Jim Bishop Sr. (center) shares ownership with his sons, Jim Bishop Jr. (left) and President and CEO Price Bishop (right).

Operating as a family owned business, Jim Bishop Cabinets Inc. has emerged as a firm that is stronger than many of its competitors, President and CEO Price Bishop insists. The Montgomery, Ala., company sells cabinetry to a broad range of clients, including homeowners, design/build firms and lumberyards.

Bishop’s father, Jim Bishop Sr., grew the company from a homebuilding business that he started with his brother, Marion Bishop, in 1964. When the two Bishops later split up the firm, Jim Bishop chose to sell cabinetry, and in the 1990s, his company added remodeling to its service focus.

Today, Jim Bishop Cabinets operates its main plant in Montgomery, and it also has a veneer sanding and accessory finishing plant in Pell City, Ala. Bishop shares ownership of the firm with his sons, Price Bishop and Jim Bishop Jr., who oversees its research and development.

In addition, two of Price Bishop’s brothers-in-law work at the firm. Jeff Gulledge is vice president of purchasing, while Beau Homes is president of Quantum Logistics, a trucking and logistical company owned by Holmes, Price Bishop and Jim Bishop Jr.

Although the company has grown at a slower rate than some of its competitors, Jim Bishop Cabinets has stayed strong and profitable, Price Bishop says. For instance, “We’re 100 percent debt-free,” he says. “We’ve been able to keep things pretty tight and close knit.”

Many of the company’s competitors who grew at a faster rate have needed to shut down, layoff employees or undergo massive restructuring due to the housing slump, Bishop says. Instead, “We’re sitting in a very good situation,” he asserts.

Working Together
Bishop has worked at Jim Bishop Cabinets since 1991. He became president and CEO in January, when his brother, its former president and CEO, sought to change his role at the firm.

While the elder Jim Bishop is semi-retired, he continues to make decisions for the company with his sons. Although the three may argue over matters in the office, “After work, we’re family,” Price Bishop asserts. “It’s never gotten personal.”

Additionally, “When all is said and done, we always feel like we end up making the right decisions,” he says.

Getting Closer
Price Bishop says he views his workers as “an extended family.” To get closer to them, he and Vice President of Sales Eric Williams meet monthly with employees to not only discuss current events, but also to obtain their feedback.

“I want them to know they can come to me if they have a problem,” Bishop says. “I want to hear it, and I want to do what I can to solve it.”

‘Down the Road’
Although Jim Bishop will someday fully retire, Price Bishop says he and his brother have not prepared a succession plan. “That’s a ways down the road,” he says, noting that he is 39 years old, while Jim Bishop Jr. is 43.

However, Price Bishop says the company wants to continue growing its “extended family” of workers. “We’ve got managers and VPs here [who are] like family to us,” he says, noting that many have been with the company for more than a decade.

“Eventually, [we could] have them be able to buy [into the company] in some way, and expand to a bigger family, so to speak,” he says, noting that many of the firm’s long-time associates are often on the same wavelength as its owners.