Hall’s Cabinet Works, which has been operating in Bainbridge since 1966, was recently featured in the summer issue of Design Solutions, the magazine of The Architectural Woodwork Institute.

The featured article is entitled “Now Serving Students,” and details the work that HCW Incorporated did at Bainbridge College, providing countertops, cabinets and casework for the college’s recently remodeled student center. HCW was hired to build and install the transaction counter, which included check-in stations, computer stations and wall accent pieces.

Architect Keith Barrett designed the counter and HCW produced the work from his drawings.
Wendell “Chip” Hall Jr., president of HCW, said that the company regularly does work outside of Decatur County, and this was a unique opportunity for the company’s workers to see the fruits of their labor up-close.

“Everybody in the company had a hand in this project, and it is very special to us,” he said.
Hall explained that local photographer Joy Key took the photos at the BC student center, and the company provided the text and architectural drawings for the story. He said that woodworking companies are invited to submit their projects for inclusion in the magazine, and this was the first time that HCW has had one of their projects chosen.

“We were very honored that they chose to feature our project and feature our local college,” he said.

HCW designs, fabricates and installs educational, medical and science casework throughout Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The company is headquartered in Bainbridge, with a 35,000-square-foot facility, and averages 12 full-time staff members.

HCW’s current local projects include renovations at the Bainbridge City Hall, and Memorial Hospital and Manor. The company also completed about $1.05 million worth of work at the new Bainbridge High School, but most of its business is done outside of Decatur County.

Some of HCW’s projects include Richmond Hill Elementary School in Richmond Hill, Ga., Fort Gordon military base in Augusta, Ga., Family Tree Medical Center in Albany, Ga., and Southeast Technical College in Vidalia, Ga. The company has also worked on a science facility at Auburn University.

Hall said that the woodworking business has changed tremendously due to the improvement in technology. For example, a technician can now build a computer-based model of a cabinet piece, and then the saw will automatically make the cuts exactly where they are needed to reproduce that model.

“We’re beyond the days of the table saw,” Hall said. “Now, our workers have to know how to use computers to do most of the work. Even though we have a lot more machines, we still need people to operate them, so we haven’t had to cut staff.”

He said that most components are built in Bainbridge, and then transported to the different project locations, where they are installed.

“Every job is different and provides a different set of challenges,” he said.