The story of how Aristocraft became a leader in the cabinet industry isn’t without twist and turns along the way. We’ll take a look at a little look at the history and then jump into a review of Aristocraft’s current product line of cabinetry.
If there ever was a leading brand name in the big players for kitchen cabinetry, MasterBrand has enough domination to smoke out the best of them — well, it’s not by mistake since their parent company — American Brands was formerly known as American Tobacco and had been around since 1856. But times change and so did the grip of the tobacco industry when American Tobacco was forced to break up its monopoly in 1911.
MasterBrand was actually the combined consolidation of two companies “Artistocraft” and “Decora” which formed into MasterBrand Industries.
As of today, MasterBrand is the largest cabinet-making company in the USA, topping more than 1 billion dollars each year.
Aristokraft History and Acquisitions
The origins of Aristocraft date all the way back to 1954 and was founded by Stanley G. Kempp who opened a small 50 x 100 cabinetry shop under the name “United Cabinet Corporation”. This little company grew in popularity from its’ original location in Celestine, Indiana to a new location in Jasper, Indiana in 1963. They were the first company in the USA to feature an industrial ultraviolet curing assembly line.
The interest in United Cabinet became so influential that it garnered attention from Beatrice Foods who later purchased their company in 1964. By 1974, United Cabinets created a separate company division called Decora and offered semi-custom cabinetry to upscale homeowners. By 1983, United Cabinet Corporation changed its name to Aristocraft Inc. The changing of company hands did not stop there…
In a strange twist, the parent company American Brands merged Decora and Aristocraft together into MasterBrand Industries around 1988 after American Brands purchased Beatrice Foods in a sweeping 15-company buyout. You probably know that MasterBrand also sells one of the biggest product names in locks called Master Lock. But it wasn’t until a full decade later in 1998 that MasterBrand Cabinets became the name that we all know.
Ironically, it was a brilliant shell game purchase deal that convinced a subsidiary company owned by Electrolux A.B. to sell a failing cabinetry company called Schrock Kemper. This cabinetry business was being sold under the Diamond brand name that was being sold in big box centers and kitchen and bath design centers. In a single stroke, Masterbrand Industries bought Schrock Kemper for a measly $107.5 million based on Schrock’s low sales performance.
In turn- MasterBrand was able to earn $400 million in immediate sales in 1998 after this purchase of Schrock Kemper. The next year proved their production was enough to open a second Schrock Kemper factory in Auburn, Alabama. They also opened a MasterBrand factory in Kingston North Carolina where semi-custom furniture was all sold under the new name MasterBrand Cabinets.
MasterBrand and Aristocraft went on further purchase many smaller (but influential) cabinetry companies after this. Currently, they are responsible for more than $2.4 billion in annual cabinetry sales each year.
Aristokraft Cabinets
Not unlike many other cabinet manufacturers in the cabinet industry, Aristokraft stuck to a simple formula to get the best results for low-cost cabinets. They use a conventional method of working with plywood rather than MDF for their building materials. Many of which are covered with wood veneer or thermofoil. Plywood happens to be layered wooden layers that are bonded together rather than bonded wood scrap, making their cabinets better in quality.
For select cabinet lines, they use high-quality veneers including cherry, oak, and maple to get a luxurious effect. They do sell cheaper versions that are built with MDF which are usually on the lower end of quality but do just fine for light kitchen cabinet usage. It’s better to go with all-plywood construction if you’re looking for long-term cabinets from Aristokraft. We’ve deemed Aristokraft as one of our favorite manufactures in the game — their name and construction methods are perfect if you’re working on a tight budget.
Design Options
There are numerous style options that Aristokraft offers that range from all of the popular designs including traditional through modern. Because these cabinets are semi-custom units, they benefit all kitchens from small to large, depending on what you’re looking to create. Because they have optimized their ordering process, it makes it very simple to customize all of the options that homeowners are looking for when budget-friendly cabinets are considered.
They also make cabinets that have a full range of colors and finishes that mimic natural wood finishes unless you upgrade to real wood veneers. The real bonus to their selection is the range of door panels that include raised and recessed panels. They even have a fine selection of glass panels for those who like to add elegant looks that traditional and classic kitchens often have. But the real star of their selection is the choices for hardware and accessories.
Topping off their array of options, Aristokraft has a great selection of handles, knobs, and pulls that complete a customized cabinet look. They have further been praised for their lazy Suzan corner drawers and pull-out shelves. If you’re a big fan of cabinet organizers, they further have outstanding additions that keep everything where it should be easy to find.
Why Chose Aristokraft Cabinets?
Among the benefits that you’ll immediately find with Aristokraft cabinets is how affordable these cabinets are. Their quality is admirable for the cost-efficient way that they’re manufactured, but don’t think that these are cheap cabinets in any sense of the word. They are manufactured using the most modern construction methods that are still made proudly in the USA. They’re also perfect for new families that have kids where cleaning is essential.
One of the added advantages of cabinets that have thermofoil is how Aristocraft has revolutionized the process. Each cabinet uses a wrap-around method that completely covers the surfaces instead of being just a single panel layer. This ensures that splitting or cracking is reduced more so than cheaper alternatives. Plus, thermofoil is very easy to clean and maintain for many years.
Another fine option is that all of the Aristokraft cabinets come with a lifetime limited warranty that does cover hardware and material failures. That’s more than enough reason to consider their line of cabinets for as long as you own your home.
With many people looking for affordable cabinets that have lots of style and variety, it’s hard to pass up their selection. We highly recommend their wood veneer line which offers real wood laminates that add class and charm to any kitchen. But if you’re looking for quality on a budget, this is one more option that we’ve added as part of our showroom line of top-of-the-line kitchen cabinets that have excellent customizing options.
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