March/April 2005Volume #1, Issue #19

Consumer Lead Generation ImprovedFor the past 15 months the number of consumer leads generated through media advertising and the Mouser website has continued to grow. Add the number of phone inquiries received by the Marketing Department and we have an average of 71 consumer leads generated per week.

During the initial stages of the program, Mouser Custom Cabinetry devised a process for qualifying the leads. This method of evaluation was designed to identify the very best leads and distribute the information to the nearest authorized Mouser dealer in a timely fashion. Even though the established process was working, increased lead volume and the lengthier qualifying process began to affect our response time. Submitted responses to the Dealer survey provided us with input and an opportunity to modify the existing lead distribution procedure.

Today, Mouser Custom Cabinetry is unveiling our new and improved lead fulfi llment process. It begins with the receipt of a consumer lead through one of our lead generation channels. Within 72 hours, the Marketing Department will:

1) Review the lead information. 2) Identify the nearest authorized Mouser dealer. 3) Complete a letter that references the address and phone number of the nearest authorized dealer. 4) Mail the letter, the Mouser Selection Guide, and the new Mouser Mailer brochure to the potential customer. 5) Fax a copy of the letter to the specifi ed Mouser dealer and the Mouser sales representative servicing that dealer.

In addition, the Mouser Marketing Department will stamp each viable lead as a “Hot Lead” or a “Warm Lead”. The difference can be very subtle. If a lead requests the address of the nearest Mouser dealer, has a project start date within six months, or provides a phone number for contact (telemarketing laws prohibit us from soliciting phone numbers), then the lead is considered a “Hot Lead”. Leads that do not request their nearest Mouser dealer, omit their phone number, or have project start dates outside of six months are stamped “Warm Lead”.

Every lead letter, regardless of the “Hot” or “Warm” designation, represents a potential Mouser Custom

Cabinetry sale for our authorized dealers. Therefore, all leads should be treated with the same sense of urgency. Early contact of the prospect, even when the project is 10-12 months out, will often secure the sale for the Mouser dealership. That contact could be a personalized phone call or a showroom invitation letter accompanied by the Mouser Creative Expressions Design Portfolio brochure. Regardless of the method, contact within a week after receipt of the lead is the most effective approach.

If you would like to share any recent prospecting experiences or have any questions concerning the Mouser Custom Cabinetry lead generation program, please contact the Mouser Marketing Administrative Assistant at 800-345-7537, extension 325.

The MouserSelection Guide,

and the newMouser Mailer

brochure to be sent to the potential

customer.

Consumer Lead Generation Improved ............................................ Front Cover

Colorful Thoughts on Design..................Pg 2New Mailer Stuffer Literature Available Soon .........................................................Pg 3

Mouser Window/Door Decal ..................Pg 3 Womanʼs Day Advertising ......................Pg 3

Horizon Pricing Software Update...........Pg 4

Dealer Survey Results Evoke Action......Pg 4

Door Pull Location Change ....................Pg 5

Providing Requested Ship Week.............Pg 5

Product Development for 2006...............Pg 5

Better Selling with Mouser Custom Cabinetry Designing Custom Fireplace Surrounds .........................................................Pg 6

2005 Mouser Customer Appreciation .....Pg 7

Feature Kitchen of the Month .................Pg 7

Current Shipping Schedule .........Back Cover

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From the moment that we open our eyes, until the time we close them, our senses are bombard-ed with the constant sights, sounds, and smells of our sur-roundings. Of all of our senses, our vision allows us to perceive the myriad colors of the spectrum and pass those colors on to our brains for processing. Understanding color and more specifically, how and why humans respond to certain colors in certain ways is the field of study that has intrigued Rebecca Ewing, a color theorist based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mouser Custom Cabinetry had the pleasure of hosting Rebecca Ewing during our recent Sales Representative meeting. Rebecca shared her insights on color, human responses to specific colors, trends in the market place and strategic marketing aspects when displaying and selling various colors. Color and appearance are keys to the success of most products.

An interesting aspect of Rebecca’s presentation involved the breakdown of various colors and color groups. The color red is the longest band of color energy and acts as a stimulant, increasing heart rate, respiration and brainwave activity. Yellow, because of its luminosity, competes with red and is a difficult color to work with. The preferred color of Generation Y, the color orange denotes pleasure, fun and play. A variation of orange is good to use in eat-in kitchens and dining rooms. Among those same warm colors, peach and pinks tend to enhance flesh colors and tones. The color pink instills hope, a promising and “pretty” feeling. In addition to acting as a natural relaxer, pink also stimulates the sugar desire.

