Washington Business Winter 2018 | Washington Business | Page 31

what’s working
Manufacturer of the Year
Opened in 2012, this family-
owned and operated company
is the largest independently
owned craft distillery in
Washington. It has also been the
most awarded craft distillery in
North America for four years running. In just five years, it
has grown to 61 employees and three locations, including
two more coming online.
location: Based in Gig Harbor
the product: A variety of craft spirits, from vodka to gin,
including well-known labels such as its Batch No. 12 Bourbon
and BSB (Brown Sugar Bourbon).
point of excellence: Product innovation, local sourcing
and good employment practices that instill a sense of
common purpose through effective leadership and company
culture. The company believes in finding the right people,
Operational Excellence
This Monroe manufacturer has been
making affordable custom-framed
and frameless style kitchen, bath
and closet cabinetry in Washington
since 1981. After demand for home
construction fell during the Great
Recession, then came back during
the economic recovery in new ways, Canyon Creek retooled
— standardizing manufacturing production processes to
eliminate redundancy.
location: The company operates from a 285,000-square-
foot factory and showroom in Monroe.
the product: Canyon Creek manufactures four product
lines: Cornerstone (custom framed cabinets); Millennia
(custom frameless cabinets); Katana (value frameless
cabinets); and Canyon Creek Closets Plus (closet organization
and storage).
Heritage Distilling Company
equipping them to do their job, then
letting them get the job done. Just
as his company is innovating in
the marketplace, co-founder Justin
Stiefel, a licensed attorney, is active
in the Legislature to help inform and
shape laws concerning distilleries.
how it’s done: Heritage considers itself a “brainstorming
factory” with a culture that can turn ideas into products the
very next day. Unique marketing programs like its Cask Club
and My Batch programs allow customers to become part of the
production process. Products like its Spirits Advent Calendar
bring together quality product and creative promotions that
make an impression on customers.
in their words: “We’re helping put Washington on the
map in terms of craft distilleries.”
— Justin Stiefel, CEO and co-founder
Canyon Creek Cabinet Company
point of excellence: Canyon Creek
combines a highly skilled workforce,
the latest high-tech manufacturing
equipment, and professional craftspeople
using old-world techniques.
how it’s done: Much of the process
of creating fine cabinetry is still done by hand, since that’s
the best way to achieve the high-quality furniture-like result
that customers expect. However, the company is embracing
automation as it looks to the future.
in their words: “About two years ago we completely
redid how we manufacture our contemporary products. We
took what used to be different steps of the process and aligned
them strategically... This new process resulted in a number
of dramatic changes for us. It increased capacity, it increased
our quality, and it increased our efficiency as we move toward
automation.”
— Robert Foote, president and CEO
winter 2018
31