2018 Wood Diamond Award

Closet Outlet (Orlando, FL)

Main Category: Lean Production Practice/Changes
Dollar Amount: Under $25,000

Briefly describe your business and the type of products manufactured.
Closet Outlet manufactures cabinets for the closets, pantries, laundry rooms, and garage storage systems. From seven walls of a single closet to one corner, Closet Outlet can fill storage needs for 100 homes, 500 apartments, or just your home. We manufacture rotating storage units, cabinets, shelving, and hidden storage solutions in the leanest most cost efficient ways so our price savings are passed to our happy customers.

What materials/species were used in this project/item?
 Lazy Lee Revolving Storage Systems are manufactured using:
• 3- 5’ x 9’ pre-finished melamine boards
• Rotas “H on circle” base bearing assembly
• Lockdowel Fasteners
• CNC Factory Scorpion Router Machine and
• Edge Banders by CNC Factory and SNX
• Cabinet Vision Design and Manufacturing Software

Describe, in detail, the project/item's construction
The Lazy Lee Revolving Storage systems are built utilizing the patent-pending circular ROTAS Bearing assembly. The bearing assembly receives a “H-Frame” construction, equally distributing the vertical loads of the revolving cabinet placed on the bearing below.
This “H-On-a-Circle” construction concept locks the three vertically placed panels into a secure interlocked structure. Utilizing Lockdowel fasteners, this core load bearing structure is not only easy to assemble, but also secure and stable in its daily use. Lockdowel fasteners give the unit “No-See” fasteners and the assembled item challenges a seasoned carpenter to wonder how the unit was constructed.
With a stable and secure vertical structure, fixed and adjustable shelves are attached. Additionally available options include drawers, doors, long and half hanging options, mirror walls, hanging and slat walls to enhance the shelving look.
With 62 different versions available in 2 heights and 4 standard colors, we boast a 496-variety product ranging from 27.5 to 42 inches in diameter and standard heights of 85.5 and 92.75 inches, but any height up to 12 feet tall is available. Customization in design is offered to ensure that the Lazy Lee Revolving Closet becomes a perfect fit for any environment.
The most popular 38.5 Inch diameter weighs 300 pounds for shipping, made from standard white Melamine with a smooth satin finish. Almond, Grey and Cocoa colors are offered as standards, and not to restrict any creative juices, we offer to procure and manufacture the unit in any flavor of make, color, or texture of a panel material.
The Lazy Lee Revolving Storage System looks great as a stand-alone item, or integrates to a very pleasing matched or contrasted mix and match colors in any setting, be it a walk-in-closet, reach-in closet, laundry room, pantry or garage.
The unit is designed with parts that have rounded profiles on the horizontal plane, making it conducive to rotational applications. The uniqueness of the Lockdowel fasteners enables us to fasten such awkward parts securely to the structure with ease.
The unit is shipped flat-packed, on a pallet with a customized crate. Construction of the unit can be done without any tools except a rubber mallet. The fastening system of Lockdowel allows the pieces to lock-in without using screws, nails & brads, cam-locks, bolts or glue. A single person can assemble the standard unit in 30 minutes or less. Disassembly, moving and reassembly is just as easy with the Lockdowel fasteners, a previously unheard of advantage.
The Lazy Lee Revolving Closet Systems are shipped with a stabilizing dock under the ROTAS Bearing which allows uneven-loading of the unit, without the worry of the unit leaning towards the loaded side.
The Lazy Lee Revolving Storage System has four sides and fits easily into any corner and revolves continuously around with a push, presenting a new storage wall on each sector. 

What is the most unusual aspect or outstanding characteristic of this entry?
The most remarkable aspect of this product is that Closet Outlet redesigned the Lazy Lee Unit by Lee Goldsticker for Leaner Manufacturing. This was done by:
1) Manufacturing the entire unit to fit on just 3 - 5’ by 9‘ melamine sheets reducing its requirement by 25%, allowing the units to sell for less while generating less waste.
2) Using Lockdowel fastening allows flat packing of the product – and with Closet Outlet’s unique crate design, the units are flat packed in just one crate (shipping for almost half the cost!).
3) Closet Outlet has alleviated the need to anchor the spinning storage units to the floor—while keeping the units stable and able to hold unbalanced loads. This also allows for quicker assembly. This is done with a unique stabilizing dock which Closet Outlet created.
4) Assembly is super fast with Lockdowel, glue-less, tool-less fastening – which was not a part of Lee Goldsticker’s original product design. One unit can be assembled in 30 minutes or less by one person, as opposed to two hours with two people.
5) Goldsticker’s Lazy Lee units sold for $1,800. Closet Outlet can sell one unit for $1,080 with bulk discounts available to bring the price down to $650.
6) Closet Outlet is set to mass produce the Lazy Lee Revolving Storage System by Closet Outlet using their all new, 3rd generation CNC machine by CNC Factory, automated Lockdowel edge boring and fastener inserting equipment and edge banding machines by CNC Factory and SNX contour edge-banding equipment.
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List any items that were outsourced.
All components of the Lazy Lee Revolving Storage System are sourced locally, and these components are wrought into the product entirely at Closet Outlet. Closet Outlet manufactures the Stabilizing Dock, the ROTAS bearing, the cabinet and any ancillary parts of the unit. No pre-manufactured parts or outside services are used to design, manufacture and market the products.

How has being a member of the CMA benefited you and/or your business?
CMA allows me to stay abreast on the latest cabinet trends, methods, and markets. With the help of CMA members, I have learned a great deal about positioning my storage units in a Business-to-Business wholesale environment. I appreciate the different venues CMA offers to get my new business noticed. Their website is super informative and as a new member I hope to meet the names to the faces at the valuable CMA events on the horizon.