Cool colors such as navy blue tend to be reserved for the business world. Blue carries religious connotations and is the most popular color. Purple promotes the free flow of information between the left and right brain and allows for restful sleep and healthy dreams. Purple is also recognized as the signature color of the Woodstock generation. Green is a balanced color and is perceived by the human brain as neutral. Ultra conservative, the color brown is reliable, safe and nurturing to those who like it, but dull and boring to those who dislike it.

Neutral colors, such as white, gray and black are learned and not instinctive. They also require greater maintenance. White is not a good decision making color and when used on all walls in a space, causes one to put off the decision making process. Gray is treated as a transition color, while black is a dominating color that adds glamour, glitz, and glitter when used in accent form.

Consumers are curious for new designs, exciting styles, and vibrant colors. In many instances, the consumer’s curiosity for the new and exciting stimulates the imagination. Rebecca recommended that a small display be shown in an exciting color, even though it may never sell. Her example was of a raspberry marble tub in a showroom. The dealer never sold a raspberry tub, but sold several more in white than they would have without the display. Color catches our eye and makes a statement. Eventually it could lead to a final sale that may not have happened otherwise.

Colorful Thoughts on Design

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In May, Mouser Custom Cabinetry will continue its successful consumer based advertising campaign with the next Woman’s Day-Special Interest Publication. Kitchen’s and Baths #4 will hit the newsstands on May 31st with a full-page; four color advertisement entitled “Understated Elegance…Undeniable Quality” and will feature an elegant cherry entertainment center surrounded by display cabinetry and storage units. This featured other room cabinetry application moves away from the previously featured kitchen cabinetry applications and showcases the versatility of Mouser cabinetry when utilized to create stunning designs throughout the home.

Consumer interest in Mouser Custom Cabinetry has remained high throughout the Woman’s Day advertising campaign and has instilled brand awareness and continues to generate interest in the Mouser product line. Consumers expressing interest in Mouser Custom Cabinetry or those inquiring about purchasing the product are provided with the appropriate information by the Mouser Marketing Coordinator. Effective April, 15th, all inquiries are processed and then passed on to the appropriate Dealer(s) as hot leads.

Questions regarding recent advertising, the generation of advertising based leads or lead processing should be directed to the Mouser Marketing Department at extension 304.

Woman s̓ Day Advertising

Mouser Window/Door Decal

Recently, Mouser Custom Cabinetry sent each of our Authorized Dealerships a complimentary window/door decal. These new, self-adhering, 11” X 7-1/2” decals have a transparent backing with a four-color imprint Mouser Custom Cabinetry logo. Intended to identify your dealership as an authorized supplier of Mouser Custom Cabinetry, these new full-color decals are sure to set your showroom apart from the competition and create more brand awareness in the marketplace.

Additional Mouser Custom Cabinetry decals are available at a cost of $12.50 list for each decal. Available co-op funds may be applied to further reduce the cost of your window decals. If you would like to order additional Mouser Custom Cabinetry window decals, please feel free to contact us at 800-345-7537, extension 5.

New Mailer Stuffer Literature Available Soon

Mouser Custom Cabinetry will soon be adding our redesigned Mailer Stuffer to our marketing collateral product offerings. The existing pamphlet style Mailer Stuffer is being replaced with a newly reformatted accordion fold brochure and will have a folded display size of 3.875” wide X 8.5” tall and an open (unfolded) display size of 27.5” X 8.5”.

Not hindered by the limited page size of the outdated Mailer Stuffer brochure, this new accordion fold brochure provides the same visual space, but in a more expandable format. This new format allows us the opportunity to showcase several samples of Mouser cabinetry in various applications, from kitchens to bath vanities. The redesign has allowed us the opportunity to focus more on the actual cabinetry photography and rely less on the accompanying text.

As this new literature becomes available, Mouser will offer a marketing promotion, thereby allowing each of our authorized Dealers an opportunity to acquire this new literature during the introductory promotion. With a list price of $1.00 each, combined with available co-op reimbursement, this new literature will provide an inexpensive opportunity to further promote Mouser Custom Cabinetry.

Be on the lookout for promotional information featuring Mouser Custom Cabinetry’s newest literature offering.

Understated Elegance Undeniable QualityWoman s̓ Day, SIP - Kitchens & Baths #4; May 31, 2005

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Horizon Pricing Software Update

The Horizon Pricing software introduced in October of 2003 continues to be updated and improved to best meet the needs of the Mouser Custom Cabinetry Dealer Base.

