Cabinet Concepts by Design Wins 2022 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award

Press release courtesy Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

During its annual event on May 4, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce announced Cabinet Concepts by Design as the recipient of the 2022 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award. Founded in 2007, Cabinet Concepts by Design works to design, manufacture, deliver and install custom cabinets and closets, mainly for residential clients.

Owners Matt and Shelley Wehner purchased a four-person cabinet shop in 2007 and re-branded it Cabinet Concepts by Design. The company grew in its initial Nixa facility before expanding and moving its facility to Springfield in 2014. The company, which now employs 38, also added custom closet design and manufacturing through their Simply Organized by Design division. The company has also been actively involved in workforce development by connecting with area high school woodshop teachers and inviting classes to tour the facility, as well as offering tours and internships to participants in Missouri State University’s Interior Design Program.

“Cabinet Concepts by Design has grown through a time-honored combination of hard work, connections with customers, and taking care of their employees,” said Chamber President Matt Morrow. “They’ve taken a smart approach to growth and combined it with an innovative mindset and can-do attitude, and the result is a thriving business that we’re proud to recognize with this award.”

The Small Business Award is named for Dr. W. Curtis Strube, late director of the Breech School of Business Administration at Drury University, who was a dedicated advocate of small business and founder of the Chamber’s Small Business Council.

Honorees are determined by written applications scored by an independent panel of judges, consisting of the previous recipients, local business experts, and volunteers from the Small Business Council. This year’s recipient was chosen from among a field of five finalists that also included Audio Acoustics, Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, hdesigngroup, and Hold Fast Brewing.

This award, presented by the Chamber’s Small Business Council since 1992, celebrates the success of the organization’s small business members and recognizes the important role small businesses and entrepreneurs play in the local economy. More than 80 percent of Chamber members have 50 or fewer employees.