American Woodmark takes advantage of its own distributors ⋆

This is an unusual blog in the sense that I am criticizing a cabinet brand, American Woodmark, which we really sell.

Many cabinet brands, such as American Woodmark, are sold under different names in different places. Selling the same cabinets with different brands is a kind of secret of the cabinet industry and made for several reasons. One is difficult for consumers to compare apples with apples in different retail locations. I have never liked this in our industry, and American Woodmark has the practice even further. Actually, they use their own private distributors such as Main Line Kitchen Design, as a free resource to address the problems that its builder distributors do not honor.

The kitchen design of the main line sells cabinets from 1951.

1951 It is another name for the American Woodmark cabinets and the product is the same as Timbero that American Woodmark sells to housing builders. Exactly the same cabinets are available in the Home Depot where they are named American Woodmark. And in Lowes, the same Cabinets are sold as the Shenondoah line. Still confused?

About 30 years ago, some cabinets began cutting their distributors from the sales process. They started selling cabinets directly to housing builders. Before that moment, almost all housing builders bought their cabinets from private distributors or centers of origin. In 1990, American Woodmark renamed his cabinets as Timberlake to sell to independent housing and distributors.

This created some ethical issues discussed below.

Most housing builders guarantee newly built houses for one year. After a year, if something in the house breaks or is defective, the housing owners must repair it or replace it at their own cost. This includes cabinets in a new house.

Reminder: Timberlake is now sold only to housing builders, so Timberlake’s guarantee is one year. What should an owner suppose if your hinge is broken or a cabinet drawer box should be replaced 13 months after buying your home?

Most housing owners first call the builder who then tells them: “I’m sorry, we don’t.” Next, most housing owners directly call Timberlake. Timberlake (American Woodmark) tells them that they will have to pay the hinge or other guarantee article. But the luck for them Timberlake is the same as 1951. Therefore, American Woodmark gives them the telephone number of the concessionaire closest to 1951 to obtain the part it needs.

Note that Timberlake does not say that the piece is directly sold. Or tell them that they can go to a Lowes or Home deposit.

The business of replacing small parts and parts for clients of another company is intensive in labor and non -profitable. Timberlake knows they don’t want the business. And they know that it is better that they do not try to take advantage of their distributors of centers of origin. They will not “push that bear”, so to speak. Then, they try to pass this sale of discomfort to their own private distributors. Talk about sordid commercial practice. . .

The main design of the line kitchen receives calls every week of housing owners looking to replace Timberlake’s pieces and pieces. The owners tell us that Timberlake or that sometimes timberlake or sometimes a builder like Ryan Homes. We cannot process multiple orders a week for replacement parts for all the builders of our area. So we direct Home Depot or Lowes to the owner.

I explain the whole topic to each person who calls. And, I encourage each person who calls to consider buying something else while they are in the center of origin, to compensate for the cost of work that the employee will have to replace their broken part.

It is this type of ethical behavior that frustrates me with our industry.

American Woodmark also has another interesting guarantee guarantee. According to American Woodmark internal sales specialist to support the design of the main line kitchen, American Woodmark will not honor the damage of reported cabinets after 60 days. The specialist informed me that this is because after 60 days, American Woodmark cannot be reimbursed by his shipping company for damage.

Therefore, a 1951 client who has to wait more than 60 days to open a box just to find damage must be reimbursed by, he guessed it, the private concessionaire! It also seems interesting that American Woodmark blames the delivery company. They hope to be reimbursed by damages found inside a closed box even though no one can know with certainty when the damage occurred. Any other cabinet company with which we work absorbs these damage costs. They only have claims before a shipping company in very rare circumstances.

Main Line Kitchen Design believes in, and extends, a life guarantee in all the cabinets we sell (including American Woodmark. Why not other builders and designers do not?

Situations like this are the reason why consumers have to consider the reputation of the cabinet dealerships with which they work. Probably one of the many reasons why the main kitchen design has received hundreds of 5 -star reviews in Google, Houzz.com, Angie’s List, Yelp and other review sites.

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer and, of course. . .

Enjoy your food!

Paul McAlary

Main line kitchen design president