MJB Wood Group finalized its acquisition of Adornus Cabinetry on July 16, a strategic move that strengthens MJB’s RTA cabinetry portfolio, positions it for significant growth in the residential and commercial cabinetry markets, and accelerates its speed to market.

Adornus, a Miami-based specialist in frameless cabinetry, will operate as an independent subsidiary of MJB Wood Group, a Coors Family company. MJB, headquartered in Bristol, Indiana, was ranked #26 on the FDMC  300 list of the largest woodworking manufacturers before the acquisition. MJB provides wood products and supply chain solutions for the cabinet, RV, furniture, and millwork industries.

Why Adornus?
A customer of MJB’s components prior to the acquisition, Adornus was a natural fit and complemented the company’s supply chain and manufacturing expertise, as well as its mission to empower businesses with tailored wood product solutions, said William Corbo, president of MJB Imports. “This acquisition accelerates our speed to market and just-in-time delivery by leveraging the extensive U.S. footprints and vast supplier networks of both MJB and Adornus, delivering superior cabinetry and new opportunities for our customers.” 

Steve Rask, CEO of AC Summit, a holding company affiliated with Coors Family interests, also noted MJB’s robust capabilities and supply chain, enhanced by recent investments that include the opening of its 500,000-square-foot flagship facility in Bristol, Indiana, the 200,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility in Anniston, Alabama, and its further expansion into Mexico, as being “very complementary to the Adornus expertise and market access to ready-to-assemble cabinets.”

Overall, MJB Wood Group has more than 1.8 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space spread across a dozen U.S. and Mexican facilities. 

The acquisition also gives Adornus’ North American customers easy access to USMCA products as well as MJB’s large global network of sources.

Adornus Cabinetry, which also sources globally, has three domestic locations, including a 349,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lancaster, South Carolina, plus a vast network of dealers.

“Adornus was a key piece for [our] longer-term strategy to support North American economic activity around wood products, specifically RTA cabinets, and just ultimately better serve the customers that want shorter lead times, access to volume, high-quality products — that’s what MJB and Adornus [combined] bring to the market,” Rask said.

Adornus Cabinetry was founded in 2007 by Jorge Mejias and Bill Li. “From the very beginning, we identified frameless cabinetry as a product that has an opportunity for growth in the market,” said Mejias, president. “We think frameless is kind of a unique product that has advantages over face-frame in terms of the inner space, look, and aesthetics of the cabinetry.” Adornus offers the Essential, Designer, and Alusso Series of frameless cabinetry.  

“Partnering with MJB Wood Group is an exciting step forward for Adornus, allowing us to expand our reach while continuing to deliver the craftsmanship and design our customers love,” he added.

Looking ahead
“The intent is to let Adornus do what they do very well, and operate as an independent company,” Rask said. “But for the customer and our suppliers, [the intent] is to use the broader organization, to have a larger supply chain, a shorter lead time, more warehouses, more distribution, and more resources. The market knows Adornus for being a top-tier provider of RTA, so we want that to continue. It’s really bringing in the larger MJB (U.S. and Mexican facilities) behind Adornus to support them. It really gives us the best, most balanced offering to the customer.”

He added, “We’ll look to spread that manufacturing capacity across MJB, with Adornus’s expertise. So again, quick turn, shorter lead times, lower transport costs.”

That MJB also provides components and panels to other cabinetry firms is not an issue, stressed Kurt Koehler, VP - Commercial Technology & Marketing. He said, “It enhances our offerings to our customers, it doesn’t conflict with them.”

He added, “With the technology and design that they bring, we’re also working on increasing speed to market with our warehouse capabilities, so we can get closer and closer to just in time.”

Corbo agreed. “One of the things that MJB brings to Adornus, and the whole team, is that we’re a major supplier of cabinet units to the whole industry. Even to suppliers of Adornus, we’re supplying the raw materials. We’re taking this basically from the mills all the way through to the finished product now, so we have full control and vision of what we’re using to make Adornus’ product that quality product that they put out, and have control of the whole supply chain.”

“We’re very excited to be adding the Adornus team,” said Rask. He added, “Now the hard work begins, to bring this expanded offering to all of MJB’s customers, all of Adornus’ customers. But there are also great expectations to get going. It takes some time after an acquisition to expand, so we’ll do it thoughtfully, but with urgency.”