Welcome And Guest Introduction
Kelli Green 0:00

So welcome to Live Better where we sit down with people building things right here in Louisiana. I’m Kelli Green, your host and senior vice president of marketing at Centric. If you’ve walked into a kitchen Ouachita Parish or anywhere in Louisiana and you’ve stopped to run your hand along the cabinet doors, there’s a real chance you were touching something built a few miles from where you stood. Our guest today is Steve Sturdivant, the owner and friend of ours of Ouachita Cabinets. This is a shop that’s been turning local hardwood into custom cabinetry for years. And a centric member, and like I mentioned, he’s a friend of ours. So Steve, thanks for making time today. And I know the shop never slows down.

Steve Sturdivant 0:42

No ma’am it doesn’t. And thank you for the opportunity to come. I appreciate it.

Kelli Green 0:46

Yes, sir. Well, and I tell you, I want us just to kind of get into this and talking through today because we’ve worked together on projects over the last probably 10 years, and um it’s been really unique to get to know you and not only that, but just to see you in action, taking a piece of wood and turning it into something so beautiful. So if you will just share with our listeners and viewers today, how did you get started?

Building Roots And Learning The Trade
Steve Sturdivant 1:14

I would have to say that it really all started when I was a kid. Uh in the summertime I would get bored and I was always building like bicycle ramps, you know. I’m talking like fourth and fifth grade. I’m building stuff uh with my hands. Uh uh got a few spankins, uh, tore my mom’s flower uh uh she had the uh flower border timbers, you know. And she came home one time and I had done, pulled them out of the flower bed and built me some bicycle ramps and made a track. Uh that’s probably my earliest uh childhood memory of uh of building stuff. And then it just went into construction from there. Uh just about basically done every part of uh every aspect of building a home as far as plumbing electrical uh I framed. Uh went from framing into trimming houses. Uh got to know a guy named Jimmy down in Beaumont, Texas. Uh he was probably one of the the premier single small companies that trimmed higher-end houses and he built cabinets on the side. And I started working with him. And golly size I was probably twenty, twenty-one years old at the time. So I’m 57 now, so quite a quite a many years behind me in the experience.

Kelli Green 2:33

Wow.

Steve Sturdivant 2:33

But it just kind of progressed from one thing to the other. I just always kind of challenged and pushed myself. Oh, I’ve always been like that, uh very goal-driven, very uh goal-oriented person. And I just kept pushing myself to the next level, and I’m like, I want to master this, and then I would, you know, master it, I guess you know you could say. I got pretty good at it, and then I wanted to move on to the next thing. Uh but once I got to the cabinet part, I I just I’ve stayed here. I just I enjoy working with the homeowners, uh, the interior designers, and I love watching their faces light up when they come in. Uh, and we won’t even be finished installing it, and they’re already in love with it. It’s just uh it’s a it’s a lot of fun, it’s a blessing, it’s a God-given talent for sure. 100%.

First Cabinet Job Sparks A Business
Kelli Green 3:22

Was there one particular job you were working on and you said, you know what? I think I’m gonna turn this into a business.

Steve Sturdivant 3:28

I started out as just a hobby and out of a 12 by 16 storage building. I was like, I’m I’m I was missing my my building. I was working at the guide plant. Guide plant was getting ready to shut down, and and I prior to it shutting down, I was like, I want to I want to get back into building some stuff. And I told my wife, I just I’m just gonna build fireplace mantles, uh curio cabinets, bookcases, just small stuff. And then I got asked to do a house, and I told him, I said, uh, I’ve never done one before. It’s just a bunch of cabinets put together. So I mean, if you want to be the guinea pig, I’ll give you a price. And I did, and it turned out phenomenal phenomenal.

Kelli Green 4:09

And I gave uh they gave me a referral to another customer and and it just kept building and kept building and kept building uh and uh it’s just exploded with uh the grace of God and that is really wonderful, and I love it’s so interesting, you know, we can all look back and think about people who’ve impacted us and kind of took us under their wing and taught us different things and had no idea, you know, those lessons would turn into a career. And you think about the number of businesses and individual families that you have helped just from those experiences getting started, you know, taking a hobby and turning it into a career. You got a lot of a huge legacy there, don’t you?

