Falls Church Cabinetry Vacates Broad Street Space
First of two parts
By STEPHEN SIEGEL
Falls Church Times Staff
January 9, 2010
The Falls Church Cabinetry Company closed its doors for good this week, the victim of an apparent cash crunch and a housing market still suffering a hangover after years of building and rehabbing sated the demand for high-end cabinets.
The company, which manufactured its cabinets in the rear of its showroom at 1001 W. Broad Street, disappeared abruptly on Tuesday. Signs saying “For lease” now hang in the windows of the 10,500 foot building, and the locks have been changed.
Information about the company’s disappearance was hard to come by; its phone has been disconnected, and the person who answered the phone number posted on the “For lease” signs would say only that they’re looking for a new tenant.
But conversations with industry insiders suggest the company was struggling for some time.
The cabinet business is down significantly in the last two years — the only two years in which Falls Church Cabinetry was open. It was started in 2007 in the location of a former rug store. And the high-end cabinet business has probably suffered even more, as the luxury end of the housing market has been more sluggish than the more-affordable end.
The company also was facing an investigation from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) related to the noxious odors emitted from their paint booth, where they sprayed paint on the cabinets.
The paint booth employed toxic volatile organic compounds such as toluene, the DEQ investigation found. Chemical experts say workers applying toluene need to wear a full body protective suit and respirator; absorbing it in sufficient quantities, either through the skin or the lungs, can be fatal.
The DEQ investigation was begun after complaints from neighbors about the odors from the facility. While the investigation was not yet complete, DEQ had determined in December that the company would be required to obtain a permit, and was in the process of preparing a certified letter to the company stating that. They had yet to determine if the odors violated state law, however.
State air quality law is a bit nebulous; there’s no absolute limit on emissions. Instead, the law requires DEQ to engage in a “sniff test” in a subjective attempt to determine if a person with normal sensitivities would be bothered by the smell.
By Stephen Siegel
January 9, 2010
Sorry to hear about any business that fails (especially here in Falls Church). However, businesses engaged in using high VOC chemicals, as your article indicates, should raise a lot of concern. Wouldn’t it be great if it could be replaced by a similar business that utilizes non-toxic, renewable components, aimed at a broader spectrum of the marketplace (e.g. Amicus Green Building Center in Kensington)?
Thanks for your suggestion, Tim Stevens. A great idea. Something geared more toward a broader spectrum of the market, and something green.
I remember when that building was a Redskins merchandise store. As far back as I can remember, no business has stayed at that location longer than about five years.
Peacock Buick was there for many years…
Maybe we could sell Little City trinkets? Any ideas for bobbleheads?
I like the idea of a Redskins merchandise store or a green store.
The shop made some beautiful cabinetry. It would be a shame if they went out of business completely, and for all their employees to be without work in their niche-craftsman industry in today’s economy. I wonder if they have moved, and if they considered modifying their finishing process to be more environmentally friendly. Does anybody know what the back-story is that initiated the DEQ investigation? One would assume that they were required to obtain a permit to paint before they were issued a Certificate of Occupancy. Were they investigated or cited by the city/county for operating without the proper permit? The investigation and closing of the business seem suspiciously rapid. How does the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality identify a “person with normal sensitivities” to determine if s/he is “bothered by the smell”? Although I have never noticed an odor in the area, I wonder if the paint booth was fitted with the proper exhaust/filter equipment. Whether or not, I guess they failed somebody’s “sniff test”! Personally, I would prefer the slight headiness of legal levels of high VOC’s than the stench of Phở and rotisserie chicken in the neighborhood. The location would be great for a Vietnamese disco, or for Red Lobster to return to Falls Church.
Does anyone know what will happen to the displays?
Does anyone know what the lease terms are on this building?
Gus, if you call the City’s Economic Development Office they might be able to tell you what the owners are looking for. The number is 703-248-5491 (I’m not sure if they’re open this Monday or not).
Or, I suppose, you could call the number listed on the banner in the window and ask them.