What is an Employee-Owned Company and Why Does it Matter?

Showplace is a 100% employee-owned company. What does that mean and why does it matter? Let’s take a deeper look at what it’s like to be an employee-owner and why that benefits you when you purchase Showplace cabinets.

First, the history… Since its beginnings in 1999, Showplace Wood Products (now doing business as “Showplace Cabinetry”) has been one of the fastest growing cabinetry brands in America. From the start, this success has been grounded in Showplace people: A team of hardworking, results-oriented workers, managers and directors who care about what they do. In a world of seemingly endless choices, their creativity and hard work has made Showplace the brand of choice for 1000+ dealers and thousands of customers around the country.

In the time of constant mergers and acquisitions by distant holding companies, the founding shareholders of Showplace chose a different path. They were determined to perpetuate Showplace in a way that protects its employees and dealers from a large corporate entity that doesn’t share their vision. The founding team also sought to reward Showplace employees for their personal contributions to its ongoing success.

As a result, Showplace now exists as a 100% employee-owned company through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The move to an ESOP ensures the stability of Showplace into the future, while keeping the current board of directors, management, and day-to-day control unchanged.

What’s it Like to Be an Employee Owner?

Employees take ownership in decisions that affect their daily jobs and are involved in evaluating and improving those processes to ensure that we are as efficient as possible.

We hear from visitors that tour our facilities that, “Everyone’s always smiling. They must really like their jobs.” Yes, it’s true! We love what we do! And, knowing that Showplace truly cares about all employees and their futures is part of the many reasons why we smile from ear to ear.

How Do You Benefit?

Purchasing products from an employee-owned company means that you are supporting the present AND the future of our employees. But, that’s not all. Here are more benefits of buying cabinetry from employee-owned Showplace!

Cutting Department Employee

Made with Pride

Our employees own 100% of the company, so we care about the success of our company and take pride in our work because our name is on each and every cabinet that leaves our facility in South Dakota.

Cutting Team Group Photo

Involvement

To ensure that we do our absolute best to take care of our commitment to ship quality products on time, we are proud to be involved in decisions that improve our production workflow and efficiencies. These improvements benefit our dealer-partners and you.

Green Kitchen

Efforts Come to Life

We appreciate seeing the end result of our hard work through photos shared by our dealers. Seeing how our cabinets help to transform homes into something truly magical inspires us to keep doing our very best. And when we do our best, we all benefit.

Here’s a peek at a recent home remodel project using Showplace Cabinetry to completely transform the space into a contemporary kitchen of dreams!

Showplace Cabinetry: Environmentally Conscious

Showplace is a certified member of the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer’s Association, and has a strong environmental commitment. Our modern production facilities are energy-efficient, and incorporate every opportunity for recycling and air quality protection. With our supplier partners, we promote the protection and sustainability of our world’s forest resources.

Our Commitment:

As an ESP manufacturer, all Showplace cabinets and facilities meet the following criteria:

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  • Air Quality – Emissions from ESP certified cabinets are greatly reduced given the materials and finishes used in the manufacturing process.
  • Environmentally-sourced Products – Materials used to manufacture ESP certified cabinets are sourced in an environmentally-friendly way.
  • Environmentally-friendly Processes – Manufacturing processes track waste and implement opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a focus on energy conservation.
  • Environmental Stewardship – Policies requiring a firm commitment to environmental quality, in addition to the environmental practices and policies of partnering vendors and suppliers.
  • Community Involvement – Committed to supporting and participating in the community through charitable giving and service.

In addition to these commitments above, we are also CARB2 compliant and follow EPA emission standards.

Showplace Cabinetry: Built Tough

Framed Showplace Cabinetry is KCMA-certified, passing the toughest tests of durability and performance in the marketplace today.

These independent tests evaluate the integrity of cabinets in the following categories. If you want quality cabinets in your home that will last, know that Showplace cabinets have been certified by the KCMA and have this seal of certification.

