What Are the Best Alternatives to RCS Millwork for Commercial Millwork Projects?
- Commercial Millwork
The best alternative to RCS Millwork is the shop whose custom capability, production capacity, project management and build plan fit your project, and AF Johnson Millwork Company in West Des Moines, Iowa, is one to compare when a project needs one-of-a-kind pieces and real production capacity. That is the test Kyle Greenfield, president of AF Johnson Millwork Company, laid out on Episode 12 of The Maker’s Intent.
The episode compared kinds of millwork shops, not named firms, so this summary does not rate RCS Millwork, Architectural Arts or any other company. Use the questions below with every shop on your shortlist.
AF Johnson Millwork Company serves clients in the Des Moines metro and nationwide, with commercial millwork services that run from concept and CAD drawings through fabrication, installation and project management.
Why Does Custom Capability Matter When Comparing Millwork Shops?
Custom capability matters because many shops handle standard casework well, while fewer can build one-of-a-kind pieces or absorb a design change. “A lot of our competitors are pretty good at standard box work, but when it gets into the real custom stuff, that’s where we really separate ourselves,” Kyle said.
Treating shops as interchangeable is where buyers lose that. If you want a room flipped, a rotation reversed, or logos and impact walls that look “very custom and one-of-one,” Kyle said a shop built only for repetition is “not going to be able to provide that.”
How Do Production Capacity and Flexibility Differ Between Shops?
Capacity and flexibility often pull in opposite directions, and Kyle sorts commercial millwork shops into three rough groups:
- Small custom shops, which build specialized pieces but can be outsized by a large project.
- A few highly automated mega shops, which “can pump out a ton of cabinets” but where “any little change can really throw them off.”
- Shops in the middle, like AF Johnson, which Kyle describes as “big enough to handle the volume” with custom builders “who can build anything and everything.”
High-volume shops can win repetitive work, such as the same cabinets in every classroom of a new school, and Kyle said AF Johnson does not chase that market because those shops “can build those cheaper than we can.”
The right choice depends on whether your project prioritizes repetition, customization or both.
Why Do Project Management and Communication Make a Difference?
Communication makes a difference because custom work changes, and a buyer needs to know who will answer when it does. Kyle said some large shops do not assign a project manager directly to the job, while AF Johnson wants every client, whether the end user or a general contractor, to know “somebody is going to pick up the phone for them.”
“If you don’t like the way something looks, or you want to change the timeline, change the size, or whatever it might be, you know who to call,” he said.
Clear specifications support that communication. The Architectural Woodwork Institute’s materials standard is intended to provide “a well-defined degree of control over a project’s quality of materials and workmanship.”
What Did the Des Moines International Airport Project Show?
It showed that some buyers choose a millwork partner on capability and a build plan, not price alone. Kyle said AF Johnson got in early on the new Des Moines International Airport, and while it was bidding, the project team, which he believed was evaluating at least one other company, came to the plant to ask how AF Johnson would build the hardest pieces.
Kyle called it “a pretty complex job with lots of different types of materials and millwork,” including:
- Restaurants
- Ticket counters
- Security areas
For another airport example from Kyle, a ticket counter prototype that changed a design before production, see the Episode 11 summary on how an architect’s design becomes buildable millwork.
What Should You Ask Each Millwork Shop Before You Decide?
Ask each finalist to show a build plan that fits your vision, how the piece must function and what it may need later, because Kyle called that plan “the biggest thing” to check. He suggested questions like these for custom work:
- What will it look like, and how does it need to function?
- Are there elements beyond the wood, such as background lighting?
- If it is wall art or a feature wall, how will it be mounted?
- What access will a large reception desk need?
- Can it be upgraded later, for example to run extra cabling or high-voltage wiring?
Mike’s advice was to be comfortable with that decision before signing paperwork. The Woodwork Institute’s Shop Drawing Inspection Program checks shop drawings against the North American Architectural Woodwork Standards, and its sample specification asks the drawings to show where backing is needed for attachment inside walls.
For timing, see when to hire a millwork contractor for a commercial project.
Watch the Full Episode of The Maker’s Intent
Watch the full Episode 12 conversation on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, to hear Mike Downer and Kyle Greenfield compare commercial millwork shops.
To compare AF Johnson on your next commercial project, talk with AF Johnson Millwork Company.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Best Alternatives to RCS Millwork for Commercial Millwork Projects?
