Local Salesman Turns Unemployment into Kitchen Cabinet Business

After Tony Papay of Avon lost his sales job in the recession, he decided to take matters into his own hands and start his own kitchen cabinet business, which features the handiwork of Cleveland-area artists.

Avon Kitchen Cabinet Outlet, located at 37313 Detroit Road, officially opened May 7, but a Grand Opening celebration will be heldat 9 a.m.  June 4.

Papay's business sense goes all the way back to when he was a teenager.

“I sold worms,” he said. “I had a bait business when I was 15. I wanted money to get my driver's license, and I was too young to get a job, so I sold night crawlers.”

In his early 20s, Papay started his sales career at Sears in the home improvement department. He slowly worked his way up the ranks into electronics and appliances. His worked for Sears for 14 years.

Then he worked at for five years. He started selling appliances and then moved into the kitchen design department.

In 2008, when the recession hit, Papay lost his job. So, for two years, he became “Mr. Mom” and took care of his toddler and his mom, who has Alzheimer’s, while he collected unemployment benefits.

He returned to work as a part-time salesperson at for a month and then worked at Northeast Factory Direct for six months.

“I decided I could do the same thing, but better,” Papay said.

So, he saved up money and decided to start his own business in kitchen cabinets and design.

He originally wanted to open his shop in Independence or Parma to attract customers from both sides of Cleveland, but the rent there was too high. He eventually found a storefront on Detroit Road in Avon that fit his budget and a warehouse space on Colorado Avenue for shipments and deliveries, and said it has worked out well.

“We've had a good response so far,” he said. “A lot of locals are coming in. It takes a while to establish a base, but I'm still hoping to reach customers on the east and west side.”

To do so, he's been advertising in local newspapers, and if his budget allows, he'd like to advertise on WDOK in June. He hopes to draw people through his quirky advertising style, he said.

Papay also is working on a Web site for the store, and family and friends are helping him create a logo, photography, and an ad on YouTube.

Although the cabinets are assembled and shipped from distributors all over the country, he'd like his business to be known for its local fare.

“I'm trying to carry neat things that (places like) Lowe's and Home Depot don't have,” he said. “I get local people that sell and make things, like counter tops and anything that is not of the standard. That's what keeps people's interest. I'm working with a guy who can paint plaster to look like marble and another who can make designs in cabinet doors to give it a cabin or country flare. I like local art. They're all Cleveland-area people.”

Besides the local artistry he offers in his business, Papay also wants to emphasize quality customer service. “I want to be that guy who's the hardware guy of kitchens and baths,” he said. “If I don't have it, I'm going to get it. That's my mission.”

Avon Kitchen Cabinet Outlet is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, call Papay at the store at 440-864-2540.