Wood-Mode history

By 1945 Wood-Metal was producing enameled finishes for a contemporary cabinet-door style and had begun to offer special purpose items that included a telescoping towel rack, cutlery trays with linoleum bottoms, and a broom/linen-closet combination.

Holloway withdrew from participation in the firm in 1948, but Nellis, the company's president since its inception, moved to Kreamer to assume day-to-day leadership, while Gronlund and Wall also began to devote greater time to the fledgling company.

The first Wood-Metal knotty-pine cabinets were introduced in 1951 to accommodate the Early American home decor so popular at the time.

In 1952 the company began to use its own fleet of trucks to deliver to markets in the East, thereby greatly improving service to dealers and customers.

This proved less than ideal because at times the products were not properly handled, leading to damage and delays in installation. Its first advertisement in a national consumer magazine appeared in January 1954.

The number of sales representatives reached 21 by the end of 1955.

Nellis resigned as president in 1959 and was succeeded by Wall.

Gronlund succeeded Wall as president in 1963.

In 1970 the company logo was changed from "Wood-Mode Kitchens" to "Wood-Mode Cabinetry."

By the end of 1981 Wood-Mode had expanded its distribution into the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

In 1982, as Wood-Mode celebrated its 40th anniversary, the kitchen market exploded.

Brookhaven, a made-to-order, semi-custom cabinetry series introduced for the mid-range market in 1988, garnered $26 million in sales within three years.