinets & molding done correctly & that number is still ongoing. The unacceptable cabinets had peeling laminate, rough edges, gouges and just overall poor workmanship. The doors & moldings had a glaze which they could not apply correctly or in any uniform way on almost 1/2 our order. They left big patches of glaze that were not applied correctly & allowed to dry leaving a muddy or dirty appearance that can only be described as sloppy / poor workmanship. I plan on doing a more thorough review of Executive Cabinetry shortly which will include multiple photographs documenting the issues we've had to deal with.
Laura Maxwell
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
We are just in the process of install Executive cabinets, but part of our order was sent to the wrong location. After identifying that they were at the other end of the state, they informed us it would be 2 weeks before they could get them to us. Really? No customer service ethic or urgency to make things right. Beware of working with them.
PRO
Encore Cabinets & Design, LLC
8 years ago
I have used this company for 14 years. I have the first Executive Eco-green product in our entire home and its has been wonderful. The company was closed and re-purchased in a week transition, and yes the product is all the same and enhanced, so if you need warranty parts they will still take care of you. In reference to quality...IE versus Kitchen Craft Ohio or Tenn, or big box stores and Corporate Giants, Executive is a far superior product, and privately owned. Most of the folks are still at the new factory, Give them a call and take a tour. In reference to price point , Executive is less expensive than stock American Made Products in an Eco-Green waterbased finish! Check it out: http://www.executivecabinetry.com/

Hope this helps!!
pa28fish
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Laura Maxwell - I hope Executive Cabinetry finally got your order delivered - and that it was the correct cabinets in the quality you expected (and were sold.)

If not for them, our kitchen renovation would have been completed in less than 4 weeks. Unfortunately, continual Executive Cabinetry errors, mistakes and poor quality control caused our renovation to take almost 6 months. I now have 24 worthless doors, 6 bad cabinets & a ton of bad molding in my garage that their own rep said were unacceptable & had to be replaced. Over 1/2 my garage is still full of this stuff as Executive Cabinetry apparently had no intention of picking it up. I wrote directly to their president/owner to try work something out, but that too was a waste of our time - he did not call or attempt to reach us back. Since he wouldn't even call his own vendor back (where we purchased the cabinets through,) I figured they were probably just going out of business. Needless to say I'm shocked to see they are still around. A very frustrating and expensive lesson.
Tim Hess
5 years ago
I had a horable experience with Executive. The quanity control is completly lacking. It took a full year from the first delivery of cabinets to get everything close to being completed. They sent many pieces damaged in a good box and sent the incorrect pieces many times. My crawlspce if full with more incorrect cabinetry than my original order. Horable, would not recomend to anyone.
Ana Bosman
2 years ago
In May of 2021, I purchased Executive Cabinetry cabinets from Kitchen Cabinet Outlet in Waterbury, CT, for my kitchen remodeling. My kitchen remodel remains incomplete for the same reasons mentioned in other comments: broken and cracked cabinets upon delivery., visible door seams, lackluster paint work and absent quality control. I have emailed the CEO of Essential Cabinetry Group, Mark Kovich and one of Gridiron Capital LLC’s foundin partners, Tom Burger, re: the nightmare I am experiencing with the cabinets’ quality. The ”craftsmanship” is practically non existant, and I say this in quotes because the cabinets are manufactured in a warehouse assembly line style in Simpsonville, SC. Executive Cabinetry is one of three cabinet lines under the Essential Cabinetry Group owned by private equity firm Gridiron Capital LLC located in New Canaan, CT.

I have emailed one of Gridiron Capital LLC’s founding partners, Tom Burger, and Mark Kovich, CEO of Essentail Cabinetry Group which Executive Cabinetry is under. Mr. Kovich and a Mr. Chris Wood blamed the cabinet cracks on UPS shipping. This they fault UPS for the original cabinet delivery and the replacements. The third set replacements are being shipped this weekend via their own delivery trucks. Lets see how this turns out. it’s not damage caused by UPS, but the manufacturing process itself and the lack of quality control. I do not recommend purchasing any cabinets from any of the three Essential Cabinetry Group’s cabinet lines.
Francesca Codrea
last year
Ana - did you get a resolution in the end?

Is it okay to rave about Executive cabinets?

pa28fish

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