The most recent release included new options including a “Favorites” feature. This feature gives the user the ability to select a list for both cabinet items and modifi cations that are then displayed as “Favorites”. This gives you the ability to tailor Horizon to best fi t your needs!

CABINET FAVORITESCheck or Uncheck Cabinet as a Favorite.Display Favorites

MODIFICATION FAVORITESCheck or Uncheck Modifi cation as a Favorite.Display Favorites

Many Horizon users are taking advantage of the capability to submit the order electronically over the internet! For those of you who have not yet taken advantage of this feature, the steps to submit an order are very simple. While connected to the internet, click on the option to SUBMIT shown at the bottom of the Horizon tree. You will then be asked if you would like to attach drawings. You may attach AutoCad, 20/20, or Cabinet Vision Drawings with the order or you can select NO and fax the drawings to the Order Services Department. After making the decision regarding drawings, you are immediately given the Mouser work order number. And that is it! You have submitted your fi rst Horizon order electronically!

If you would like more information regarding the Horizon pricing software, the Mouser Customer Service department would be happy to assist you. Give us a call at 800-345-7537 extension 5!

Dealer Survey Results Evoke ActionOn December 21, 2004, Mouser Custom Cabinetry distributed a Dealer Survey to all authorized Mouser Dealers and requested an evaluation of the Company’s overall performance. The Dealer commentary has been reviewed, and the data has been computed and analyzed. The grading system identifi ed the most important opportunities for improvement, and the Mouser Management has addressed many of them with introductions or action plans.

It was obvious the consumer lead generation program, lacked visibility among Mouser Dealers. Steps have been taken to distribute all leads (see the feature article on page 1) in a timely, accurate manner. Under the new lead fulfi llment program, which began April 15, more consumer leads will be distributed to Mouser Dealers.

Concerns about Mouser literature were expressed in the survey, and two new brochures have been developed. The new Mouser Selection Guide has

been in circulation since early March, and the Mouser Mailer/Stuffer brochure will be available before May 1. In addition, several other recommended pieces of literature are being evaluated.

In the area of product development, two outstanding opportunities were identifi ed and plans have been set in motion. In response to growing requests, Mouser Custom Cabinetry will introduce quarter-sawn white oak this summer. Of equal importance to Mouser Dealers was the need for more glaze colors in the fi nish offering. A fi nish task force has been formed to investigate adding glaze colors to our product offering.

Mouser Custom Cabinetry values the input of our business partners, and our actions speak louder than words. We continue to analyze the information collected and more improvements will be made. We plan to keep you informed.

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Providing Requested Ship WeekWhen placing orders with Mouser Custom Cabinetry, please provide a requested ship week for your order. The Order Services staff uses the requested dates to prioritize the orders to ensure that we are able to meet the needs of your Clients. In addition, when a date that is requested is unavailable, you will be contacted upon receipt of the order and advised when you can expect the order so that you may communicate this information to your Clients.

Please do not note the order as A.S.A.P. This does not provide the Order Services staff with the information needed to properly prioritize the order. By selecting your desired week on the order form, the Order Services staff is able to take the best advantage of the space available in the production schedule which will allow us to maintain the lowest possible lead times.

Thank you for your help! Keep those orders coming!

Door Pull Location Change

Our Classic and Designer series hardware offers a wide variety of options to the consumer. The Classic series offers either single knobs or 3” center pulls in finishes of chrome, brass, iron, and copper to name a few. The Designer series offers more variety of pull sizes, shapes, and finishes than the Classic. The hardware in each of these series was chosen in an attempt to meet the consumer’s own style at various price points.

Mouser Custom Cabinetry now offers a variety of pull options that may be specified with hardware attached or drill for hardware placement. New hardware styles, along with shifting consumer trends necessitated the improvements to Mouser’s surface hardware placement locations.

The introduction of our Classic and Designer series hardware presented a convenient time to incorporate another product improvement. As a result, we have moved the standard horizontal placement of our hardware. All hardware featured on either our Classic or Designer series boards will have the pull centered in the flat area of the door stile. The flat area is the distance between the outside edge profile and the inside framing profile. This change will give a more balanced appearance to the overall door. Internally our production teams have specific horizontal drilling locations based on the door edge profile and the door framing profile. The combination of these two items determines the horizontal drill location. Our previous horizontal standard used one dimension to place all pulls. This dimension was measured in from the outside door edge. See the example for a general result of how this change will appear.

