MILLCREEK CABINETS
Custom Cabinetry
By Kyle Forbush | Photography by John Taylor
IN AN ERA OF MASS PRODUCTION AND FLAT-PACK FURNITURE, one family-run cabinetry shop continues to prove that quality craftsmanship and personal relationships never go out of style. For years, they’ve been designing and building custom cabinets that reflect not only their clients’ visions, but also the pride they take in carrying on family values and traditions.
Millcreek Cabinet & Design began in Craig Park’s garage in the early ‘80s. Park would design custom projects using only a pencil, paper and protractor. Due to word-of-mouth referrals, his fine craftsmanship and business savvy quickly outgrew the garage. He moved to his first commercial space in Salt Lake in 1988. One final move in 2003 brought Millcreek Cabinet & Design to their current location on an easily accessible, prime commercial strip of Main Street in South Salt Lake, where their custom cabinetry is locally designed and manufactured.
At this custom cabinetry mill, family is the bedrock from which business success grows. The surrounding communities benefit from not only the hard work and excellent product for homeowners, but also from the jobs they’ve created and their inspirational ethos of local craftsmanship and manufacturing.
All in the family
As Park’s family matured, four of his five sons and one daughter, Michelle, joined the company to create a storied tradition of fine cabinetry craftsmanship and superior customer service. In the mid ‘90s, Michelle married Jared Nelson who would become the company’s current president and co-owner. “I just loved woodworking growing up,” Jared recalls. “I was on a bandsaw when I was eight years old. I’ve asked my mom, “Why’d you let me do this? I could’ve cut my fingers off!’”
Despite Jared’s early success in building things for himself, like skateboard ramps, he made sure Braydon — his and Michelle’s son and the other current co-owner — started slower. “Braydon used to come in, rifle through the garbage can and pull out scraps to make swords,” he remembers fondly.
“I feel like this is all I’ve ever known,” Braydon says. “I started at the very bottom of the totem pole, sweeping the floors and sanding.” But starting from the very basics and learning the process from start to finish is what has given Braydon the competitive edge in managing the day-to-day operations and ensuring Millcreek Cabinet & Design’s projects are on time and held to the highest industry standards.
In between the leadership of Craig Park and the father/son Nelson team, another family member stepped up to guide the operations of the business and ensure the quality of the product and the process. Spencer Park, Craig’s oldest son, graduated from design school and worked alongside his father from the early ‘90s until 2007 when Craig retired. From then on, Spencer and some of his brothers directed the business.
Eventually, Spencer’s brothers moved on, and Jared moved into position as Spencer’s business partner and co-owner. Spencer recently retired and turned over his ownership to Braydon. Jared remembers Spencer for having “good vision,” or an eye for the product. He was also exceptional at building client relationships, with many clients still returning today. He also came up with several of the streamlined manufacturing processes that are still relied on.
American made, locally crafted
As homeowners and contractors walk through the door at the Main Street building, they are greeted by American-made excellence. The hardwood of the cabinets decorating the modest showroom is sourced entirely from the US and Canada, while the spinning racks of hardware come from partnerships with only the highest quality vendors. Whether you’re new to custom cabinetry or already working on your second or third project, Millcreek Cabinet & Design has the collective wisdom of years and the resources needed to realize your vision.
“Over time you just kind of see what works and what doesn’t,” Braydon says, “So you try to give people that knowledge as practically as you can so they can make the best decisions.”
Millcreek Cabinet & Design employs just over 20 people, the majority of them on the production floor, which itself isn’t much different from a long, well-lit, and well-equipped garage workshop. Pieces are cut, sawed, glued, sanded, and then sent to a different room for application of the pigmented varnish they use for stain.
Jared says they have carpentry veterans with 30-plus years on the floor, each with distinguishing talents in their own areas — impressive for an industry typically plagued by high employee turnover. They service mostly large, high-end homes on the East Bench, Park City and beyond, sometimes spending an entire week or more installing one project, so fluidity of work is key to their continued success.
Building a future
Braydon and Jared state that a large portion of their business is from clients both repeat and referred. They have worked diligently to uphold the values that have sustained the company for more than 40 years, which has translated into good business.
“It feels right,” Braydon says of the company’s current scope. “We’re not too big and we’re not too small.”
Jared is of the opinion that added production space would be welcome. While this vision of expansion may materialize eventually, there is another kind of growth the Nelsons have on their mind. Braydon has two sons and a third child on the way. The boys are still too young to even be sweeping the floors in the shop, but they do visit occasionally.
“They came in the other day,” Braydon says with a proud smile. “I cut out a bunch of wood blocks and they had the greatest time of their lives for at least two hours.” So it looks like the next generation of cabinet makers is becoming acquainted with the business already.
Whether it’s outfitting mansions in Park City or ranch houses in Taylorsville, Jared, Braydon and the rest of the team at Millcreek Cabinet & Design will undoubtedly continue to provide a fully customized, fully local experience to the builders and homeowners of Utah for many years to come.