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Our History
Home > About Us > Our History
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In 1959, Jake Mullet began doing carpenter work and building kitchen cabinets in the heart of Amish Furniture Country. With no shop in which to work and very limited tools, all of this was done right in peoples' homes. However, his dream was to someday have his own shop with modern tools (including sharp saw blades) rather than needing to move from job to job for his work.
That dream began to unfold in June of 1965. Jake was offered a job in a small cabinet shop owned by Freeman Hostetler, at the rate of $1.75 per hour. The business was located in a building rented from Harry Weaver, another Fryburg resident. Jake accepted the position and a special family tradition was begun.
Many changes still awaited Jake in his cabinet-making career. In 1966, at the age of 15, Jake’s son Dean was hired as a part- time employee. Dean’s first tasks included sweeping floors, filling nail holes and sanding cabinets. At approximately this same time the first shop was built on the current Mullet Cabinet premises. That first building measured only 32 feet by 65 feet (a meager 2,080 square feet.) Unfortunately, a paint room fire destroyed the new facility in 1974. It was soon after this disaster that Freeman Hostetler offered Jake the opportunity of buying the business. Jake's dream of owning his own cabinet shop had finally become a reality.
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Jake and Dean together bought Hostetler Cabinet in 1975. A year later, in 1976, Jake's younger son, Dennis, joined the business (now named Mullet Cabinet) as a partner. Over the next 25 years, Mullet Cabinet grew rapidly into the custom cabinet manufacturer it is today. Strong emphasis was placed on using cutting-edge technology in the shop, while at the same time offering innovative design, high quality custom product lines, and outstanding service to their customers - all at fair prices and while maintaining the highest levels of integrity. The partnership between father and sons continued under these business principles until January of 2002, when Dean bought out Jake and Dennis’s shares of the business. Continuing the family tradition, Dean's three sons, Vince, Jordan, and Nick are actively involved in running the company.
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Over the years, many more changes have been made to Mullet Cabinet. Significant among these were the approximately 12 additions made to the original building between 1976 and 1988. Also in 1988, a separate company named Fryburg Door was started by Dean. This major improvement addressed the need for Mullet Cabinet to produce and control their supply of quality cabinet doors and drawers. Innumerable other improvements were made to materials, methods and equipment and yes, Jake always got his sharp saw blades! Presently, Mullet Cabinet includes a facility of approximately 75,000 square feet with over 100 employees - some of which have been with the Mullet family for many years. But despite these changes and growth, the quality, craftsmanship, and integrity that Jake Mullet started in 1959 are still a trademark of Mullet Cabinet today.
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