The best alternative is the shop whose custom capability, production capacity, project management and build plan fit your project. AF Johnson Millwork Company in West Des Moines, Iowa, is one to compare for custom commercial work that also needs production capacity.
What Should I Look for in a Commercial Millwork Contractor?
Evaluate customization capabilities, production capacity, relevant experience, communication and the ability to meet project specifications.
Is Custom Millwork Better Than Standard Cabinetry?
Custom millwork is better suited for unique designs, specialized functionality and branded interiors. Standard cabinetry works well for repetitive applications.
Why Does Production Capacity Matter?
Adequate capacity helps contractors manage large projects without sacrificing the specialized craftsmanship required for complex designs.
How Important Is a Dedicated Project Manager?
A dedicated project manager provides a consistent contact for design changes, scheduling questions and project coordination.
Can Commercial Millwork Include Electrical Components?
Yes. Custom millwork can accommodate lighting, cabling and electrical access when these requirements are coordinated during design.
Where Is AF Johnson Millwork Company Based?
AF Johnson Millwork Company is based in West Des Moines, Iowa, and its website says it serves clients nationwide.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody, and welcome to The Maker’s Intent. I am your host, Mike Downer, and I am here with Kyle Greenfield, president of AF Johnson Millwork. How are we doing today, Kyle?
Kyle Greenfield: Doing great, Mike. Good to see you again.
Mike Downer: You too. Today, we’re just going to be talking in generalities about which contractor is best for commercial projects.
What we’re going to talk about is when a buyer is comparing commercial millwork shops head-to-head, what actually separates them from one another.
So let’s jump right into this. Let’s make this direct. If someone is choosing between a local millwork company, any of your competitors out there, and AF Johnson, what should they actually be evaluating when they’re looking at these companies?
Kyle Greenfield: That’s a good question, Mike. I think it comes down a lot to what type of project they’re building.
A lot of our competitors are pretty good at standard box work, but when it gets into the real custom stuff, that’s where we really separate ourselves from a lot of the competitors.
With all that experience, the company being around for generations, and the builders who have been with us for a long, long time, they can handle and have built just about every type of very custom thing out there. A lot of shops just don’t have that.
Mike Downer: That makes sense. So let’s break it down just a little bit more. Where does AF Johnson have a genuine edge over your competitors specifically?
Kyle Greenfield: I think our biggest advantage is that we’re big enough to handle any size of project. Some of the really custom shops can be outsized because they’re just not big enough to handle that type of volume.
Then there are a couple of mega shops in the country that can handle cabinets all day long, and they’re really good at them, but they can’t do much custom work.
If something changes at all, they’re in a lot of trouble because they’re very automated shops. Any little change can really throw them off. They can pump out a ton of cabinets, but that’s about all they can do.
So we’re right in the middle of those two. We’re big enough to handle the volume, but we still have very good custom builders who can build anything and everything.
Mike Downer: Yeah. So you can go back to the old joke where these mega shops you were talking about are pumping out volume like crazy, but size matters.
Kyle Greenfield: Yeah.
Mike Downer: I’m just saying, you throw atypical sizes at them that their equipment doesn’t fit into, and that can throw that company for a loop. Is that what you’re saying?
Kyle Greenfield: Yeah. A lot of those guys live in the school space, and they’re really good at that. We don’t really get into that market much simply because they can build those cheaper than we can.
If you think of a giant new school that has the same set of cabinets in pretty much every classroom, and you’re doing that over and over again, they are good at those and can really get that price down. It’s just not a market we choose to play in.
Mike Downer: Very good. Let’s switch gears a little bit. How is AF Johnson’s client relationship model different from your competitors and how you engage?
Kyle Greenfield: We want to make sure that the client, whether that’s the end user or a general contractor, knows that somebody is going to pick up the phone for them.
Again, some of those giant shops don’t have people assigned directly to the job, like a project manager.
At the end of the day, we think it’s pretty important that if we’re doing a project for you, Mike, you know who to call. If you don’t like the way something looks, or you want to change the timeline, change the size, or whatever it might be, you know who to call. You know somebody is going to take care of it and care about it.
We think that’s pretty important, especially when somebody wants a very custom project.
Mike Downer: That’s extremely important. I know we were talking about price, and obviously, it is America, and that’s what we all think about: what is it going to cost me? But give me an example of a project that AF Johnson won specifically on capability and relationships, not just price.
