National Hardwood Magazine - October 2022

NEWS DEVELOPMENTS
NEWS ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL
HARDWOOD CONSUMERS INCLUDING MERGERS,
PLANT EXPANSIONS & ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES
Wellborn Cabinet Plans $17 Million
Alabama Expansion Creating 415 Jobs
Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield announced
that Wellborn Cabinet Inc., a family-owned
manufacturer based in Ashland, AL, plans to invest
nearly $17 million in an Alabama expansion project that
will create 415 jobs over five years.
Wellborn Cabinet, whose cabinets are distributed nationwide,
intends to construct and
equip a 250,000-square-foot facility
in Oxford to begin production of
a new kitchen and bath cabinetry
product, according to the Alabama
Department of Commerce.
Using American-made products,
Wellborn Cabinet manufactures traditional,
contemporary, and transitional
Hardwood cabinetry. Purchasing
approximately 8 million board
feet in green Hardwood lumber
annually, products are available in
Cherry, Maple, Oak and Hickory.
“It’s always great news when a
successful Alabama company like
Wellborn Cabinet decides to launch
a significant growth project right
here at home,” Secretary Canfield
said.
“Wellborn has long been a landmark
business in east Alabama, and
I am thrilled that the company continues
to grow and thrive.”
Founded in 1961, Wellborn Cabinet
employs 1,336 workers within its
expanding Alabama manufacturing
footprint.
Wellborn Cabinet’s growth plans
come at a time of rising demand for
its products. Last year, the company
announced plans for a $15 million
project on its Ashland campus
to add a planer mill, paint facility,
health care, and manufacturing facilities
expansion for its workforce.
“As we were looking at areas for
expansion opportunities, we wanted
to continue our growth within the
state of Alabama,” President and
CEO Paul Wellborn said. “Oxford
was very accommodating and helpful
throughout the process.
14 OCTOBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE www.RealAmericanHardwood.org
“The new location will be close to Interstate 20 and
a broader workforce, which are both critical to our success.”
Wellborn Cabinet is one of the largest cabinet makers
in North America and the largest
industrial employer in rural Clay
County. Its new location on 60 acres
at the Oxford West Industrial Park,
located in Talladega County, will extend
its presence in east Alabama.
Construction on the project is set
to begin in Spring 2023, and start-up
of operations in Fall 2024.
To learn more, go to www.well
born.com.
Most Recent Kitchen
And Bath Study
Results from the second quarter
NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath
Index (KBMI) study were a stark reminder
that the kitchen and bath industry
is not immune to overall economic
turmoil.
The overall KBMI for Q2 was 70.4,
the lowest it has been since Q4
2020. The index is an accumulation
of members’ read on the health of
the industry as well as current and
future conditions — all of which had
noticeable declines for the quarter.
Although any Index rating above
50 signifies expansion, the Q2 KBMI
shows clear warning signs. Nearly
half of the kitchen and bath professionals
surveyed said they are not
confident in the U.S. economy. In
fact, the prediction for the Q3 Index
based on respondents’ forecasts fell
to the lowest reading in over two
years, dropping to 61.8. They said
rising costs and economic uncertainty
are driving the declines.
The most recent KBMI showed
that increased costs of materials
and inflation have now overtaken
www.RealAmericanHardwood.org
supply chain disruptions as respondents’ primary concerns.
National Kitchen and Bath Association members
said year-over-year costs have risen an average of 11
Please turn to page 47
OCTOBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 15