“Blood is thicker than water” is a common adage to describe the sacredness of family. Wise quotes like this have been displayed on Allied Kitchen and Bath’s iconic east and west marquee sign on Oakland Park Blvd for 37 years. The brothers change their prophetic quotes weekly and constantly receive calls and emails from drivers about the heartfelt quotes.
For Allied Kitchen and Bath president Bill Feinberg, working with family has been his lifetime endeavor. From Bill’s early Philadelphia days assisting his father Nate Feinberg in his hair salon in the 1960s & 1970s along with brothers Joe, David, and Rob, to his launching of Allied Kitchen and Bath in 1984 in Fort Lauderdale, high quality work and philanthropy has been his benchmark.
Allied Kitchen and Bath: A Family Business
The Feinberg brothers launched a window cleaning and handyman business in Philadelphia in their teen and college years as their father’s salon customers requested odd jobs done in their homes.
Bill vacationed in Florida, and began working for a remodeling company in the early to mid-1980s. After this brief stint, Bill and Joe Feinberg opened Allied Kitchen on Prospect Road in 1984.
1985 marked the Feinberg brothers’ move to their signature showroom on 616 W Oakland Park Blvd. Initially, the showroom was a series of 3 separate buildings, housing kitchens, bathrooms and a window showroom individually.
Father Nate Feinberg ran permits and errands for his sons and Harriett Feinberg was the bookkeeper. Eventually all of the Feinberg brothers joined the sales team and cousins, aunts and uncles also fulfilled job duties.
A Visionary Idea
In 2008, on the cusp of a recession, Bill envisioned one single magnificent showroom to house kitchens, bathrooms, tile, flooring, decorative hardware and cabinets. In 2009, Feinberg opened his 15,000 square foot showroom on Oakland Park Blvd.
Since the new showroom’s launch, Allied has maintained a steady stream of kitchen, bath, tile and flooring and complete home remodeling projects, as well as a retail cash and carry business of products only to homeowners, designers, contractors and trade professionals too, offering Cabinetry, Plumbing Fixtures, Tile, Lighting and Decorative Hardware products – all at the best quality, and discounted prices too.
Home to Philantropic Events
“Pay it forward” has been Bill’s credo particularly since the sudden death of father Nate Feinberg to an extremely aggressive leukemia in May 2003.
Immediately after his father’s death, Bill teamed with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for a fundraiser in his honor, raising almost one hundred thousand dollars in one night. Bill eventually became the Chair of the Board of The LLS, then went on to Light the Night and many other fundraising events at the spacious showroom (Feinberg shares that he built the showroom with winding stairs and a stage specifically to host fundraising events).
Bill has an even longer relationship with Habitat for Humanity of Broward and has for 25-30 years donated kitchen appliances and cabinets that are removed from homes, subsequently sold at Habitat’s Resell store to fund Habitat house builds. He has hosted many other non profit agency events including, US Military events, Boys and Girls Club , Pace Center for Girls, Handy and Jessica June Children’s Cancer, to name a few, at their showroom. Since the new showroom’s launch, Bill has hosted over 200 philanthropic events.
More than Just a Remodeling Firm
Feinberg asserts that his reputation for customer satisfaction, mandatory licensed, insured and permitted work, and fulfilling customer’s promises are the major competitive advantages of Allied Kitchen and Bath.
Allied also has many many long term employees including Lewis Reif (37 years with the firm), Jim Janik (15 years), Pam Moskowitz (25) and Vilare Dubreus (27 years). This is a true testament to the way the company values its employees.
The Allied price point is moderate, despite public perception that their price point is high end. In reality, the Allied price point ranges from moderate to high end, offering exceptional quality workmanship, honesty and fair prices. “We guarantee 100% satisfaction”, says Bill.
Many competitors promise lower price, but fail to pull permits, and fail to use licensed and insured subcontractors .
Ultimately, lower price quote competitors may not be doing required permits and inspections for home remodel. If an unlicensed and unpermitted remodel job is performed in a customer’s house, and that customer decides to move or is caught by code enforcement, doing unlicensed work, the customer is responsible for fines and penalties, and often much bigger problems.
The Feinberg brothers insist on permitted, high quality work for ultimate client safety and satisfaction. Hence, in many cases, the initial moderate price that Allied offers ultimately matches a less expensive competitor’s price that excludes necessary permit costs, contract license and insurance costs.
Many clients come back to us after the fact and tell us they wish they used us because in the end, our prices were the same, but ours would have been without all the headaches, long timelines and inferior quality.
Keeping Pace with COVID-19 Pandemic
In the showroom, there is a mandatory mask mandate, appointments are preferred, virtual work and zoom calls are available, plexiglass protection is utilized and shopper volume is limited for social distancing.
At jobsites, the workers partition off construction area from the residing customers, they use HEPA filters and PPE protective gear and they maintain a basic containment area separating the workers from the customers.
Much More to Come
Bill visualizes further expansion of Allied to other locations possibly and for eventual acquisition by another larger national company. Allied is firmly entrenched in the kitchen and bath industry, particularly industry association NKBA, National Kitchen and Bath Association and DPHA, Decorative Hardware & Plumbing Association as well as local construction groups here in South Florida.
After 37 years in the South Florida remodeling industry, Allied has flourished and achieved a brand and high quality reputation for excellence.
The Feinbergs have no imminent retirement plans, so Allied Kitchen and Bath will remain an integral part of the Sofl remodeling and construction boom.
Allied Kitchen and Bath: 616 West Oakland Park Blvd | Fort Lauderdale
