Cripps and Sons is a family run business with roots from farming in Devon, England. The family immigrated in 2003 to Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia and the business was started in 2009.
During the early years, the direction of the business was led towards fine woodworking involving furniture building, stairs and custom cabinetry. Custom cabinetry became a bit of a forte and blew up from there.
- Growing up on a farm in England, Jim and Sam spent their childhood working hard, building things and coming up with crazy ideas together! Running the business together is an exciting challenge that they are proud to be able to share.
- Family has always been the basis of their business, and their hope is to keep it in the family with their children sharing in it in the future if they choose to.
- Passionate about quality, innovation and uniqueness. Cripps & Sons love to push boundaries and do things that others may balk at.
Red Seal
Jim took the opportunity to challenge his Red Seal Cabinetmaker exam, passing and becoming a valuable member in the production of the national Red Seal examination. For a short while, Sam left to become a sales rep for Richelieu Hardware specializing in board, doors and countertop. After that, both collaborated, purchasing the equipment needed to start their own cabinetmaking shop, Cripps & Sons Woodworking Inc. Sam has also challenged and passed his Red Seal exam, making Jim and Sam the youngest Red Seal Cabinetmakers in the province and perhaps the only Red Seal qualified brothers working together. Something they take great pride in.
Production and Expansion
The company has remained small, with 5 employees plus 2 installers.In 2022 they built their current shop that is 6400 sq ft. and will start construction on an addition that will focus on automation and will integrate a finishing line to help keep up with demand, as well as a small sanding robot to help remove some monotony from that task. The company is focused on improving efficiency. The expansion will provide more storage and future expansions will focus on automation including an automated production line.
Equipment
Technology is something Jim and Sam love. Some of their current machinery includes a 5×12 Selexx Chief CNC machine, the last orange one to be ordered in Canada deeming it a limited edition model; a Felder edgebander with the patented GluBox technology for PUR glues; a ProEdge Elev8 dowel inserter which is still currently the only one in the world.
100 Boxes a week
On average Cripps & Sons produces 100 custom cabinet boxes a week. Generally, especially lately, their projects have been full-house jobs, seldom just a kitchen. They are looking to increase their output with their expansion projects.
The company sells both to retail customers and direct to dealers. They have put a lot of effort into creating a unique and interesting showroom inspired by European and Scandinavian trends while showcasing some of the newest hardware available on the market. Their plan is expand their network of dealers in the near future and to offer a fully customizable cabinet solution to more clients with a focus on modern styles and trends with a lasting high quality product.
Clients
The company has a variety of clients from individual homeowners and local general contractors to commercial companies and the local high-end golf resort. They have built great ongoing relationships with many of their clients for several years, and are constantly building new working relationships with other companies on a regular basis and expanding their client base.
Outside scope? Bring it on!
Cripps & Sons take pride in all of their projects and every project has something unique about it. One notable project they are working on now has some steam bent white oak parts and custom reeded white oak panels. The company pushes themselves hard to be different. Their showroom has three kitchens based off the French or English kitchen, the Scandinavian flat slab style and then a more Italian industrial look.
They are always looking for ways to be trendy and stay on top of new hardware and accessories boasting multiple servo-drive units and an accessory packed showroom. They never shy away from projects that may seem crazy, they work harder to make sure the outcome of the project is bang on to what the designer or architect has drawn. Sometimes they get pulled into larger parts of projects outside the scope of cabinetry because they enjoy the challenge. They like to do fun and interesting projects and to keep the energy in their shop and workplace lighter and enthusiastic.
Assets
Cripps & Sons believe that one of their greatest assets is that they are young, innovative and always looking for ways to improve. They do their absolute best to provide designers and architects with finished product that matches their drawings and inspirations regardless of what’s needed, whether it be going above and beyond to source material or using a whole different fastening method to create the final product.
As Red Seal Cabinetmakers, the youngest in Nova Scotia, they like to look at the whole process of the project from start to finish. They work with contractors, plumbers and electricians to help bring the customer ultimate vision to life. They strive for top quality and currently use the PEANUT fastening system for all their cabinets which they believe provides a much faster construction method than the typical screws. Because of the ease of this system, they can provide cabinetry flat pack to some of their local contractors who have projects where the cabinets must be built on site.
The company is also a member of the Nova Scotia Interior Decorators Association which connects them to their community, but also helps them stay up to date with new trends or fashions that direct the styles and finishes of cabinets. This is also why they joined the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association in 2024. Being able to collaborate with likeminded shops nationwide means they can get as much information as possible to stay current in matters affecting people in the industry. They also want to help elevate the industry nationwide.
Competitive Advantage
Cripps & Sons has a loyal customer base and they believe this is because of the quality of their work and their knowledge. They enjoy a smooth process for all the leads and a great final product. Because they are in a rural location they try to offer as much as possible to make sure their customers aren’t having to travel hours in either direction to obtain other items. They provide the cabinetry, but also the lighting, high end appliances, countertops, sink, faucets and cabinet inserts. In their opinion designers enjoy being in their showroom where they can create a project from start to finish in one location and if there are any technical cabinetry construction questions, they can be easily answered. A number of their customers come through word of mouth or recommended by contractors and previous customers.
Challenges and Solutions
As with many cabinet shops, Cripps & Sons are in need of skilled labour. They have learned you can teach skills, but you can’t fix an attitude to want to learn. Also, being located in a rural area creates long travel times to jobsites. Because they are a custom shop they rarely use the same materials from one job to another, so their materials costs are high as are their shipping costs which drives up their project prices.
They find it can sometimes be overwhelming with the number of moving parts in a project, but it also allows the company to control all these moving parts so there is no surprises when they proceed to the final stages. Behind the company is a strong family that is supportive. Being Red Seal Cabinetmakers with 3 of their employees in the Red Seal apprenticeship program means they not only can create consistency they are creating a generation of skilled labour. Their passion for what they do has led them to approach Apprenticeship NS to help develop the cabinetmaker Red Seal apprenticeship program.
Future
This highly skilled shop has a bright future. While they produce European-style kitchens, they are excited by Scandinavian design and see this gaining in popularity. They are a highly skilled, custom shop, but they are also embracing technology and expect most shops will integrate robotic within the next 10 years. We’re so glad Cripps & Sons joined CKCA. We look forward to watching this company grow!
