About Us

Stevens Advantage

Total Package Solutions

68 Years of Industry Excellence

Stevens Advantage has been innovating to provide the finest casework and millwork on the market since 1956. From the beginning, it’s been our mission to make the entire construction process as seamless as possible. That’s why we proudly call ourselves “The Solutions Company”. 

Now, 68 years later we’re leading the industry as the largest manufacturer of casework and millwork in North America. With our experience and expertise to back us, we are equipped to collaborate with designers, architects, and contractors on projects of all sizes. We offer Total Package Solutions–you can think of us as your project partner and one-stop shop for all your millwork and casework needs.

Our Story

From humble beginnings to the national industry leader, learn about how Stevens got its start.

1950s

In 1956, Charles “Chuck” Stevens began making wood products in his father-in-law’s garage in Teutopolis, IL. That same year, he founded Stevens Cabinet Company. Soon Chuck set up a small shop in Teutopolis lumber yard and his dream of starting a successful cabinetry company became a reality.  

Chuck’s first shop may have been tiny but his ambitions were huge. He soon outgrew his small shop in the lumberyard and invested in a larger, freestanding building at the edge of town. Luckily, Chuck wasn’t in it alone. He hired and found a friend in Edward Buenker who would stay with Chuck and the business for the next 40-plus years. 

 

Chuck and Ed built their new shop and business from the ground up, adding new employees along the way. Soon, the business was known around the state for its high-quality and forward-thinking designs. Word spread and soon it was said that, “When you had a Stevens Kitchen, you had the best.”

 

This success allowed Stevens Cabinet company a new opportunity in the mid-60s when a company marketing industrial arts cabinetry challenged Chuck to produce solid hardwood products of their designs. There were drafting tables, wall and base cabinets, specialty industrial arts equipment, and storage units.

 

Chuck and his team rose to the challenge and Stevens Cabinetry secured itself an innovative niche. The increased demand for this product allowed Chuck to grow his company’s reach further, add employees, and expand. This allowed Stevens Cabinetry to open up markets to expand the company’s own educational products. 

 

Chuck began attending education shows and exhibits and noticed a trend: cabinetry fully laminated inside and out in contemporary colors and designs. Consumers were willing to pay more for this desirable and durable product, so Chuck decided to invest in making it. Figuring out how to create laminated casework proved challenging, but as usual, Chuck and his team persisted. 

Stevens Cabinetry changed with the times while maintaining a steady one-step-at-a-time approach to the new endeavor. The change was not easy, as discontinuing production of Stevens’ mainstay all-wood kitchens required guts and faith in his decisions.

Eventually, Chuck’s perseverance and ingenuity paid off. Stevens’ company continued to grow and in the late 70s, Chuck traveled to Germany to attend a woodworking exhibition. Here, he was introduced to new equipment, machinery, and technology that could not be found in the U.S. called direct melamine lamination. Chuck invested in this cutting-edge European equipment. Two days of production with this new technology yielded enough materials for two weeks of production. 

Direct melamine lamination opened up a whole new market of opportunity. Chuck insisted on using the latest and greatest technology, even if it had to be imported from Europe. Many times, the equipment Chuck invested in was the first of its kind in the United States. In fact, Stevens had the second machine in the U.S. for postforming with environmentally friendly PVA adhesives.

 

Stevens also led the industry as one of the first companies in the United States to 32mm dowel pinned joinery–now an industry standard years later. Coincidentally, Stevens Industries was named Innovator of the Year by the Woodworking Machinery Importer Association Companies. Needless to say, Chuck was always ahead of his time.

Stevens continued to lead the industry by investing in state-of-the-art technology and always being at the cutting edge of innovation in industrial casework and millwork. At this time, Stevens had its ups and downs as any company does, but in spite of this, the company continued to advance.

By 1998, what had started as a workshop in a two-car garage had become a 360,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that stood on 31 acres. At this point, Chuck decided to sell his interest in the company he founded. The company was converted into an “Employee Stock Ownership Company”.

The first decade of the new century extended the company’s entrepreneurial spirit with further conversions and continued investment in the latest technologies. The latter half of the decade began with the passing of beloved founder Chuck Stevens, but his legacy lives on in our company’s innovative spirit.

Today Stevens Industries continues its legacy of innovation and outside-the-box ideas. The company has reinvented itself again to be one of high volume production and flexible changeovers. Production today includes unique texture and pattern products in laminating, advanced fabrication techniques, and a one-stop shop for medical, educational, and commercial interior cabinetry and millwork.

Industry Affiliations

Stevens Industries is a Proud Member of the Following Organizations:

National Associations

Architectural Woodwork Institute
Brand Logo
AWI's Quality Certification Program
Composite Panel Association
International Solid Surface Fabricators Association
Forest Stewardship Council®
Brand Logo
American Institute of Architects
Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association
Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association
American Society for Quality
Construction Specifications Institute
Education Market Association
Associated General Contractors of America
American Society for Healthcare Engineering
Brand Logo
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Brand Logo
American Institute of Architecture Students

Regional Associations

Brand Logo
Southern Illinois Healthcare Engineering
Florida Educational Facilities Planners Association
Brand Logo
Illinois Manufacturers' Association
Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety (MICCS)

Serving Designers, Architects, & Contractors Across the North America

Stevens Advantage products can be found in hospitals, commercial offices, nurseries, restaurants, hospitality centers,  schools, and a wide variety of other facilities across the country. We are North America’s trusted name in casework and millwork solutions.  

As your project partner, we will work with you and your team to successfully deliver your project on time and on budget. Our goal is to exceed your expectations in every element of our work. Schedule a consultation with us to get started on your project today.

Our Dealers

Select a location to find a dealer near you.