Overview
Assembly line — high-volume casework. Once the CNC department has cut, edge-banded and kitted the parts (each unit tagged and carted by drawing number), the kit flows onto our assembly line. Case clamps, dowel inserters, pneumatic drivers and a roller conveyor keep the line moving; a trained crew can assemble, hardware-fit and wrap up to ~200 cabinets per day for multi-residential, education, healthcare and QSR roll-outs where the same detail repeats hundreds of times.
Custom department — where the magic happens. Complex geometry, curved carcasses, book-matched veneer lay-ups, solid-wood banquettes, sculptural reception desks, monumental library walls, feature panelling. Our senior craftspeople work at dedicated benches with vacuum presses, band-saws, veneer stitchers, radius formers and hand-shaping stations. This is the department that turns an architect's rendering into a fabricated piece nobody else in the trade will quote.
Same shop, same PM, same delivery. A single project can flow through both departments — hundreds of repeat vanities down the line, and the lobby reception desk built one-off in custom — and still ship on one truck with one drawing package.
Best for
- Multi-residential, hotel and education projects with high repeat cabinet counts
- Sculptural reception desks, curved feature walls, monumental library millwork
- Solid-wood banquettes, integrated feature seating, radiused veneer
- Any millwork the market considers 'too complex to quote'
Standards we build to
Every service line is engineered against the same commercial code and standards framework — the two lists below are what we routinely reference on Canadian and US projects.
Canadian standards
- AWMAC North American Architectural Woodwork Standards (NAAWS 4.0) — Economy, Custom, or Premium grade
- AWMAC Guarantee & Inspection Service (GIS) — third-party inspected on request
- CAN/ULC-S102 & S102.2 — surface burning characteristics (Class A available)
- National Building Code of Canada (NBC) & Ontario Building Code (OBC) millwork provisions
- CSA B651 & AODA — accessibility for public and workplace millwork
- CAN/CSA O121, O151, O153 — Canadian plywood standards
US standards
- AWI Architectural Woodwork Standards (equivalent grading to NAAWS 4.0)
- ANSI/BHMA A156 series — commercial cabinet hardware grades 1/2/3
- ASTM E84 — surface burning (Class A/B/C flame-spread and smoke-developed)
- CARB Phase 2 & US EPA TSCA Title VI — formaldehyde-compliant panels (NAF/NAUF available)
- ANSI A208.1 (particleboard) & ANSI A208.2 (MDF) — panel performance grades
- HPVA HP-1 — hardwood & decorative plywood
- ADA 2010 Standards for Accessible Design
- International Building Code (IBC) millwork & interior finish provisions
Materials & finishes
Materials
- Kitted CNC-machined casework (line)
- Solid hardwoods and rift/QC veneer (custom)
- Bent laminations and vacuum-pressed radius panels
- Integrated metal, stone and glass sub-components
Finish systems
- Any finish system — line pieces routed to the flatline booth, custom pieces to manual downdraft booths
Hardware
What we specify
- Blum, Hafele, Salice, Grass — line and custom
- Custom-machined brackets and connectors for one-off pieces
Process — award to install
01 · Estimating
Take-off from your drawings, specs and finish schedule. Line-item quote returned within one business day for most packages.
02 · Engineering & Shop Drawings
In-house team produces AWI/AWMAC-compliant shop drawings in AutoCAD, coordinated with Microvellum for direct-to-machine output.
03 · Submittals & Samples
Finish samples, hardware cut-sheets and drawing set submitted for architect/GC approval prior to release to production.
04 · CNC Fabrication
Panels nested and machined on multi-axis CNC. Solid-wood machining, edge-banding and dowel/confirmat assembly in dedicated cells.
05 · Finishing
Controlled-environment spray booths for stain, lacquer, conversion varnish, catalyzed polyurethane and low-VOC waterborne systems.
06 · QC & Pre-Ship
100 % dimensional and finish inspection against the approved shop drawings. Pre-assembled where practical for site-fit certainty.
07 · Delivery & Install Coordination
Blanket-wrapped, phased delivery coordinated with your site schedule. Installation supervision available Canada-wide.
What you receive
- ✓Fixed-price line-item proposal with alternates
- ✓AWMAC/AWI-compliant shop drawings (PDF + DWG)
- ✓Physical finish samples & hardware cut-sheets
- ✓Material substitution and value-engineering log
- ✓Submittal package for LEED / WELL documentation
- ✓O&M manual and care/warranty documentation at closeout
Lead time
| Budget quote | 1 business day |
| Firm quote (with drawings) | 3–5 business days |
| Shop drawings | 2–3 weeks post-award |
| Production | 6–10 weeks after approvals |
| Delivery window | Phased to site schedule |
Quality & QA
Our commitments
- AWMAC GIS third-party inspection available on request
- ISO 9001-aligned quality management
- Dimensional tolerances per NAAWS 4.0 grade (Custom or Premium)
- Finish sheen, colour and film-build verified against approved sample
Sustainability & certifications
Certifications & credits
- CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI compliant panels standard; NAF/NAUF available on request
- FSC® Chain-of-Custody material available (CoC certificate on request)
- Low-VOC waterborne and GREENGUARD Gold finish systems available
- Supports LEED v4/v4.1 credits: MR (Sourcing of Raw Materials, EPDs, HPDs) and EQ (Low-Emitting Materials)
- Aligns with WELL Building Standard v2 X07 Materials Restrictions
Gallery
FAQs
How many cabinets can the assembly line produce per day?+
Peak throughput is around 200 assembled, hardware-fitted and wrapped cabinet units per day for straightforward repeat casework (e.g. multi-residential kitchens, education classroom storage, hotel vanities). Actual rate depends on unit complexity and hardware content.
How do you decide what goes on the line vs. into custom?+
Rule of thumb — if the unit repeats more than a handful of times and every part is CNC-nestable and edge-bandable, it runs on the line. If it involves curves, book-matched veneer, solid-wood joinery, integrated metal/stone, or a one-off feature detail, it goes to the custom department.
Can one project use both departments?+
Yes, and most mid- to large-size projects do. A hotel package might run 300 identical guestroom vanities down the assembly line while the lobby reception desk, bar front and feature wall are built in the custom shop — everything ships coordinated on one release.
What's the most complex piece you'd take on?+
We've built curved book-matched walnut reception desks with integrated stone tops, monumental radius-wrapped library walls, solid-wood tufted banquettes and sculptural feature walls with mixed wood/metal/glass. If you have a rendering, we'll quote it.
Who works in the custom department?+
Our most experienced cabinetmakers and finish carpenters — the people with 15+ years of hands-on millwork experience. They work at dedicated benches with vacuum presses, radius formers, veneer stitchers, hand-shaping stations and every specialty hand tool the job needs.
Is the assembly-line quality lower than custom?+
No — the line assembles the same AWMAC/AWI-grade cabinet body as custom, just faster because the details repeat and the parts are kitted. Quality is inspected the same way at the same third-party GIS standard.
Can you handle a project that's entirely custom, no line work?+
Yes. Boutique hospitality, feature retail, executive corporate and museum work often skip the line entirely and route straight to the custom department.
Next step
Have drawings for a custom & assembly department package?
Send us the set and finish schedule — we'll return a line-item quote within one business day.
