By manufacturing its own cabinetry line called “NEFD@Home,” Northeast Factory Direct is keeping prices low by bypassing the middleman

By Mimi Vanderhaven

After more than 20 years offering high-quality, low-price furniture, hot tubs, mattresses, kitchen cabinets, flooring, and more from his no-frills, warehouse-style stores, Northeast Factory Direct’s Alex Nemet is still committed to keeping prices low. So much so that over the years he has been given many nicknames—from “the Duke of Discount” to “the Warehouse Wizard.” And with world-wide prices still climbing over the past year, Alex made a bold promise in 2023: “When it comes to inflation, we’re just not going to participate.”

To keep this promise and to keep his kitchen cabinet prices rock bottom, the Duke of Discount pulled the trigger on an idea that had been brewing for some time:

Manufacture his own cabinets.

“A lot of the big names in cabinetry buy their cabinets from a manufacturer, mark them up, then resell them to retailers,” Alex explains. “We’ve chosen to bypass the middleman by manufacturing our own proprietary cabinet line with exactly the same high-quality features we have offered all along.”

Introducing NEFD@Home
NEFD’s new @Home cabinet line (presented as “@Home” in the company logo) means Alex is now his own manufacturer, skipping the middleman completely.

“The big benefit is definitely lower prices,” says Angelo Lardomita, NEFD’s lead kitchen designer and sales manager. “But there are many other benefits, too, including a larger inventory, easier access and faster delivery. You don’t have to wait many weeks or months to get your new cabinets.”

4,000 Kitchens a Year
NEFD already sells upwards of 4,000 kitchens per year and that number is likely to skyrocket under the new @Home brand and manufacturing model, Angelo says. “Our large sales volume is driven by our high quality and low prices, and by our size and convenience,” he explains. “We have four huge retail stores, two additional warehouses, plus a clearance center. That’s about 400,000 square feet packed with inventory.”

Designing and selling so many kitchens means NEFD’s 23 kitchen designers have seen it all. “We know the right questions to ask, and we know all the pitfalls of kitchen design,” Angelo says. “We see issues in advance and address them in the design process.”

And how much does this professional kitchen design service cost?

Nothing. It’s free.

The complete design, 3D elevations, and in-home measurements are all free when you shop Northeast Factory Direct. And the company’s new @Home cabinetry line (manufactured in North America, not China) features solid-wood construction with raised or recessed door panels, and 75 different door/drawer styles and color combinations to choose from. You also get free doorknobs and drawer pulls.

All @Home cabinetry comes standard with solid maple dovetail drawers, steel under-mount full-extension guides, soft close doors and drawers, and paint, stain and finish options of your choosing—upgrades that other upscale stores charge extra for.

Kitchens at 60% to 70% Off
“Manufacturing our own cabinet line is a game-changer, and jaws are dropping all over this industry,” Angelo says. “Our kitchens typically sell for 60% to 70% less than apples-to-apples comparable models at competing suppliers who are forced to deal with a middleman. Most kitchens average about $5,500, and at that price, you’re getting all the bells and whistles, like a pull-out trash cabinet, roll-out trays, crown molding, and more. At other places, those things are expensive add-ons. And our cabinets have the look of custom and semi-custom styles. The difference is we offer them at a fraction of the price others are selling them for. And we don’t just sell them in standard sizes.”

NEFD’s ability to keep prices low is also rooted in its no-frills, warehouse-style model. “We don’t locate our stores in the high-rent district,” Alex says. “As a result, our occupancy-to-sales ratio is 2% of revenue, not 10-15% like our competitors. Lower costs and a diversity of product line means lower prices for our customers.”

If you’re ready for a new kitchen but don’t want to dip into your savings or your home equity, Northeast Factory Direct offers 0% financing so you can pay for your kitchen over time.

“You don’t have to settle for average just because you’re saving a ton of money,” Angelo says. “With our @Home cabinetry, you can choose from all the latest colors and styles, so if you want white, blue, or gray cabinets with Shaker style doors, we have them. And now, even classic woodgrain cabinets are making a comeback.”

The same advantages that apply to Northeast Factory Direct’s new @Home cabinetry also apply to its new @Home flooring line—including low prices, large selection, easy access to inventory, faster ordering, and better quality.

Consider this: NEFD’s flooring is 12-mil and starts at $1.99 per foot. Compare that to the big box stores’ 6-mil flooring (half as thick) for about $3 per foot.

“When this price gets out and people get educated about this flooring, it’s going to blow the roof off this place,” Angelo beams. “And our LVP (luxury vinyl plank) is a floating installation—no glue. You can install it yourself on a weekend or we can arrange for professional installation for you. Plus, it’s 100% waterproof. It’s meant for residential installations, but it’s so durable, we have used it for commercial applications as well.”

Northeast Factory Direct has four locations: 3321 W. 140th St. in Cleveland (216-941-7727), 24470 Lakeland Blvd. in Euclid (440-942-7945), 9009 Freeway Dr. in Macedonia (330-436-3960) and 3176 Whitewood St. NW in North Canton (234-901-2099). Hours for the Cleveland, Euclid, Macedonia and North Canton locations are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To sit down with a kitchen designer, an appointment is recommended. Get directions from anywhere when you visit the website at NortheastFactoryDirect.com.