FORRESTON — When it comes to making their customers happy, there’s no leeway at a Forreston business. Build it right and build it to last.

The owners know that when they do that, they’re also building trust — and something else: the kind of relationship with their customers that will last as long as the products they make.

Danlee Wood Products has been invited into homes and businesses for 30 years, since 1995, when father-and-son founders Lee and Dan Reif started the cabinetry shop. During that time, they’ve taken on projects big and small and near and far, from bookcases and bathrooms to banks and chain stores. They’ve even done their duty for Uncle Sam.

The business does custom cabinetry, entertainment units, bookcases, vanities, bars and more. If the customer has something in mind, Danlee can make it one-of-a-kind.

“We like to produce a nice, quality product, both for residential and commercial,” said Danlee’s production manager, Rob Polizzi, who coordinates the woodworkers who build and assemble the custom products. “We like to stand behind our product and are proud of the fact that we always want to make sure our customers are satisfied. We’re prideful on our quality, and if there’s an issue, we will fix it and not be done until the customer is happy.”

Among the team joining Polizzi in making those customers happy is Lindsay Heitz. Polizzi, Danlee’s sales and design manager, who works with customers to plan projects.

Both Heitz and Polizzi each bring different strengths to their respective roles. Polizzi works more with commercial clients, who are looking for products designed more for efficiency and profitability, while Heitz has a college degree in interior design and works more with residential customers, whose focus is more on ergonomics and aesthetics.

“We’re a small business and work with local people,” Heitz said. “We want to make sure that we’re giving quality products and making them happy.”

That quality begins with the materials, with Danlee steering clear of thinner and cheaper options often found in commercially made products. Cabinets for example, have solid wood doors and drawer frames, drawer boxes and face frames. The result: more durable, longer-lasting products (go to danleewoodproducts.com/cabinet-construction for more details).

“People were getting production cabinets with a lower price point, but they were lesser quality with thinner end panels — eighth- or quarter-inch back panels, where we use half-inch,” Polizzi said. “Now it’s evolved, especially after Covid, where we’re still higher than box cabinets, but for the price that they’re selling box cabinets for, you might as well spend the little extra to get the custom cabinets that are going to be built to last, and properly made to fit your area instead of having three- of six-inch fillers everywhere — exactly what you want. The price point different really isn’t that much anymore.”

With custom-designed work, there’s no dealing with prefab products or cookie cutter cabinets that roll off an assembly line and into a big-box store. Danlee’s pieces come together like a puzzle: Everything fits just right, and when all the pieces come together, they’re picture perfect.

“When you order from a production company, you’re ordering what they have — period,” Polizzi said. “When you order from us, we can make it fit any area you want.”

They can also build them to suit each clients’ needs. Ergonomics has become big in recent years, with customers looking for cabinets that can make their time in the kitchen more efficient — and easier on their knees. Why bend down to dig through crowded cabinets to find a pan? Bring the pan to you, with shelves that lift up, large drawers that pull out, and cabinets that roll out. With accessories that make cabinets less of a chore, people’s backs can catch a break.

When it comes to design, it starts with details. In order to see the big picture, little things can mean a lot.

When Heitz meets with customers, she doesn’t just ask the size of a customer’s kitchen, she’ll ask how big their kitchenwares are. Do they need bigger drawers, smaller drawers or more drawers? What kind of dividers will be the right fit? The more digging for information she does, the less digging for kitchen tools her customers wind up doing.

“When I sit down and consult with people and go through the drawings, that’s what we talk about,” Heitz said. “I’ll tell them this is the cabinet where I see you setting your Tupperware, and this is the cabinet where I see you setting your pots and pans. Do you prefer the trash drawer by the stove, or by the sink? We’re really thinking about where things make the most sense for the individual user.”

“We’re seeing a lot more trends to make things more accessible, where each cabinet serves a specific purpose,” Heitz said. “Being more organized, being more accessible, we get customers who have been cooking for a long time and they’re tired of bending down and getting deep into their cabinet to get something. We have opportunities to help with that.”

A variety of different fronts and finishes are also offered, with samples on display in Danlee’s showroom. Door styles such as shaker and Marie remain popular in recent years, with a light brown Latte finish being a top seller. More customers are wanting bring out the natural characteristics of wood, rather than a painted finish.

“We like to see it better because when you’re staining it, it’s going into the wood,” Polizzi said. “The pigment is in the wood, not the finish. Then we spray a clear coat over it to protect it, as with paint the pigment’s in the paint. If something happens five, 10 years down the road, if the clear coat starts to have a chip, you’re not going to notice it as much on a stained door; on a painted door, it’s going to pop.”

The Reifs are originally from Byron, and the business began when Dan and his father, Lee, decided to combine their talents, and their names, in a father/son business partnership. Their skills proved to be a perfect fit for a cabinet shop — Dan bringing his devotion to woodworking to the table and Lee bringing his background in business, with more than two decades as a purchasing manager under his belt. Danlee started with a 3,200 square foot facility and three employees in Forreston, and by 2000, they had expanded the building and their business.

Dan’s love of woodworking began as a child, when he would make pinewood derby cars with his dad, and he would go on to immerse himself in the trade. During high school, he took 4 years of vocational training in wood shop, where his instructor helped inspire him to turn his passion into a profession. He went on to Olney Central College, earning an Applied Science degree in cabinetry, followed by a return to Byron and nine years working in a cabinet shop in the nearby town of Oregon.

Lee died in 2017 and today Dan and his brother Lee Jr. own the business, with Dan serving as president.

Through the years, Danlee has been nationally recognized in the industry, with top awards at the annual Cabinet Makers Association National Conference, including a couple of first place honors.

While Danlee’s team is proud of the industry accolades they’ve earned, the ultimate judges of their quality are their customers — the people who, as their mission statement says, they value treating like family. And judging by how much Danlee has grown in the past 30 years, the business has built up one big happy family.

The showroom at Danlee Wood Products, 207 S. Chestnut Ave. in Forreston. is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find “DWP Custom Cabinetry” on Facebook and @danlee_wood_products on Instagram, go to danleewoodproducts.com or call 815-938-9016 to arrange projects or for more information.