Orders requesting hardware selections other than the Classic or Designer series will be sent without a pull or drill hole (no pull or hole). If an additional or a replacement door is needed with the pull drilled, please provide specific information with your order on the pull location and type.

Product Development for 2006In order to stay on top of market trends in the kitchen and bath industry and provide our authorized Dealers with the most current product offerings, Mouser Custom Cabinetry’s Product Development team is hard at work gathering product and information for inclusion in the 2006 Price and Specification catalogs.

In many instances, some of the best ideas for product improvements or additions to our product offerings come from you, our Dealers. We would like to ask that you take this opportunity to review your files and share any new cabinetry styles or modified cabinetry designs with the Mouser Custom Cabinetry Product Development team.

Any input regarding improvement to or additions to the Mouser Custom Cabinetry product offering should be directed to Product Development, attention Kimberly Winskye at extension 345.

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Originally incorporated into the home as a source of light and heat and a place to heat water and prepare food, the fireplace was an integral part of everyday life. Today, the fireplace is often utilized not so much as a part of everyday survival, but a working accessory to the home. Other than the kitchen, the fireplace provides a central localized area for family and friends to gather and visit.

There is nothing that can take the place of the cozy warmth of a crackling fire on a cold winter evening. After a hectic day, a fire in the fireplace can create a relaxing atmosphere for you and your family. Over the years, the fireplace, which was once a necessity for survival, has become the focal point of your living room or family room. Mouser Custom Cabinetry can help you create a beautiful fireplace surround to accent your fireplace. In this article, we will explore the many options and components available to help you design that one of a kind fireplace.

Mouser Custom Cabinetry currently offers many of the components needed to create an eye-catching design. On page 9-30 of our Overlay Price and Specification Catalog you will find our Fireplace Mantle which creates the focal point and is the most important component of a fireplace surround. You can order the fireplace mantle as shown in our catalog or you may create a custom look by incorporating many of the mouldings and embellishments that are available.

Two important parts of a fireplace surround are the adjoining columns which support the mantle. These pieces not only provide support for the mantle, but they also frame the fireplace and create more of a focal point. Our columns can be modified with a number of embellishments offered in our catalog. (A good starting point is to specify the columns shown on page 10-49 of our Overlay Catalog.)

Designing Custom Fireplace SurroundsYou may consider incorporating flutes, reeding onlays, spindle legs and wood carvings into your column designs. Another popular application that may be utilized when designing your surround is the application of the optional wainscot panel design to the surround columns.

Many designers don’t stop with just the fireplace surround, but design and create elaborate custom enclosures that are installed above and around the actual fireplace mantle shelf. These areas may then be utilized as a gallery area to display pictures, paintings, mirrors or other pieces of selected artwork. You may also consider applying wainscot panels to the walls around the fireplace enclosure for a more formal fireplace area. When incorporating wainscot panels into your design, please be aware of our maximum wainscot panel sizes.

Popular custom applications that we see in our Custom Quotes Department are surrounds that have been designed incorporating Enkeboll® carvings and Art for Everyday® wood carvings. These companies offer an extensive selection of surround components that may be incorporated into your design. Please contact our Custom Quotes Department at extension 208 for additional information.

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This year, marks a milestone for Mouser Custom Cabinetry as we celebrate our fi ftieth year in the custom cabinetry manufacturing business, and to thank our valued Dealers for their support and business for the past 50 years, we are inviting you to join us for Mouser Custom Cabinetry Customer Appreciation Days, June 3rd and 4th, 2005.

We have planned a variety of activities for this fi ftieth anniversary celebration, and would like to invite you, your spouse, and your staff to join us to experience a little bit of Kentucky and its history. On Friday, June 3rd, we are offering a tour of the Mouser Custom Cabinetry plant in the morning, followed by a catered luncheon in the Auditorium of our new building addition. After lunch, you will have your choice of tours to Maker’s Mark Distillery, Louisville Slugger Plant and Museum or The Louisville Glassworks.

The tour of Maker’s Mark Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky offers a look back into the history of bourbon making and a chance to dip your own bottle of Maker’s Mark in their trademark red wax. Since 1884, Louisville Slugger bats have been in the hands of baseball players. Their unique manufacturing facility and museum offers an insight as to how a simple piece of wood becomes one of the most famous baseball bats in the world. A free miniature souvenir bat is included with the tour, and their gift shop offers a variety of items for the baseball fan in you. The Glassworks in downtown Louisville is a beautiful working glass studio and museum showcasing the talent and artwork of local artisans. Included in this

tour is a video on the history and origins of glass, the Glassworks Hot Shop where resident artists blow glass in its “liquid” state, and a cold-working studio which is the origin of Glassworks. After the tours, you will be transported back to the Mouser Custom Cabinetry plant to enjoy a nostalgic trip back to the hoppin’ 50’s, (our theme for the evening) for dinner and an evening of socializing. Plan on joining in the fun as we swing back to the 1950’s to celebrate the beginning of Mouser Custom Cabinetry!

