Meric “Bo” Olson and wife Sandie

Alpine Woodworks Creative Cabinetry

91911 Akerstedt Road, Astoria

Bo and Sandie Olson give a personal touch to quality kitchen cabinetry. Before starting on the project, take a country drive and visit their shop and sample kitchens three miles southeast of Svensen. Call (503) 440-3635 for an appointment between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.What do you do?

“We custom design, build and install cabinets. We are a family-owned business that takes pride in giving our clients what they want. We work around what the person wants and build it to the space available. We care about the details and we will not compromise on any part of the job. One of our specialties is custom finishes, stain and clear coat using Sherwin Williams products. We start every project by talking with the homeowner to better understand their needs, and then I draw the cabinets using computer-aided design. The client can then see what the finished result will look like and we can make changes as desired. Communication is a very important aspect of this business so we can make sure everything fits and works well for the customer. I always go to the site and have the client come and visit our shop and see samples. I also provide a CD with 150 photos of our work available for preview.”

How did you get started doing this?

“We started out doing crafts and then someone asked us to make cabinets. One door led to another and we started with traditional face frame cabinets in 1992 in a shop in Hillsboro. After seven years we came back to the coast because we love it here and have been here now for seven years.”

What is your volume of business?

“We have been doing about one house a month. These projects have been for three-to four-thousand-square-foot homes for high-end contractors. We also do smaller projects.”

What are you doing to adjust to the economy?

“As everyone knows, the construction business is way down. There is a lot more remodeling going on right now. I am doing more small projects now that I would have turned down in the past because of lack of time. I might do three small projects a month instead of one large one, but I am still reaching out to big contractors. I do a lot more of the work myself now, instead of hiring help. I used to outsource the doors and cabinets and now I build them in-house. Also, I am expanding, to build out of reclaimed materials. It is important to be flexible and have the door open to what comes along. I have also become licensed and bonded for Washington and have had some projects on the peninsula.”