At Work With: Terra Cabinets
Name: Terra Cabinets
Type of business: Manufactures environmentally responsible custom cabinets and closet components.
Address: Office: P.O. Box 4558, Warren; factory in Union
Telephone: (908) 822-2801
Website: www.terracabinets.com
Number of employees: 8
Founded: 2006
Top officers: Amy Canary and John Canary, directors of operations; Stephen Richards, director of business development
How would you describe you business?
"Terra Cabinets was started out of a desire to manufacture products [that are] environmentally and socially responsible," said Amy Canary, co-owner.
"We meet the environmental standards set by the United States Green Building Council. Unlike ordinary cabinets and closets, our products don't contain toxic compounds (such as formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds found in non-green cabinets) that have been proven to cause cancer, allergies, and asthma.
"We use wood from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as being well-managed.
"In keeping with our social responsibilities we employ a culturally diverse workforce that enjoys a living wage. We donate money to inner city educational organizations and our products to non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity.
"With our ultra-high efficiency factory located in Union, we also minimize waste reducing environmental pollution."
What makes your business special?
"Our customers receive an outstanding value for high quality cabinetry and closets free of toxic substances. We also support worthy social causes. We recently designed, manufactured and installed closet components in 24 closets (six in each of the four homes) being built by Habitat for Humanity on Mine Brook Road in Bernardsville. In another donation, we contributed all the closet components and some cabinets for the environmentally green house built in Paterson by the chemical company BASF. The house was donated to a family with a quadrapelegic child.
"Terra Cabinets is special because it wholeheartedly supports the green building philosophy of the ˜triple bottom line'--aligning social, environmental and economic interests."
What goals do you have for your business?
"Our goal is to adhere to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system created by the United States Green Building Council. The USGBC is a group working to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated to include environmentally responsible choices and energy efficiency. Since our focus is on wood products, our goal is to use only wood certified according to guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), using wood harvested from a forest maintained in a responsible way [that is] formaldehyde free. Another goal is to look at other materials as they become available and determine if they are acceptable for use in our products...We can't put something in our cabinets if it isn't a durable even if it's made from something that is rapidly renewable material. So our goal is to find materials that we can use that are durable and can be obtained locally. That is challenging."
How has your business changed?
"The only change we've encountered is this challenge: to find materials that we can use. There have been many products we are learning about, like bamboo and agricultural by-products."
What was your most important deal?
"Starting this business. I have a Master's in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, and I am a pediatric nurse practitioner. My brother, John Canary, has a college degree in industrial arts education and has been a cabinet maker for 30 years. My husband has an MBA from Wharton, so he has been in the business world. The three of us got together to start Terra Cabinets. I have a love of homes and the environment, my brother is a master cabinet building, and my husband has marketing and business development strengths."
What changes do you expect in your business in the next 10 years?
"In the next 10 years, we expect our business to develop and grow as public awareness increases about sustainable products and building."
What is the most important thing you've learned in your business?
"It's all about how you take care of your customer, listening to them and meeting their needs. It's also about meeting the requirements of the green building principles."
What advice would give for someone considering your line of work?
"You have to have a passion and interest in the environment as well as the skills of a cabinet maker."
Is there anything else you would rather be doing?
"I'm happy doing what I do right now. My only wish is to build my own green home. I would like to take this passion and make a change for our own family." 