New options that were introduced for such uses included a white porcelain glaze and a chocolate glaze that was intentionally "distressed" to mimic antique furniture. A major innovation from the firm was a line of cabinets called Passport. Designed for older customers as well as those who were handicapped, it featured higher floor heights and other features that made the cabinets easier for people with mobility problems to use. Passport, which was the first cabinet line certified by an independent testing facility to meet Universal Design standards, was named the year's best product by Today's Homeowner magazine in , while the American Society on Aging gave it an award for Outstanding Design for Mature Consumers.
All of the company's products were given " Best Buy " status by Consumers Digest during the year as well. Sales of cabinets, along with faucets and plumbing supplies, also made Masco the largest supplier of manufactured goods to Home Depot, the leading retail chain catering to the do-it-yourself home improvement market. That year also saw the firm extend its product warranty from moving parts alone to covering the entire cabinet for as long as it was owned by the original purchaser.
Over the next several years, the company continued to expand its cabinet options, and by it offered more than cabinet door styles in seven woods and a number of different laminates. There were more than different storage options to choose from along with many molding styles and other decorative enhancements, as well as 21 finishes. Sixty percent of sales were made through home centers such as Home Depot and Lowe's, while 35 percent came from dealers or designers, with the rest of sales made via independent distributors or directly to consumers.
While many businesses saw earnings drop as the U. In the fall of , the company hired new workers, then added more early the following year. A new cabinetmaking line, the firm's 15th, was also added. The company's sales had reportedly doubled in the previous five years. Its just-in-time manufacturing was so finely tuned that KraftMaid closed the last of eight warehouses it had been using to store raw materials in December The firm had launched its official Web site in the mids, and it now created a second one called Superkitchens.
The new site offered a wide range of remodeling ideas for kitchens and covered all product categories, not just cabinetry. While KraftMaid built and paid for the site, its partners provided links and content. Corporate affiliations were downplayed, and only products made by KraftMaid and its partners were featured. In early , KraftMaid assigned its advertising account to a new agency, W. Doner of Detroit.
A new campaign launched in the spring included advertising in both the print media and on television. The company continued to expand its offerings during the year, adding more than new products including 5 glaze finishes, 9 door designs, and 20 new storage concepts.
In The News. PR Newswire. Andrew N. Sarah Reep. Don Burgess. Roy Szymkowicz. Kim Boos. Board of Directors. Marcia Harris. Trending People. Federal Communications Commission. Maruti Suzuki India Limited. KraftMaid offers a limited lifetime warranty. This states that the cabinetry will be free of material or workmanship defects as long it is owned by the original buyer. KraftMaid may elect to repair or replace products by this warranty.
The warranty does not cover wood's aging or natural variation or growth characteristics. Replacement parts are subject to availability.
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