* What: Custom furniture and cabinets
* Company: Cabeen Originals Custom Woodworking
* Address: Hamilton County Small Business Development Center, 100 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 333
* Web site: www.cabeenoriginals.com
* Telephone: 756-8668
* Owner: Aaron Cabeen, 27
* What’s special: Custom-made artisanal furniture and cabinetry made entirely from solid woods, not plywood
* The origin story: Beginning as a pre-teen, Mr. Cabeen spent his summers working with his father, who was also a carpenter, cleaning up job sites while he learned the trade.
* How long does it take to make: Most pieces don’t take more than 100 man hours, except large cabinet jobs, which can take 200-250 man hours.
* Where it’s sold: Primarily customized projects, but some pieces are available at The Furniture Shoppe on Fourth Avenue and at SmartFurniture on Manufacturers Road.
* How long have they been making them: In his mid-20s, Mr. Cabeen began doing contractual work, operating primarily out of his truck. In 2007, he opened his first shop. His last relocation was in January 2009, when he began operating out of the Small Business Development Center.
* Future expansions planned: Doing market research to find other retail outlets to supplement direct-to-public sales.
* Lessons of the trade: “Stay out of debt, at all costs,” Mr. Cabeen said, laughing. “I’ve aggressively worked to keep the debt I accrue extremely low. Cash flow is key in business.” He also suggested carefully researching before entering into potential business partnerships and honing a business model before committing resources to production.
— Compiled by staff writer Casey Phillips, cphillips@timesfreepress.com