Faith As The Real Legacy
Steve Sturdivant 4:51

I just hope everybody remembers that uh I was a uh believer in Jesus. Yeah. I I don’t care about the cabinet shop or how many cabinets I built. I just want everybody to know that uh I love Jesus. Uh he is my Lord and Savior. And one day uh that’s where I’ll be is with him. And that’s the ultimate goal.

Kelli Green 5:09

Yes.

Steve Sturdivant 5:10

Uh is to be with him. So I I try not to focus on the legacy part of it. I mean, it’s definitely it’s been a ride, it’s been a journey. Uh he’s been with me every part of the way, you know, to go from a twelve by sixteen storage building to now eight thousand square foot shop sitting on an acre and a half of land in in West Monroe in in the commercial industry park is it’s it’s it’s been amazing. Uh another amazing part of it is is Centric has been with me since the beginning from day one of uh West Ouachita Cabinets LLC. So far back to the beginning of where Patrick May even uh helped me file for my LLC.

Kelli Green 5:49

Oh wow.

Steve Sturdivant 5:50

So he was there and centric was there before I actually became a you know legal company. He helped me get that way.

Kelli Green 5:58

Yeah, I appreciate you saying that about Patrick. He’s really something else, you know, and he is he’s someone that’s very much like you, Mr. Steve, and the loyalty and his faith really guides him. And that here at Centric is really he the Lord guides us, and we believe in Jesus, and we we know that without him and understanding that, you know, our fruits of the Spirit are is really in the ways that which we we treat each other and we treat our members. And so our success is with our members and leading them well, and we hope this very same, you know, that they see that they see the Lord through each of us and serving them. So I appreciate you sharing that with us this morning. Um, Patrick is an outstanding person, you know, especially for someone getting started or those that may have been, you know, a full-time career person. If you’ve got a you know business that’s getting started or a long-term business, he can really walk with you through regardless of the stage that your business is in.

Trusted Banking Advice For Expansion
Kelli Green 6:54

I love the story too, Mr. C that you were sharing with us off camera this morning, but you know, about the the situation, you know, when you were looking into maybe selling some different property or what have you, but you had a conversation with Patrick and he was kind of looking long term for the growth of your business. So you maybe want to share with our listeners and viewers that story.

Steve Sturdivant 7:13

Yeah, so when uh I purchased the property, it also had a lot next door, and I and I purchased a lot uh next door to it. And I had I have been approached multiple times about selling the property. Uh, and one guy was offering a a a lot of money for it uh over over uh what it appraised for. And uh I went to Patrick with it and he told me, he said, you know, Steve, he said keep in mind the future growth of West Washington cabinets. He said that lot is is prime property for you to be able to grow and to be able to expand. Uh so with his guidance that actually kept me from from selling that lot. And now I know that that was the that was the correct thing to do.

Kelli Green 7:58

You think about that. You know, he just he saw your growth, he sees your talent, he sees your dedication, and thought, wow, you know, this is really something he was being honest with you, right? You know, just sharing that.

Steve Sturdivant 8:08

Always has been.

Kelli Green 8:09

That’s right. I don’t think you ever have to worry about any, you know, honesty is his policy, there’s no doubt about it. And I’ve had the privilege of working with Patrick now for about 14 years. So he’s a he’s a great person to work with. And by anyone who is considering, you know, um maybe a a career in something else, uh, you know, whether you’re a small business owner or what have you, he is the person to call.

Steve Sturdivant 8:30

Oh, 100%.

Kelli Green 8:31

Anytime, right.

Steve Sturdivant 8:32

He’s he’s uh him and uh Centric and and this isn’t just for the for the podcast, but they have they have had my back since day one. And it’s it’s good to know that you have a financial institution that can stand behind you firmly and support you. Yes, uh, and believe in you. I mean, there was some times that you know I I went to Patrick and I’m like, there’s no way they’re gonna they’re gonna loan me this money. I needed a piece of equipment. But Patrick and Centric believed in me and loaned me the money, and here we are today, still rocking and rolling.