On Saturday, June 4th, the fun continues with “A Day at the Races” at the famous Churchill Downs in downtown Louisville. Enjoy thoroughbred racing at the nation’s fi nest and newly remodeled race track! We will be viewing the action from the outdoor balconies or sitting in cool comfort in the enclosed seating areas of “Millionaire’s Row”. Numerous pari-mutuel windows are located throughout the area, with live video monitors so that you can catch all the action! The gates open at 11:30 am, and the museum opens at 9:00 am.

Mouser will provide up to two nights lodging at the Best Western Atrium Gardens, with transportation to and from the hotel on Friday, June 3rd. Due to a limited number of available spots for “A Day at the Races”, we will be accepting reservations until the slots are full. Deadline for registration is May 6, 2006. Please contact Peggy LaGray, extension 298 or Joyce Duncan, extension 325 for more information.

2005 Mouser Customer Appreciation Days

Cabinetry by: VonTobel Lumber Company Valparaiso, IN

American fi nish on cherry cabinetry with Briarwood door style combine to create a beautiful Arts and Crafts style kitchen.

Important Information!Please forward to all Sales, Design and Purchasing Staff

Upcoming Holiday ReminderMouser Custom Cabinetry will be closed on Monday, May 30th

in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday.

Lead times listed below are based on Mouser’s receipt of a processable order. Orders received with missing or incomplete information will have additional time added to the posted lead time schedule.

Standard Production Door Styles..5 - 7 weeks

Extended Production Door Styles: ............... Up to 9 weeks Amherst, Andover, Belmont, Churchill, Concord, Elite, Fairmont, Franklin, Gentry, Glendale, Harbor, Liberty, Monaco, Oldham, Quest, Venice, Heartland, Wellington, Winchester, and Madison style drawer fronts. Ashland, Brookshire, Harbor, Princeton and Tiffany in hickory, oak or pine.

All Curved Doors/Frames/Crown Mouldings, Mitered Doors in pine, and orders with cherry or maple decorative wood carvings. ....................................................................... Up to 9 weeks

Expedite Services Available (Days shown are plus shipping time)

14-Day Finish-up Service14-day Finish-up service may be requested for small orders such as appliance panels, wainscot panels, or additional cabinetry being added to an existing job, based on our current production capacity and the complexity of the order. These orders cannot have items requiring extended production lead-times or labor intensive items, nor contain complex items to be worked out by our Custom Quote Department requiring production drawings. 14-day Finish-up orders will not be held for an Order Release Notice, as they must be sent immediately to Production. To receive this service, you must write 14-day Finish-up in the requested ship week area of the order form. We will determine if we can meet the request and acknowledge accordingly.

7-Day Finish-up Service7-day Finish-up service may be requested for items that are simple to produce, completely manufactured by Mouser Custom Cabinetry and were listed on the original order in the incorrect size or quantity. Complex items or multiple pieces will require the 14-day finish up service. Please reference the original work order number when applicable to allow us to verify items ordered are correct when replacing existing items. Some items do not qualify for this 7-day Finish-up service due to extended lead-times required for those items. The 7-day Finish-up Service is not available when mouldings, appliance panels, or wainscot panels were not ordered and produced with the original order.

48-Hour Quick Ship Service48-hour Quick Ship Service is available for non-manufactured items we stock, such as care kits, door and drawer pulls, drawer slides, sample fronts, color blocks, unfinished wood knobs, decorative woodcarvings, leaded glass, special order items, extended production door styles, etc.

When requesting orders with any of our expedite lead-times, if items ordered require different lead-times, we will assign all items the lead-time of the item(s) with the longest schedule. If you wish to receive the items at different times, please use separate order forms for the various items and specify the specific lead times you require on each order. Requests made to separate orders after we have acknowledged them cannot be honored.

Editor/Publisher/Art & DesignJeff Ramsey

Feature Articles:Steve Pfister, Kim Breeding, Craig Chsim, Peggy LaGray

and Kimberly Winskye

webinquiry@mousercc.com

Effective: May 5, 2005 Cancels: March 11, 2005