Cabinet Depot isn’t just a place to purchase cabinets; it’s a small business with transforming care and dedication to community. Leading this thriving business are Mandy Wilkes and her husband, Brendan. Mandy’s career — spanning from administrative assistant to business owner — is as inspiring as the quality of the products Cabinet Depot provides.
“I actually worked for the previous owners when they had a sister store to Cabinet Depot in Destin,” Wilkes shared. “I worked there as their administrative assistant. That’s how I met Brendan. He worked for the Cabinet Depot here in Pensacola. That was 26 years ago.”
The intertwining of their professional and personal lives set the stage for a remarkable partnership both in marriage and business.
Eleven years ago, the opportunity to purchase Cabinet Depot, located at 4109 North Davis Highway, presented itself; the couple jumped at the chance.
“From an early age, I knew that I never wanted to work for any type of corporation. I enjoyed working in a small business setting and wanted to be a part of something that meant more than just a number to a company,” Wilkes said.
The vision for Cabinet Depot was clear: a family business, where the focus was on helping people.
“We tell people, ‘We’re not in the cabinet business.’ We’re in the people business and cabinets are what we do. Helping people is really our goal,” she said.
Wilkes handles the softer side of the business, including marketing, HR and design, while her husband manages the technical aspects. This complementary partnership ensures that everything they sell is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
One of the unique aspects of Cabinet Depot is the adherence to what the Wilkes call the “immutable laws” — a moral compass guiding their business decisions and interactions that can be summed up in the Golden Rule.
“It’s basically how we want to deal with situations in the thick of it, so not emotionally. It’s really part of what we’re trying to create here, which is a good experience for our customers, employees and subcontractors,” Wilkes said.
She emphasizes the importance of treating everyone with respect and care from customers to employees.
“I’ve said from the very beginning, I have to spend more time with the people here than my own family, so it’s really important to me, the energy that’s in this building and the way people are being treated.”
Their meticulous approach extends to product selection as well.
“We’re extremely selective about the products that we carry because we want people to have a good quality product. We don’t take lightly that people are spending money with us,” Wilkes asserted. A few of the tried-and-true lines include Kabinart, Mouser, Dura Supreme and Top Knobs.
While primarily focusing on kitchen and bath remodeling, the business offers countertops, hardware installation, even custom-made furniture pieces and more. They pride themselves on their design expertise, including complimentary measurements and designs.
“We love the design aspect. It’s one of our favorite parts of what we do, helping customers choose how they want their space to feel and look,” she said.
Ultimately, Cabinet Depot is about more than just cabinets.
“We want to make sure that anybody we’re coming into contact with feels like they’re cared for and that they’ve been seen and helped regardless of the outcome,” Wilkes concluded.
Cabinet Depot isn’t just selling cabinets — it’s about building a community.
