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Magnolia Cabinetry is an 8(a) Women-Owned certified company with a base of operations in Sterling, Virginia. A factory-direct importer and logistics supply company, they provide large inventories of cabinets and all accessories needed to provide their trademarked “Unit in a Box®” packages for developers, owners, property managers and general contractors.
Yet, they are so much more. Under the dedicated leadership of its Founder and Owner, Yan Huang, Magnolia Cabinetry has grown to be an immensely innovative enterprise that is redefining the multifamily renovation and new construction process, adding extraordinary value while building its clients’ portfolios.
An Entrepreneur Finds Her Passion
Like many people, Yan’s journey took a few detours on the way to finding her passion. She had worked in the I.T. industry after college, which was a safe and stable choice, but left her unsatisfied.
It took a while for her to connect the dots, but Yan eventually settled in at a job working the front desk at the Park Hyatt Residence, a high-end boutique-style residence. While there, she discovered her passion is providing people-centric solutions. She remarks, “I realized I truly enjoyed and found fulfillment talking to people, listening to their needs and concerns, and helping them to solve their problems.”
In 2005, one of the construction managers asked her to help them source materials from China. She jumped in, took on the responsibility, and therein began the story of Magnolia Cabinetry.
The Intelligent Choice
Trinity Liu, Marketing and Media Specialist, describes how the company sets itself apart from the competition with its huge inventory and above-and-beyond level of customer service.
“We have multiple warehouses,” Trinity says, “which makes us a very solid partner to developers of multifamily residential apartments. We stock numerous classic styles of kitchen and bath cabinets and we’re able to offer full lines of complementary hardware. Our team delivers in an exceptionally short timeframe—from 72 hours to seven days maximum—on most custom orders. I am so proud of our products; not only are they beautiful, but our pricing is among the most competitive in the marketplace. I think, though, what makes us really different and what gets our customers talking about us is the personal customer service we provide. For every client, our staff provides them with cost-effective solutions, design ideas, materials, colors, and solutions for complicated logistics.”
With their complex mission of “building mutually beneficial relationships with clients by surpassing expectations in quality, price, delivery and service excellence in the industry,” Magnolia Cabinetry is making great strides in transforming the model by which industry professionals design spaces. Yan has been able to source top-of-the-line products domestically and from countries worldwide.
Yan recalls a time in 2014 when one of the directors of construction from a national property owners group came to her with a challenge: They recently rebranded their portfolio of apartments having hired an interior designer, chosen packages, etc., but less than six months in, the finished packages were discontinued and delayed by the manufacturers. This meant they were not able to complete apartment renovations (turn in the unit) on time because of missing parts.
Yan says, “We asked ourselves, ‘How can we resolve these challenges and provide them with the products they need?’ It took us less than six months to value engineer their selections. Although the group was initially skeptical that we could provide the quality they needed, they set up a blind test in their corporate office, where we tested 21 products (from lighting, locks, faucets, bath hardware, LED bulbs, etc.) side by side with brand name products.”
The overwhelming result? They picked Magnolia Cabinetry, “The Intelligent Choice,” citing brand excellence over their competitors.
Yan adds, “We are not just another cabinet company; we offer unique solutions to meet all of our customers’ visions to build their portfolios beyond their expectations.”
‘Unit in A Box’ Packages
After many years of listening to their clients’ challenges related to cost and time delays, the Magnolia Cabinetry team sat down and analyzed the history of the clients’ issues. Then, the team assessed what they could do to reduce the day-to-day headaches of managing large projects, including the logistical challenges related to supply and labor. That’s when the “Unit in a Box” was born.
This innovative process provides a comprehensive package of all the materials needed for both renovations or new units all in one complete delivery, eliminating multiple contractors, suppliers, and most of all, creating a much less expensive way for their clients to complete their projects in a much more efficient manner.
Magnolia Cabinetry has implemented this process with numerous clients with great success. Yan concludes, "We are committed to expanding our clients' bottom line, maintaining lower renovation and labor costs, providing greatly reduced construction schedules, and optimizing our clients' portfolios."