t was the 1980s, and limousines were the hot ticket for the
wealthy, at least on special occasions. For celebrities, politicians
and top-tier businesspeople, they were a way of life. So when Jim Hoffmann landed a job making custom cabinetry for limousines,
he wasn’t surprised that he walked into a thriving business.

“I did Paul Harvey’s car and President George H. W. Bush’s car;
we had quite a few high-profile clients,” said Hoffmann, who crafted cabinets for televisions, refrigerators, stereos, liquors – all of
the trappings of a limo. “We’d use different veneers to match the car’s colors, and add gadgets that made the TVs swivel out. It
was a fun job.”

But in the early 1990s, the Gulf War began, and suddenly, armored vehicles were a lucrative business. Cadillac and Lincoln –
the main two customers that Hoffmann’s employer served – suddenly cut back on their limo businesses, and Hoffmann and
many of his fellow employees were suddenly without a job.

But Hoffmann saw the change as an opportunity. He started his own business, at first creating limousine cabinetry for local
clients. But then he branched into home cabinetry and fine furniture, and his clientele skyrocketed. Hoffmann, who has been
doing custom woodworking since high school, has a gift for his trade.

His company, Hoffmann Custom Designs., Inc., has developed a vast clientele through referrals and repeat business. Known for its high-quality craftsmanship, the company creates hand-crafted kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, millwork, fine furniture and many other items.

Hoffmann has won gold and bronze awards in his profession for exceptional furniture and wall units. “We’re working on a wall unit right now that will hold three TV’s – one large-screen in the center, and two smaller ones on either said,” he said. “It’s going into the client’s basement, and it will be a dream unit when he wants to watch sports on the weekends. We also designed some cabinetry for a bar in this very same basement. It’s shaping up to be a great place to entertain friends.”

Hoffmann uses a specialized software program called Cabinet Vision that provides precise results for each client’s needs.
“Once I draw an architectural draft of the wall unit, cabinet or furniture piece, I feed the drawing into a computer. The software
is connected to a machine that precision-cuts sheets of wood up to 4 x 8 feet. We’re able to generate parts for whatever unit
we’re doing very quickly and efficiently,” he said.

Maple, cherry, mahogany, birch, exotic woods – Hoffmann can work with any material, either hand-picked by himself or specified
by a client. Many customers have asked that he work with reclaimed wood in the interest of preserving the environment. So
Hoffmann had done his research and made a variety of furniture out of recycled material.

“We did one library all out of reclaimed lumber that came from a pickle factory,” he said with a grin. “The pickle factory had shut down, so we
took the boards from the ceiling, walls and floors, and serviced all that lumber to look beautiful. The library had wood-beam ceilings, nice wall panels, small bookcases…all from lumber that we didn’t have to take
from a forest. It was really wonderful.”

Hoffmann has eight employees including six highly skilled craftsmen
who understand the importance of delivering a product that suits the customer’s expectations. Every cabinet, wall unit and furniture item is custom crafted from the finest hand-selected hardwoods and veneers,
then finished at Hoffmann’s facility in Mundelein.

Hoffmann creations can be found in many businesses, including country clubs and medical offices. But more than 80 percent of Hoffmann’s
business is residential. Many clients have been with the company
through multiple projects and multiple homes.

“It’s a great thing to have repeat business…not just to have the honor
of knowing we’ve satisfied the client, but to get to know people through
the years,” Hoffmann said. “We’ve developed friendships with some
really wonderful people. It’s great to be a member of a community as
friendly as Chicago.”


Hoffmann Custom Designs, Inc.
Architectural Woodworking & Custom Cabinetmaking
888 Tower Road
Mundelein, IL 60060
Phone: (847) 362-9404
Fax: (847) 362-9449
www.hcdcabinets.com