Page 15 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2021

in the future is directly tied to how well he passes along his knowledge to his children.
When it comes to leadership, Grindstaff recalls the hardest, most terrifying time in his successful career was during the economic downturn in 2008. The company went from 13 employees
to three in a span of just six months. Being a leader during this time was a real challenge, even when BTJ was able to start hiring again, because the future was so uncertain. On a different note, since COVID-19, BTJ has seen a 40% growth
in its business. Pre-COVID, the company was carrying 1,500 or so pieces on the books. Now, its inventory of doors is close to 3,000, and even hit an all-time high
of 4,000 doors in September 2020. Like many in the NCFA membership, BTJ finds that workforce is and always has been challenging. Grindstaff remarked that for every five employees you hire, only one or two will commit to the company.
Quality Products
When Curtis Grindstaff and his wife first started the business 23 years ago, they were getting orders from cabinet shops, hand-picking the lumber, machining
the wood, sanding, and delivering each cabinet door they manufactured. They take great pride in what they created, as well
as the fact that they are family owned and can pass this well-oiled machine down to their children.
BTJ uses 4,000-5,000 board feet per week, and can create cabinet doors from any type of wood you can imagine. The most popular types include: red oak, maple, pine, cherry, oak, and walnut. BTJ recently signed a lease on 31,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and will be moving mid-summer into this new facility
Grindstaff described his father as a bit of a perfectionist, not ever wanting to give his customers less than they deserved. That is where Grindstaff got his strong work ethic and solid family values. His father did whatever it took to support his family, and Grindstaff plans to do the same.
When asked to look back over his career and wonder whether he would do anything differently, Grindstaff said he is happy with the way things have turned out and would not have changed anything along the way. He worked long hours, but was fortunate that he could always come to kids’ ball games and school activities. Grindstaff is proud of the fact that he was able to keep his family and faith a priority while building a generational business.
“Over the course of our 23+ years of crafting cabinet doors, we’ve discovered that the only way we can help our customers progress is to keep moving forward ourselves. That’s why we continually invest in cutting-edge equipment and tooling, commit to best-in-industry turnaround times,
and are unwavering in our dedication to the quality of our doors... And
we still subscribe to the ideals that made us successful over 20 years ago: pristine craftsmanship and impeccable customer service. That’s the family recipe; it always has been.”
For more information on BTJ Cabinet Door Company, check out the company’s website: www.btjdoors.com.
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