Cabinet maker celebrates decades of craftsmanship
For the past 36 years, Coates Creek Cabinetry has been quietly producing custom cabinets and furniture from its shop on County Road 9 in New Lowell.
What began in a 20-by-40-foot space heated by a wood stove has grown into a 6,800-square-foot facility with advanced automation and a team of expert designers and Red Seal-certified cabinetmakers.
Jeremy Van Severn seemed destined for this work.
“Back in high school, I was always doing the biggest, most interesting projects in my shop classes,” he said. “I started an apprenticeship with a company in Barrie, and within eight months I was one of their better cabinetmakers. When I decided to go back to school to earn a certification, they wouldn’t hold my spot, so I decided to go out on my own.”
Van Severn approached his grandfather, who had operated an 800-acre tobacco farm in the New Lowell area until the 1960s. He persuaded him to give up an old implement shed, which he converted into a workshop, and launched his own business.
“My grandfather’s operation had been known as Coates Creek Farm, so I adopted that name.”
Van Severn started out small, supervising every project himself to ensure that “pride in workmanship” was more than just a slogan — it was a guarantee.
Today, the team includes five full-time cabinetmakers and a finishing expert, but Van Severn remains closely involved throughout the process.
“We use superior materials and focus on craftsmanship and finishing. As you get bigger, you have to get more automated, but we want to steer away from too much automation and continue to design and build custom furniture and cabinets.”
Today, Coates Creek has surpassed $1 million in annual revenue.
Coates Creek Cabinetry serves a broad trading area, with clients as far away as Canada’s east coast and even overseas. But Van Severn says most of their business comes from Mulmur, Mono, Collingwood, Muskoka and Toronto.
He says proximity to markets is no longer a major factor. The company has built a strong reputation, and clients seek them out.
“If clients educate themselves and talk to people we’ve worked with, they can learn a lot in a hurry,” he said. “It’s not just about price. We are not the most expensive product out there, but we definitely do things a bit differently.”
Van Severn is proud that two other local cabinet shops are now run by former employees who honed their skills at Coates Creek.
The company uses three-quarter-inch plywood cases and dovetail drawers with solid wood boxes. Mass-produced cabinets typically have top and bottom rails sandwiched between end gables, which means the only thing supporting the rails is the hardware. Coates Creek sandwiches the gables between top and bottom rails, resulting in more robust construction.
Van Severn says they had originally planned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Coates Creek in 2019. “But we were just too busy keeping up with orders,” he said. “We had three months of relative calm last fall, so we took advantage of the lull to revamp the showroom and update our façade.”
The refreshed space has been dubbed the Rabbet Whole — a nod to rabbet joints used in custom cabinetry, and the depth and breadth of their product line.
“We’ve created a space where vendors and clients can meet onsite to plan and dream together.”
A Toronto client once called Coates Creek “a little hidden gem.” Van Severn is proud of what he has built and hopes members of the community will stop in for a tour to get to know the Coates Creek story.