Paid Apprenticeship Program
We offer opportunities for all skill levels to carve out their own career path in cabinetmaking. Learn while getting paid!
We are building an organization where there are no dead-end jobs. There are always opportunities in our system to qualify for more responsibility and higher income, and you always know what is required to achieve them.
You can start at the bottom and master the skills required to advance to the top over time. Or, if you already have some of the right experience, you can start in the middle, fill in any holes, and advance to the top. Or you can qualify for the job you are best at.
After all, our growth depends on having people fully qualified for better jobs by the time we need them there.
We teach modern cabinet manufacturing based on the principles of the Toyota Production System. As a result, crosstraining and employee development are built into the system. We all share in the same rewards (or suffer in the same consequences) together.
“Because of the quality of Spencer Cabinets, we are able to charge less for their installation over that of other cabinet companies.
“We know that every cabinet will be built correctly, making them easier and quicker to install.”
— Finish Carpenter
Cabinetmaking
- Cutting — Computer optimized lumber and panel cutting
- Machining — Grooving, notching, drilling panels, tenoning, mortising, coping, moulding lumber
- Component Assembly — Doors, face frames, drawers, cases, special accessories
- Sanding & Staining — Final sanding of all parts, handwipe stain, seal sanding
- Finishing — Spraying wash coats, stains, toners, sealer, topcoats, special finishes, seal sanding
- Final Assembly — Door and drawer installation, special subassemblies, packaging accessories
- Shipping — Loading trucks, delivery, job site staging, furniture pad recovery, some collection
Cabinetmaking Support
- Customer Design and Pricing — Designing casework, preparing proposals and contracts
- Cabinet Detailing — Preparing computerized plant cutting lists and assembly instructions
- Purchasing — Ordering lumber, sheet stock, hardware, supplies, and tools; inventory control
- Accounting — A/P, A/R, payroll, monthly closing, reports, taxes
All employees must perform routine operator maintenance on equipment in their area.
Crosstraining is so important that we base our entire compensation system on it. Wages are based on management-assigned Cabinetmaking skill areas the employee has mastered and can consistently perform to company standards:
Entry Level — Wages paid until one or more Cabinetmaking skill areas are mastered
Level I — Fully mastered one Cabinetmaking skill area (Entry Level wages plus $1.00)
Level II — Fully mastered two Cabinetmaking skill areas (Level I wages plus $1.00)
Level III — Fully mastered three Cabinetmaking skill areas (Level II wages plus $1.00)
Every Cabinetmaking employee is expected to achieve at least Level III performance and wages in a reasonable amount of time. In addition, we have a limited number of certain positions (Level III wages plus up to $2.00):
Utility — Fully mastered all Cabinetmaking skill areas, can perform any to company standards
Shift Lead Person — Fully mastered all Cabinetmaking skill areas, demonstrated leadership
We also have one salaried position for each of the following:
Production Manager — Mastered Cabinetmaking skill areas, leadership and organization
Assistant Plant Manager — Mastered all Support skill areas, training to becoming Plant Manager
Plant Manager — Mastered all Cabinetmaking and Support skill areas, leadership and organization
In addition, we pay a monthly profit-sharing bonus which is frequently several more dollars per hour.
We pay a monthly profit-sharing bonus to all employees based on the success of the previous month. This bonus is intended to be a significant proportion of any employee’s compensation, sometimes exceeding 25% when everything clicks.
The overall Bonus Pool is determined by a fixed significant percentage of net profits. If there are no net profits, there is no bonus.
Individual bonuses are calculated by first determining Share Points based on an employee’s total hours worked multiplied by the nominal hourly wage rate as of the last day of the bonus month. Share Points for all employees are added up, and the bonus pool is divided in proportion to the individual employee’s Share Points. New employees are eligible from their first hour worked.
Employees can earn more bonus by working together to make more profits, by working the maximum number of hours available, and by qualifying for a higher wage rate. An employee can lose his/her bonus by quitting or being terminated before bonuses are distributed the following month, by being in Written attendance status, or by being in any other Written disciplinary status. Forfeited bonuses are distributed to the rest of the team.
We want to talk to you if you are interested in being a part of modern cabinet manufacturing. Please be advised we are a very disciplined group with a strict “no fault” attendance policy and other work rules designed to eliminate distractions from making money for the team. No slackers need apply.
First you must meet the following qualifications:
- Be an American citizen or have a valid “green card” (i.e., meet the I-9 requirements)
- Be able to pass a drug screen
- Have reliable means of transportation
Next, you must apply in person between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Monday through Thursday) at:
Spencer LLC
17381 Tye Street, Suite 3 (our showroom)
Monroe, WA
If you are unable to come in during regularly scheduled business hours, please call us at
360-805-2500 to set up a special time.
Bring information about all your previous jobs including dates employed, phone numbers and supervisors’ names. You will be asked to complete an application on our premises.
