After 50 years of dealing solely with builders, remodelers
and management companies, Lakeville Industries Inc. forged into new territory last month with the opening of Compliments, a 3,500 square foot showroom that aims at supplying the public all that is needed to complete a new or newly renovated kitchen.
"After we sell the kitchen we want to tie in as many additional products as possible," said Richard Sirlin, president of the half century old Lindenhurst-based kitchen cabinet supplier. While providing kitchen cabinets to the wholesale market will remain the company's core business, Compliments is expected to play a "significant part" in the overall picture, according to Sirlin.
Among the wide array of products offered at the new showroom are sinks and faucets, decorative hardware, furniture and entertainment centers, built-in appliances, vanities and accessories. Manufacturers represented include Sub Zero, Bosch, Best, Brian, Frank, Rev-A-Shelf, Thermador, Russel, Crystal, Moen, Nicholas & Stone and HomeCrest.
Opening Compliments is far from the first substantial change in Lakeville's History. The company, which was founded in 1935 by Sirlin's three great uncles as a kitchen cabinet manufacturing company, today just fabricates counters and vanities. Instead they are exclusive suppliers of cabinet lines from domestic manufacturers including HomeCrest Corporation, Crystal Cabinet Works and Medallion.
"We became wholesale suppliers approximately 20 years ago," Sirlin said. The decision to move away from making the cabinets was related mainly to cost of labor.
It was while the company was still in the manufacturing business, however, that it moved its headquarters from its origins in Great Neck (New York) to its current location at 100 South Smith Street in Lindenhurst (Long Island, New York). Despite difficulties related to doing business on Long Island, Lakeville intends to stay out. "This is home. We're not going anywhere," said Sirlin who declined the chance to predict future business in the area.
"Long Island is still a hardship area. This is a tough area with very difficult problems that have been here for generations," he said.
At Lakeville, overcoming the geographic complications is done through excellent service, the one aspect of the business that has not changed over the years. It's the outstanding way the company treats its customers that makes Lakeville stand out and be competitive in its market that covers Long Island, the five boroughs (of New York City) and Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counties (as well as New Jersey, Connecticut and New York State). "I think we understand what is important when it comes to selling kitchen cabinets," Sirlin said, noting that homeowner comfort is key.
"We're disrupting a household. Renovating a kitchen is very disruptive. Every problem large or small is significant. We are very reactionary to those situations," he said. "We want to be able to satisfy customers. We just look to cure problems we don't look to argue," he said, noting that finding who is at fault is insignificant. "I think that is what keeps us successful."
Doing business with Lakeville means being involved with the company from the beginning to end. "We basically handle the entire kitchen process," he said. And for a customer, seeing the outcome of a kitchen or bath project is done easily since one of the company's approximately 50 employees spends all of his time at a computer creating designs and drawings of the project. "We really give very complete and when necessary color-photo realistic images," Sirlin said, noting that the company has been using the CAD system for a decade. "It's just the right sales tool," he said.
Carrying a variety of product also helps. Lakeville is the exclusive supplier of three domestic lines, HomeCrest, Medallion and Crystal. "All three are significant domestic manufacturers," Sirlin said.
The company stocks 13 different styles of HomeCrest kitchen and bath cabinets for fast delivery and has available countless other HomeCrest designs as well as their two other lines. "There's a lot to choose from," Sirlin said.
Also available are Lakeville's own manufactured line of custom-laminate countertops and vanities, bathroom vanities, custom mica tops, Corian countertops and cultured marble. Customers can select their kitchen components at a newly redone designer showroom since Lakeville not only built Compliments to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary but also renovated its kitchen cabinet showroom. Kitchen and bath furnishings in every styles including traditional, modern and contemporary are on view. Lakeville added Medallion, their semi-custom line a couple of month ago.
Product available through the company represent the gamut with all tastes and pocketbooks included. "We do a lot of everything. We cover low end to high end," Sirlin said.
Marketing its products is done in a variety of ways with word of mouth being the most effective tool. "It's always been the best and most productive way," Sirlin said.
Although he declined to disclose any numbers, Sirlin said he expected 1996 to be in line with 1995. According to him, the second, third and fourth quarter of 1996 are stronger than the prior year. However, the first quarter will balance the numbers since it was filled with record breaking snow that slowed business substantially. "The bad weather was just devastating." Sirlin said.
About Lakeville 
Case Studies 