Kelli Green 9:06

Talking about it and maybe expansion even further than now. So that’s so great though. I mean, it it’s really exceptional and it’s important, I feel like, um, for any business owner, you’ve gotten to have someone that you can have real conversations with. And, you know, you had a hobby that you’ve turned into a unique career that’s impacted so many people. And having someone there along the way with you to talk through these circumstances and to see the vision for what you have. And sometimes, you know, we might get tunnel vision on certain things, but you have another expert alongside you just to really help in that capacity. So, you know, I I’ve we were talking this morning too, because you’re such an interesting person, Mr.

Flying Hobby That Spreads Hope
Kelli Green 9:46

Steve. You’ve got a new hobby that’s kind of taken off here, which is really cool. So do share with us what your latest hobby is. It’s kind of taking you to new heights, so to speak.

Steve Sturdivant 9:56

Yeah, absolutely. It’s taking me to new heights. Uh, actually, my with the the pilot license that I have is a sports pilot license, and uh legally I can fly up to 10,000 feet. Wow. Uh so you know, if y’all see a powered parachute flying through the air uh with either a yellow and red chute or a black and red chute, uh, that would be me and my two-seater. But if you see a yellow and red chute and on the bottom stitched Jesus is the way, that’s my little single seater. So uh I figured since uh when I when I got that single seater, since the Lord allowed me the opportunity to be able to do that and then see his majestic creation from above that I would help spread his name uh while I while I fly. Uh and I’ve gotten you know many posts on that of one guy not too long ago posted, you know, and said that he was he’d been having a lot of conversations, and he said, I just wanted God to show me something, show me that he’s real. And he said, and I was having that conversation on my porch, and he said, All I had to do was look up, and he took a picture and I flew right over his house.

Kelli Green 11:02

Oh wow.

Steve Sturdivant 11:04

Flew somewhere I had never been before, don’t know why I was there. Now I knew why I was there, but it was the Lord just saying, hey.

Kelli Green 11:11

And it’s the trust you have in him. You just sometimes have to walk through the door, as scary as it might be. But that is so cool. I love it. So from you know, working at the guide plant to picking up this hobby based on, you know, working through its construction and what have you, now to flying. So, you know, you’ve just got a whole gamut of neat things that you’re a part of. So kind of walking us through this, you know. I mean, I I think you you’re someone who is always aspiring to do something new. Yes, ma’am. Um I love it. So you got any neat projects that you’re working on right now, aside from flying?

Materials Team And Memorable Projects
Steve Sturdivant 11:43

Uh I do have a really neat house we’re working on right now in West Monroe at the end of uh St. Andrew Street for for a uh a business couple here in town. Uh it’s gonna be a beautiful masterpiece, and I can’t wait to get the uh the pictures out there whenever it’s done. It’s a fifteen thousand square foot house. Yeah. It’s uh it’s pretty much it’s gonna be something.

Kelli Green 12:08

So what’s your what’s your favorite material to work with?

Steve Sturdivant 12:11

My favorite wood ma to work with would probably be rifts on white oak, and it’s also your your arch nemesis because of the grains and the lines and every you know, the consistency is what you’re looking for and trying to keep that consistency is the battle. But I always like a challenge. Uh you know, if you do the same thing over and over and over every single day, things get uh monotonous and you just get bored of it. But working with uh Rifts on White Oak, it keeps you on your toes. Well uh but it’s absolutely beautiful wood to work with as well.

Kelli Green 12:44

So you have full-time, part-time employees that you work with you or on your projects?

Steve Sturdivant 12:50

Uh we have eleven employees now. Oh yeah, from uh 12 by 16 storage building to 8,000 square seat and 11 employees what and growing. What what God can do.

Kelli Green 13:02

Wow.

Steve Sturdivant 13:02

If you put him first.

Kelli Green 13:04

That is incredible.

Steve Sturdivant 13:05

Uh so yeah, we have a full crew. We do we do everything in-house as well. We don’t purchase our doors outside. Uh the only thing we purchase is the hinges, the screws, and the drawer guides, stuff like that. Other than that, we make everything. Uh we do have a C and C, so we can do uh specialty carvings and stuff for people if they want some words carved into some wood or the decorative little flowers in, you know, the doors in the laundry room or the mud room. We do a lot of uh a lot of specialty items.

