I first met the owners of Dean Cabinetry in 2011, when John reached out to me to learn more about what options he had in making the change from traditional solvent-based finishes to ultra-low VOC, waterborne coatings for his growing business. Like many custom fabricators, John was weighing his finishing options with several issues to deal with – knowing that the readily available solvent finishes were dangerous to work with, and the less toxic waterborne finishes he was replacing them with were not always accessible from his local suppliers. His concerns focused on three key aspects when he considered changing to waterborne coatings: 1) proven durability for his customers; 2) safety for his employees; and 3) lowering the emissions impact of his facility on the surrounding environment. In all three cases John and his Project Manager, Paul Kowal, have shown that their efforts in choosing the best products for their operations have created a positive impact for their customers and employees.
Of the many professional cabinet and furniture fabrication shops I do business with throughout the east coast, I find Dean Cabinetry to be highly focused on how their methods and procedures effect their environment. Low VOC, high-performance coatings are just one aspect of their operation. The workshop is clean, well-lit and has very good ventilation – all keys to a healthier workplace. Their use of solar-powered and LED lighting illustrates their commitment to sustainability. The team at Dean Cabinetry does not pay lip-service to environmental concerns – they take ownership in seeing that the materials they use meet their own strict standards. Likewise, paint selection and color matching, as well as down the road durability of the chosen waterborne finishes all come into play when Paul Kowal is selecting his paints for your project.
All-in-all I find Dean Cabinetry to be a focused, innovative and talented cabinetmaking team. I am proud to call them a Customer, and share some of their work with you. The project shown here was finished with EM6500 Water-based Bright White Pastel Lacquer that we custom color-matched.