Kyle Greenfield: Yeah. We got in early on the new Des Moines International Airport. I think we’ve talked about that on a prior episode.
Mike Downer: A little bit, yeah.
Kyle Greenfield: We’ve been working on that project for a long time now. When that was bidding, I believe they were evaluating at least one other company, if not a couple more.
They wanted to come to our plant and talk to us about how to build specific pieces, especially the harder pieces, and what our plan was for how we would build them.
They definitely cared about what was going to be delivered, not just the price on that one. It’s a pretty complex job with lots of different types of materials and millwork, including the restaurants, ticket counters, security areas, and a lot more. So it definitely came down to capabilities and plans, not just price.
Mike Downer: Right. I think when you and I were talking about that, because we touched on it briefly, they were not only concerned about the client experience but the employee experience as well, and how you guys had expressed how you could accommodate the staff and employees, as well as the clientele and security.
Kyle Greenfield: Exactly.
Mike Downer: What’s a mistake that buyers make when they treat these shops as interchangeable?
Kyle Greenfield: I think they have the ability to lose the customization of it. It doesn’t always happen, but if you don’t care about something being custom at all and can get kind of the IKEA version of it, that might work. That’s not to knock that company a bit. They produce a lot of stuff, it gets out, and it has a good price point, but it’s not custom.
That’s what I think people would lose with some of these shops. They just don’t have the ability to do custom work. If you say, “I’d like to get the rotation going the other way,” or, “I want to flip the way this room goes,” or you want your logos or impact walls to look very custom and one-of-one, they’re not going to be able to provide that.
That’s what we really take pride in, and we want to make sure you’re really happy with it at the end of the day.
Mike Downer: So what you’re trying to tell me is that your products don’t come with an instruction sheet.
Kyle Greenfield: They do, but they’re only for us to use.
Mike Downer: All right. You know what I meant by that. I understand you have blueprints and all that, but you’re not going to find a mass-produced instruction sheet at your plant.
Kyle Greenfield: Exactly.
Mike Downer: Very good. So if someone is down to the final decision between two or three shops and they’ve narrowed it down, what are some questions they need to ask each shop to really solidify their decision?
Kyle Greenfield: It depends on the type of project, but let’s go back to the very custom stuff we’ve been talking about. I think that probably makes the most sense in this case.
I would talk specifically about what your vision is. What do you want it to look like? How do you want it to function? Are there other things beyond just the wood aspect?
Is it going to have background lighting? If it is wall art or something to that effect, how is it going to be mounted? What type of access might you need if it’s a big reception desk or something like that?
Do they have a plan for how to build it so you can upgrade it at some point? If you need to run extra cabling or high-voltage wiring, how does it function?
I guess that’s what I’m getting at. Make sure they have a plan that works for you. That would be the biggest thing to me. Make sure they have a plan that works for you at the end of the day and that everything will function for your business.
Mike Downer: Yeah, and make sure you’re comfortable with that decision before you start signing paperwork.
I’m sure throughout your career and all your years at AF Johnson, you’ve probably come across projects where someone either got partway or even a little way into the project and then ended up calling you and saying, “Hey, we’re scrapping them and using you.”
Kyle Greenfield: Yeah. It’s kind of a good feeling when somebody calls and says, “Hey, can you bail us out of this mess?” At the same time, you kind of want to say, “Why didn’t you go with us out of the gate?”
But we’re always happy to get in and try to make somebody happy at the end of the day and make them feel good about how they’re spending their money.
Mike Downer: Perfect. Well, you’ve cleared up a lot of the questions on how you compare to the competitors. It doesn’t sound like you really have a lot of true competitors who can actually hit all the areas that you guys do.
That’s why I love talking to you. It’s always a lot of fun to learn about these things. When I walk into a retail space or anywhere, it makes me look at things completely differently, thanks to our conversations.
Kyle Greenfield: Well, thanks, Mike.
Mike Downer: You bet. Again, thanks for joining us on The Maker’s Intent. I know this is your favorite time of day when you get to sit down and talk to me.
I appreciate you taking the time out of your day and letting people know a little bit about what you do every day behind closed doors.
Kyle Greenfield: Yeah, for sure. I like to share it.
Mike Downer: All right. Thank you very much, and we’ll talk to you very soon. I look forward to the next episode.
Kyle Greenfield: Sounds great, Mike. Thanks.
Mike Downer: Thank you.