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Out of the ashes
A year ago, fire devastated Deslaurier's kitchen factory in Renfrew. Today the company is manufacturing eco-friendly cabinets. Laurysen is also hot on the trail of green technologies
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Counter intelligence
Pricey marble to enduring stainless steel, the options are extensive and can be blended into a single kitchen.
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After the fire: Deslaurier stronger than ever
On January 1, 2009, a devastating fire destroyed much of Deslaurier Custom Cabinets’ 95,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Renfrew.
Deslaurier co-owners Jim Deslaurier and Denis Staples wasted little time rebuilding their operations. At the time already in the process of upgrading the Renfrew facility, the company took the misfortune of the fire as an opportunity to completely rebuild and modernize.
Ensuring business continuity
To make sure customers’ kitchen and bath plans were not unduly delayed, Deslaurier outsourced all new and existing production orders while it recovered from the fire, retaining key employees to help with the rebuild.
In the summer of 2009, Deslaurier began production at its all-new 50,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art green manufacturing facility next door to the site of the old plant. Sophisticated and highly efficient, the new facility delivers huge environmental benefits in terms of energy and waste reduction.
The new plant is highly automated, boasting some of the most sophisticated equipment in the industry. Deslaurier’s new tightly integrated manufacturing system offers a number of advantages: improved accuracy, better yield, reduced waste, better quality finishes and improved construction quality.
Adopting a ‘green’ cabinet approach
The rebuild helped Deslaurier launch an eco-friendly approach to cabinet making, following environmentally friendly building practices and using water-based finishes that are better for the atmosphere and for the health and safety of employees and customers. Since the fire, Deslaurier has expanded its capacity to offer customers an even greater array of choices.
