Michael Gilhool Sr., behind reception desk built for M.A.B. Paints
American Wood Design, Inc. is a family owned and operated commercial cabinetry business, located in Chester, PA. Started in 1996 by Michael Gilhool Sr., the business has steadily grown to what it is today.
Michael built his craft while working in the display shop for a Philadelphia based painting company. The display shop constructed and maintained all the paint store’s cabinetry and fixtures. Shockingly, Michael was informed that the display shop was closing and his position at the company had been eliminated. “A blessing in disguise” Gilhool called it. He then presented the idea for the company to barter all the shop machinery and tools in exchange for (2) new store location cabinetry and fixtures. With humble beginnings, Michael started the business above a Doctor’s office in South Philadelphia, PA. Only able to work at night due to the noise, he later moved to Naamans Road Business Park, which housed the business for nearly 20 years. In 2017, American Wood Design moved it’s operations to Chester, PA, expanding from 5,000 sq. ft. to 16,000 sq. ft.
Fast forward to today, American Wood Design has advanced with state of the art technology for all your custom cabinetry needs. American is equipped with a computerized beam saw, CNC router, edgebander and the software to drive the machinery. We are setup to perform high production runs, with the ability to stay nimble to take on even the smallest projects.