By John Edwards

Feb. 9, 2009—When brothers Dan and Ron Henry founded Custom Cupboards in 1981, they had no idea their Wichita, Kan., company would one day grow into a $34 million-plus firm with more than 300 employees. Rapid, continuous growth has been a constant theme for the national manufacturer of kitchen, bath and office cabinetry. The company outgrew its original 3,000-square-foot building in just two years, and expanded beyond its second building a few years after that. In early 1994, Custom Cupboards built its present manufacturing site, featuring more than 200,000 square feet of space, as well as adjacent land for future planned expansions.

Today, Custom Cupboards supplies cabinets to a national network of more than 180 business partners in 30 states. The company offers its clients more than a half-million design possibilities, spanning nine wood choices, 120 door styles and 600 colors, and each order the company fulfills is unique. "When customers place an order with us, they get to choose the wood type, the stain and color, the interior finish, the hinges—up to 1,700 modifications," says Jason Harris, the cabinetmaker's chief information officer.

The company places one tag on the face frame of the cabinet.

Meshing a vast product array with the need to reach and maintain a high production volume has been an ongoing challenge for Harris, as well as for his management colleagues. "What makes us unique is the fact that we have such a large product offering," he says. "It's not a situation that many other manufacturers face—at least, not to the same extent that we do."