September 10, 2010 – There is no doubt that the last few years have been difficult for just about everyone. The home improvement industry is no exception. Over the last few years multiple businesses and cabinet manufacturers have found it impossible to go on in the current economic environment and have closed their doors. Growing your business during this same time frame would seem to go against the grain, but that is exactly what Kepner Kitchens has done over the last few years.

“We have a unique story and we are a bit of a hybrid in the kitchen remodeling industry”, states Eric Kepner, manager of Kepner Kitchens.Kepner has showroom displays within the Capitaland Home Improvement Showroom in Clifton Park.The company began renting space from the Capitaland and is looking to increase its space within the showroom.

“We have been in the remodeling industry in the Capital District for the last 40 years.My father, Bob, started remodeling in 1968 and we have been in the business in one fashion or another since.Our company is continuing to grow its sales and its presence in the Capital District and surrounding areas.“We originally brought on 2 new cabinet lines in 2009.Those were Kountry Kraft and Legacy Crafted Cabinetry.  We are the exclusive dealers for those lines in the region.  We just recently brought on 2 more cabinets lines to round out our offerings.Those lines are All Wood Cabinetry and Apple Valley Woodworks.These two lines fill a void we had in particular price ranges for cabinets”, states Kepner.

Kepner Kitchens is the only kitchen company in the Capital District to offer these 4 lines of cabinets.“We take great pride in the cabinet lines we carry and in the fact that no other kitchen company in the area carries these cabinet lines.We took the time to go out and find cabinet lines in particular price ranges that offer the best quality and options for the price.We don’t want to carry the same, big name cabinet lines that just about every other kitchen dealer in the area carries.We don’t feel those large manufacturers can match the same level of customer service that the smaller companies we work with offer.We also don’t want to be just like every other kitchen company in the area”, Kepner says.

Kepner Kitchens is different than many kitchen dealers in the area and they also are not your average kitchen contracting company either.“We position ourselves in a space that few if any other kitchen dealers and/or contractors occupy.We are not your average kitchen dealer, designing and selling cabinets and referring customers to contractors for the installation.We are also not your average kitchen contractor, because we do carry our own lines of cabinets and do offer professional design services as well.We are a hybrid of both kitchen dealer and contractor.Many dealers tout full service for your kitchen, but few if any actually do the installation work “in-house”.Many sub-contract the work to other contractors.We do all the work ourselves, so we are able to save our customers money and provide greater value to our clients”, states Kepner.

The company is also taking an aggressive approach to marketing the company.They have been advertising on television, doing aggressive web marketing and Search Engine Optimization through Mannix Marketing, participating in local homeshows, and working their referral network regularly.“Our lead resources have been increasing and as a result, we are seeing increased sales.Additionally, with the full complement of cabinet offerings we now have, we will be even more competitive in the market”, says Kepner.

“We feel we have the right business model for today’s economic environment by keeping fixed overhead costs at a minimum, providing superior customer service, especially since our family name is on every project, and providing as much information to our clients that we can so they can recognize the outstanding value they receive when working with us”, says Eric Kepner. 

The father and son team continues to look optimistically at the future of business as long as the economy does not completely fall.They continue to look at networking opportunities to increase their brand and keep costs down.They provide a “down to earth” presence with their clients and attempt to deliver solutions that extend the greatest value possible to their clients. 

For more information on Kepner Kitchens visit www.Kepnerkitchens.com or call them at 518-944-1940 or by email at kitchensolutions@kepnerkitchens.com. 

Kepner Kitchens serves the greater capital district area and surrounding communities.