Arizona company invests big in high-end frameless cabinet line

A European-style cabinet and materials manufacturing company has opened its first 72,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and showroom in Mesa, Arizona.

EuroContempo Cabinetry, co-owned and founded by husband and wife Mark and Lisa Storey, has invested more than $14 million into the highly automated facility northeast of Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport.

The company started in February 2017 in a temporary space in Gilbert and had been working to find a new location, get it built and go through the permitting process, Lisa Storey said.

“We needed enough space to accommodate our machines and to hold our inventory,” she said. “Because we offer what we have in stock, the inventory takes up a lot of space.”

The new facility's automation allows for a faster turnaround time — about four weeks — than is typical for custom cabinets, Storey said.

The 15-employee company will be hiring based on customer demand.

EuroContempo General Manager Josh Murrietta expects the company to be at 40 employees in two to three years.

“Our system is highly automated, including the milling process and laser-edge banding,” Murrietta said. “We build European frameless cabinets, a method of assembling cabinets that’s been done throughout Europe. With this facility, we plan to manufacture European frameless cabinets and millwork at a medium to high level.”

The company’s goal is to be recognized for its high-end brand of European frameless cabinetry, Murrietta said.

“We expect to be the North American leader in this product mix,” Murrietta said. “We’re not trying to be the low-cost leader. We’re developing a brand that wants to be recognized for high quality and special materials.”

Co-owner Mark Storey was in the millwork industry for 27 years. He sold a Utah business, Specialized Mill Work, in 2008 for an undisclosed price.

He got excited about doing this new business venture because European-style cabinets are made of laminates that require no painting or maintenance, Lisa Storey said.

“The materials come finished in various styles, colors and mattes,” she said. “This is the new modern look. The laminates are longer lasting. That’s what appealed to us. You don’t have to worry about fading or refinishing your cabinets in three to five years. The materials will probably outlast the home.”

EuroContempo’s 5,000-square-foot showroom allows customers to see the various cabinet offerings.

This story was originally published in the Phoenix Business Journal.