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History
Charlestowne Kitchen and Bath has a long history in the cabinet industry - far longer than its present incarnation, which began in 1989. Its history is also that of four generations of the MacNeille family.
Back in 1935 Clarence MacNeille bought a small St. Charles cabinet business which made "kitchen safes or dressers" for homes. His vision for its future called for "cabinets" of steel, cabinets which could last a lifetime. The name chosen for these cabinets included the town where they were manufactured, and the renowned St. Charles Kitchens was born.
Clarence's son, Robert, Sr., took over as President and carried the company through World War II when steel had a high war time priority. Cabinets were replaced by shell casings and tool boxes. When the war ended, the returning military were ready to put down roots and establish homes whose heart, of course, was the kitchen. St. Charles, with its innovative designs and superior quality, soon rose to the top of its industry. Architects and builders across the country specified St. Charles as their choice. Homeowners, influenced by the shelter magazines, put St. Charles highest on their lists.
Into the midst of such creativity and product development came a third generation MacNeille, Robert, Jr., Clarence's grandson. As both an engineer and businessman, he expanded product lines to include wood and laminates, developed a school and research laboratory division, expanded the hospital division and initiated business in the Middle East. At this point appliance king, Whirlpool Corporation, came knocking and eventually acquired St. Charles in 1986.
Enter a fourth generation MacNeille, Rod, Clarence's great-grandson, who had just completed his degree in mechanical engineering. Together, he and his father founded Charlestowne Cabinet and Countertop Distributors. Concentrating initially on the builder/developer market, they distributed cabinets and fabricated laminate countertops in their St. Charles plant, which incidentally sits next door to the old St. Charles Kitchens property. With pressure to expand into the retail market, they purchased Kitchen & Bath Design Concepts whose showroom was in the same building. The combination of both contract and retail functions, prompted the company to change its name to Charlestowne Kitchen & Bath.
With Rod as the new President and Robert, Jr. as CEO-CFO, there has been no limit to Charlestowne's growth. The purchase of the old Chronicle/Phillips building directly to the west for use as a warehouse and distribution center has boosted Charlestowne's square footage to approximately 100,000, which includes offices, the countertop plant and a stunning showroom. More recently, at Rod's initiative, a major expansion into CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery has allowed production of granite, quartz and solid surface countertops which are dimensionally consistent with little or no human error. The latest technological innovation involves a waterjet cutting system.
The major cabinet manufacturers represented by Charlestowne are all well known and respected national brands. They provide price points ranging from competitive production grade offerings up to furniture grade custom cabinetry. The custom division is able to alter or build items to meet special needs. Charlestowne is able to control its own destiny as the largest single-source supplier of cabinets and countertops to the new construction, remodeling, retail and commercial construction markets of greater Chicagoland.
Design is paramount at Charlestowne, and its designers are the strength of the organization. They move easily from retail to contract design, from complete turnkey remodeling to new construction to material sales.They are able to design to any budget and due to their experience and education, are able to offer personalized and reliable solutions to the most challenging situations. Many have been featured in both national and regional magazines.
Charlestowne Kitchen & Bath remains a family owned and operated firm. Clarence MacNeille would be proud of its success and pleased to know that his vision of quality, innovation and superior design is being carried on.
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