13 years ago, Jolanda Slagmolen-Flores and her husband Humberto Flores opened up their own business here in Calgary. Their initial motivation was to simply create more flexibility for their young family, but as they have grown, it’s become so much more.
“It was great being able to bring my son to work with me when he was in preschool and kindergarten. Now, 13 years later, both my son and daughter are working with us,” says Jolanda.
On May 3, 2019, Jolanda was one of the lucky recipients of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Fund, set up by the federal government. This was an incredible moment for Jolanda and her family, because not only did it mean that they could have financial peace-of-mind in their business, but they could now work towards better fulfilling their promise to their clients by providing high-quality cabinetry more quickly and affordably.
With the funding they received, they purchased a CNC machine, which is a computer-programmed piece of equipment that can cut and drill all of their cabinet parts.
Up until now, they were using a variety of programs to help design and price their cabinets, and the cuts were generally all done manually, a process that was cumbersome and could result in human error.
The new CNC machine will allow Jolanda and the team to streamline their processes, resulting in more efficient turnaround times and more affordable pricing for clients. In addition to the new equipment, they have also invested in new design software which can send information directly to the CNC machine.
“To be honest, I don’t know how we would have been able to invest in the new technology without this funding, “ says Jolanda. “We went through a few very tough years that have been hard to recover from. However, this software and equipment will allow us to offer a unique product that is beautiful, affordable, and available much more quickly than our traditional custom cabinetry.”
“It’s been a game-changer for our business and will give us the capability to do things we haven’t been able to do before – I now can see opportunities I would have never imagined,” beams Jolanda.
Through grit and determination, Jolanda and her family have blazed a path for Albertan entrepreneurs and have truly made use of all the resources that they have received. For the future, they hope to continue to simplify their designs and make the renovation process hassle-free for their clients.
What is coming next? More curated styles, integrated innovative design elements, flooring, countertops – the sky is the limit!
Those are all goals that Jolanda has for the company, but for right now she is content with where her business is going, working with homeowners to create a look and feel that they can fall in love with time after time.
“Being a family-run business also means that we take a very personal interest in our clients and their homes,” says Jolanda. “This is not just a job for us. We put our heart and soul into creating a personalized space that our clients will love.”