"It takes me longer to get it out of the box than it does for me to put it together,” explains Steve Borrett, owner of Great Yarmouth-based D&G Kitchens, when asked how easy Unilin’s ClicBox is to use. “I’ve never come across a product like it. It’s so quick and easy to assemble, anyone could do it.”
It’s not every day you hear a skilled kitchen fitter with more than 25 years experience in the trade tell you how simple part of his job is but then again, it’s not every day you are confronted with the ease and simplicity of a Unilin ClicBox.
As you walk around D&G Kitchens’ 55 sq m showroom, it is clear to see that the independent kitchen retailer and fitter knows a thing or two about kitchen manufacturing. He is in demand. So much so, his diary is full for the next five months and, relying solely on word of mouth, he has won orders for more than 20 kitchens and 10 bedrooms in the last 12 months. But, for someone who works predominantly single-handedly on all his projects, where does he find the time?
“In this line of work, time is a valuable commodity. I have no time for gimmicks,” admits Steve. “I like to do a job well. I openly tell people that I don’t make cheap kitchens, I make good-quality kitchens, so I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise when I say I always err on the side of caution when it comes to working with new products.”
With the housing market on the move again, Steve did not want to turn work away but he desperately needed to find a way of saving time so he could capitalise on the upturn in enquiries. “I’d been manufacturing my own kitchen carcases for over 15 years,” he explains. “It was labour intensive but with nothing on the market that could rival the quality and effectiveness of my own carcasses, I had no choice but to continue making them myself.”
After seeing a demonstration of Unilin’s ClicBox at the end of last year during the May Design Series, Steve couldn’t resist giving it a go himself and in under a minute, he had created his very first ClicBox. “I was seriously impressed,” Steve recalls. “Not only was it quick to assemble, it was just as sturdy as my made-to-order carcasses and offered my customers choice and flexibility in their designs.”
ClicBox also ticked the box when it came to quality. “I was surprised how much thought had gone into the design of this product,” he adds. “Even the wall units had been made 30mm wider than a standard base unit allowing for a full-size dinner plate to be stored easily. It’s this type of thing that gives me an edge over the competition.”
Steve’s also impressed with the flexibility ClicBox gives him. Proud to offer design without limits, he needed a carcasse that reflected the limitless possibilities his customers expected. The smart drilling pattern, which has been designed to match a range of fitting suppliers, means he can still offer four or five drawers and drawer liners can be added without the need to drill extra holes, providing customers with complete control over their kitchen.
And, with help from Unilin’s UK distributor HPP, Steve can order from a range of 42 cabinet sizes and formats in any colour for next day delivery.
Now Steve has time on his side, he’s busy creating a new showroom that includes a ClicBox kitchen display. Without the need to manufacture carcasses himself, he’s also had the time to explore new opportunities and opened a new market with a local housing developer. He readily confirms what Unilin, the maker of ClicBox, has been saying for a while: “Thanks to ClixBox, I’m able to spend more time fitting kitchens and less time creating carcasses.”
Unilin's ClicBox is available through HPP.