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  • Cabinet Structure – Loading cabinet shelving with 15 pounds per square foot, gradually loading mounted cabinets to 600 pounds, and dropping a three-pound weight at six inches above the cabinet bottom to evaluate the overall strength and durability.
  • Drawer Operation – Cycling drawers 25,000 times fully-loaded with 15 pounds per square foot, representing roughly 20 years of regular use.
  • Door Operation – Opening and closing cabinet doors 25,000 times and testing their ability to withstand 65 pounds of hanging weight.
  • Cabinetry Finish – Exposing cabinets to stain threats like vinegar, grape juice, coffee, alcohol, and even mustard for varying amounts of time to ensure any discoloration can be easily cleaned without any lasting damage.
  • Temperature – Placing cabinets in a humid heat-box for 24 hours at 120-degrees to ensure no finish blistering or discoloration.
natural wood floors with white cabinets and dark wood cabinet island. The appliances are stainless steel. the handles of the cabinets in the kitchen are two different styles - one is a long skinny handle and the other is a half dome under cling that can be used to pull out the drawer.

Why Purchase Certified Cabinetry?

Having passed each of these tests, you can be confident your new Showplace Cabinetry will withstand the rigors of daily life. Find out just how tough these tests are.

Environmental Excellence

Showplace Wood Products has a strong commitment to environmental excellence. As a matter of policy, we believe it is essential to protect the global environment and conserve natural resources by consistently implementing environmentally responsible technologies and processes.

Our Commitment:

Toward that goal, Showplace Wood
Products commits to the following objectives:

  • Conserving energy by implementing energy efficient technologies wherever feasible.
  • Pursuing recycling efforts for all our waste streams.
  • Promoting the protection and sustainability of forests and other natural resources through our suppliers and partners.
  • Protecting air quality by complying with all relevant environmental permits and regulations.
  • Promoting our environmental policies and objectives to our employees and the public.

Showplace Wood Products will adhere to these objectives and demonstrate our responsibility as a good corporate citizen by constantly pursuing the protection of our environment and the conservation of our natural resources.

Showplace: American Made Cabinetry

Showplace is a 100% employee-owned company, that means the people building the product, OWN the company……the whole company! There are no private equity owners, no outside shareholders to impress, just rock solid American workers from the Midwest producing great products out of parts and pieces made right here in the USA! The over 650 employee-owners at Showplace represent the best in American manufacturing. Hard-working, dedicated people building the finest American made cabinetry and shipping it to customers in all 50 states from Maine to Hawaii.

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We pride ourselves in being a South Dakota manufacturing company built on midwestern values. Our culture is one that focuses on our customers and our employees, we are constantly striving to deliver fine products, on time & complete while at the same time showing great appreciation towards the dedication of the entire Showplace Team!

Our assembly factories in Harrisburg, South Dakota are fed cabinet doors and drawer fronts from our super-efficient door plant located in the small community of Beresford, South Dakota. Our factories are some of the largest employers in these small cities and we take that responsibility very seriously when it comes to supporting these communities.

Smiling employee in our small parts department

Employee-Owned

Our employees take pride in their work because they own the company through the Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP).

Building a cabinet frame

MIdwest Values

Our hard-working employees embrace the effort it takes to make high-quality product that will be part of homes across America.

Smiling employee carrying wood panels

Community

Not only do we take care of our employees like they’re family, but we take care of those in need in our community by volunteering and providing financial support to nonprofits and charities in the communities surrounding our factories.

Showplace offers several cabinet lines including framed construction (overlay and inset), and frameless.

Included in the 1+ million combinations we offer are 86 door styles, 13 wood species, 34 standard paints, almost unlimited custom paint colors, 26 stains, several specialty finish packages, and more!

No matter what style of cabinetry you are looking for, Showplace can deliver!

How Can I Buy Showplace Cabinets?

Are you following us on our various social media accounts, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest, and do you like the various images you see? You may be wondering what the first step is if you want to buy Showplace cabinets for your new construction or remodeling project. Read on for more information.

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While you are here on our website, take time to explore the many style and finish selections we offer. Then start dreaming in our expansive home image gallery to get ideas for your project.

We sell our product through local authorized Showplace dealers, so the next step will be to connect with a designer at your local Showplace dealership.

Local Showplace Cabinetry dealerships have showrooms with a variety of samples and cabinet displays from Showplace so you can get that “hands on” experience. Feel the quality of our materials and workmanship, and get an in-person perspective about our wide range of styles, finishes, and accessory options that can transform your home into a space that works for you.

Take the next step…

Effects of Lighting on Cabinet Color

Many factors affect the appearance of color. So, when you’re investing in new cabinets from Showplace, you want to make sure they’re going to look as close as possible to what you’ve envisioned.

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If you’re just getting started and are trying to pick the cabinet colors for your space, narrow down your choices by working with a designer at your local Showplace dealership.

