Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Perez.
Danny, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I joined the Army straight out of high school as I didn’t have a solid career path at the time. After one tour, I rejoined the civilian world and worked in several industries. Communications, Construction, Education… every one of these gave me an opportunity to work with and learn from some great people. My parents immigrated from Cuba and they instilled a work ethic with strong values and altruistic heart. With these great core values, I was able to learn from some great mentors in various aspects of different industries. I learned the value of relationships and the value of the moment. From this, a personal motto was born. “Don’t try to change the world but change a moment, and by changing a moment you can change the world” I try to value the moment and the relationships gained as much as I can. This is why my life verse is, Today is the day the lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24. Notice it talks about today, not tomorrow or next week. Everyday is a blessing and an opportunity. I think every relationship is just as important, a blessing and opportunity. It’s important to have someone that believes in you and keeps you grounded. You can see in the photo that my family is my biggest fan club. My wife has always been my biggest cheerleader and she is 100% the reason I am in a good place today. I don’t have the secret sauce, but I surround myself with people that do and its those people that have helped me become a better leader, mentor, & friend.
Today I am with Artcraft Cabinets. This is a family business and I stayed away for all of the reasons that one should stay away from families in the workplace! My father is an artist and has been doing custom cabinetry since I was two years old. Artcraft has primarily worked directly with designers and general contractors solely through word of mouth for years. The advertising budget has always been zero as the values and service that you get with Artcraft is the best advertising we can do. I came at a time when Artcraft was going through a transition and had an opportunity for growth and new relationships. I come with a background in operations and customer service. Since coming on board, I was able to bring large concept vision and opportunities to a small organization. Through great relationships we have a terrific network of professional partnerships that help us continue to deliver a great product and service.
Has it been a smooth road?
My family was impacted by the recession in 2008. My wife and I were both laid off and it took years to recover after the long dip into our savings. Artcraft was also affected. Even though I was not an owner at the time… this was Mom & Dad coming dangerously close to closing the doors. They continued payroll out of their pocket for as long as they could. We were fortunate that they were able to ride out the storm and as of today, Artcraft is 100% debt-free.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ArtCraft Cabinet & Design story. Tell us more about the business.
Artcraft Cabinet & Design has a few divisions of specialties. We started in custom design, if you could imagine it, we could build it. Working with designers we did not stick to the kitchen space, we created art for bedroom furniture and wall units. With the economic changes we realized that not everyone could afford a custom vision so we aligned ourselves with a few trade partners that can provide an economical ready-made American product for kitchens. This allowed us to give our same service with a cost-conscious product. At the end of the day, anyone can provide a box, but we try to get a feel for how a space is used to give practical solutions that align with your lifestyle. There is no shortage of cabinet companies in SFL. There are a lot of great ones that do fantastic work. In our industry, the bar is set very low so it’s easy to excel in the basic areas; pick up the phone, show up when you say you are going to show up, and consistent communication.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
There are numerous proud moments over the years and each one is for something different. Some can be quantified such as an increase in sales of 250% since I have come on board with Artcraft. While this is a win to celebrate, I think those moments that cannot be quantified are more valuable. When clients or previous employees call you ten years after you left a company for advice or guidance, that’s a realization that you left a lasting impact on that person. I love building up others as a rising tide will lift all the boats. My wins have been the relationships that I have built over the years on trust.
Contact Info:
- Address: Artcraft Cabinet & Design
951 NW 35th CT
Oakland Park, FL - Phone: 954-565-9298
- Email: info@artcraftcab.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artcraftcab
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