Explore their color chip samples and our list of standard paint and stain colors. Then, when you think you’ve selected the colors you want, order a sample door from your dealer so you can see what an actual Showplace cabinet door will look like in your space. We highly encourage you to make your final finish selections based off a sample door, rather than a color chip.

Be sure to hold the door at the approximate location the cabinets will be installed and view the door with lights on and off, and at different times of day because light affects color in different ways.

Here are some ways light may change how your cabinets appear:

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Artificial Light and Color

The type of indoor lighting will change the appearance of the finish or surface of your cabinets because different bulbs have a different color temperature.

Incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, or LED lighting have different color and intensity.

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Natural Light

Natural lighting will also cause your cabinets to look different, depending on how direct the light is, whether clouds are dampening the intensity of the sun, or if window treatments are causing indirect sunlight.

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Sheen Level

The level of sheen (glossiness) reflects light, which may make the cabinets look a bit different in various lighting. Learn more below.

Sheen Level

If you’ve ever picked out paint before, you already know what “sheen” is. It’s the relative “shininess” or “glossiness” of a finish. Showplace offers all its finishes in your choice of two levels of sheen, no extra charge. 

“Satin” is what most people would consider normal sheen for home cabinetry. “Matte” is a little bit softer, a little bit flatter than Satin and is often associated with the finish on fine furniture.

Satin sheen tends to be a bit more reflective than matte, but adds more depth to the color.

Be Prepared

  • Be sure to purchase a sample door from your Showplace dealer so you can take it home and place it in your space to see how it looks in the lighting you have now.
  • If you plan to include different lighting in your space than you have now, go to different rooms in your home that may have similar lighting to view the sample.
  • Remember that colors on a screen will most likely not match the appearance of the same color in person, so consider this when viewing colors online.

Effects of Humidity on Cabinets

Hardwood cabinet components like face frames, doors, and headers are made of a natural material — wood — which has great character and personality. But natural wood also has some inherent limitations that should be understood. This is true of all wood in the home: furniture, millwork and cabinetry.

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Unlike synthetic material, natural wood is not dimensionally stable, meaning it will expand and contract under certain conditions. Complicating matters further, wood does not expand and contract in a uniform way. It does so more across the grain than along the grain.  It can even warp in extreme cases.

Things to Remember

Door Construction

Most cabinet doors are made of five parts: Four pieces that make up the outer frame, and the inner center panel. The notch that the center panel fits into is a bit oversized, to allow some expansion and contraction of the large center panel. This helps prevent warping, but can still open visible joint lines.

Material Matters

Paint grade doors use HDM for the center panel which minimizes expansion and contraction, but joint lines may still appear because paint grade doors have natural wood frames that will expand and contract more than the HDM center panel.

The Best Option

The Showplace HDM door styles are our most dimensionally stable. They are the best choice for painted cabinetry in coastal regions, or other areas of high humidity.

By its nature, wood is “hygroscopic,” meaning it naturally absorbs and releases moisture in its environment. These changes in moisture content may result in dimensional changes that can happen gradually over time, or happen suddenly with seasonal changes or changes in humidity within the home. When these natural dimensional changes occur, joinery lines can appear that were not visible before. For instance: As wood swells and contracts due to seasonal humidity changes, a joint where a stile and rail meet can open up slightly, showing a line that was not previously visible. When exposed to drier air, door center panels will contract, exposing a visible line next to the stile until moisture is restored. These are inherent characteristics of wood, are not considered flaws, and are not covered under the Showplace warranty.

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  • The most important thing you can do is stabilize the humidity in the home. Heating systems dry out the air in the winter, causing wood to contract. Taking steps to maintain proper relative humidity year-round will keep your cabinetry more stable. We recommend 30% to 55% relative humidity.
  • Air conditioning helps, as it removes some humidity from the air. But additional steps, like a dehumidifier, may still be needed in some locations and climates.
  • Seasonal homes, especially those near water, should be heated and air conditioned, even when not in use. Maintain a reasonable interior temperature of 40 to 90 degrees F.
  • If you want painted cabinetry and possible joint lines are a major issue to you, choose one of the Showplace MDF door styles.
  • Consider one of our slab door styles with solid MDF cores and a veneered surface. They show no joints and are very stable.
  • Our best recommendation is to accept wood for what it is, and look on dimensional changes as another aspect of the unique personality of a lovely, variable natural material.