Kelli Green 13:34

That’s beautiful. I love it. I’ve I’ve looked, I’ve had the privilege of not only just seeing the finished product, but watching you guys at work, you know, and taking it just from you know a piece of wood and turning it into this just beautiful cabinetry. It’s gorgeous. And we were, I think one of the big projects you were working on too several years ago was West Washita High School, working in their locker room. So you’ve had some really unique opportunities to be in not only just in homes, but working in you know commercial areas too. So what’s probably your your um maybe most unique project that you’ve worked on to date?

Steve Sturdivant 14:09

Probably the most unique project to date, uh probably the most unique fun would probably be Dylan Scott’s house, the country singer.

Kelli Green 14:20

Yeah.

Steve Sturdivant 14:21

Uh there was a lot of unique uh items in that house. Uh and getting to meet him was pretty was pretty cool. And we actually become friends uh over that. We still talk and text to this day.

Kelli Green 14:33

Yeah.

Steve Sturdivant 14:33

Uh he’s really just a good laid-back guy. Him and Blair, there he’s he hasn’t forgotten his roots where he’s from. But he had a lot of ruh Miss Blair had a lot of really neat stuff going on in that house, and that was probably one of my favorite uh favorite jobs to do.

Kelli Green 14:48

Well, and you know, you your your shop is rocking all the time.

Steve Sturdivant 14:53

All the time.

Kelli Green 14:53

But uh you had mentioned, you know, a few things, you know, about some specific equipment that you have that’s a little unique to the area. So what are you doing to maybe open up your shop and and serve those the other companies and so forth that are doing some similar, maybe not exact work that you’re doing, but how are you working with them to kind of help build their business as well?

Trendspotting Tech And 3D CAD
Steve Sturdivant 15:12

So when when I see I start watching trends in Dallas and Atlanta and Houston and all the big suburb areas, start watching what they’re doing over there, and I know in five years it’s coming here. Uh, and I watched a trend uh start happening and I started hearing the word coming around our area, which is frameless full overlay. Uh, I like to use the term as commercial cabinetry or uh hospital cabinets. You know, it’s where you see no part of the frame or anything, but it just never really had taken off in residential here. But I seen it coming, I’ve seen some in or some interior designers starting to inquire about it, and that that in that revolves around having a specific piece of equipment called an edge bander. Uh and so I started, I bought a small one, you know, small, just to get to the hang of using it and went bigger and bigger and finally into a big industrial one that Centric uh helped me purchase that one. Uh, and it allows me to do frameless full overlay. And as far as I know of, uh I am the only uh residential cabinet builder that does a true frameless full overlay cabinet in this area, and we’ve done uh several houses and gotten some really neat jobs just because of the equipment that we have and the f the foresight that the good Lord put in me and let me see.

Kelli Green 16:39

And that’s outstanding. I love it. Being on the cutting edge is so important, right?

Steve Sturdivant 16:45

You gotta stay ahead of your uh uh your competition. No doubt. If you don’t, they’ll pass you up and leave you in the dust.

Kelli Green 16:51

Well, there you go. Well, I am so grateful that you’ve been here with us today. This has been so interesting to talk to you and to get to visit with you because it’s been so long since we’ve you know been able to connect. Um, but just rapid fire, you know, if there’s anything um you want to leave with our listeners and then also um share with us how they might be able to get in contact with you and bring some of this beautiful creation into their own living space.

Steve Sturdivant 17:16

Uh on far as what I could leave with the listeners, uh, if you’re uh whether you’re just a a business owner or a person uh and you’re looking for a bank, I would highly recommend Centric. Uh they’ll stand behind you. I’ll guarantee you that myself. Uh if you’re looking for a personal connection with banking, Centric uh definitely offers that 100%. Uh as far as business standpoint goes, with uh Centric, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, and that’s the God’s honest truth. Uh as a business owner, they have stood behind me uh 100%, and I know that they would stand behind uh anybody else. The same. Uh Patrick would do a phenomenal job with that. And as far as getting in contact with me, I mean we’re uh we’re of course on Facebook. You could look us up on Facebook and see our work. Uh you’re more than welcome to reach out to any of the customers that we’ve done work for. Uh or you could call me on my cell phone at uh 318-235-7596.

Kelli Green 18:18

And somebody’s gonna answer, aren’t they?

Steve Sturdivant 18:20

Then that goes directly to me. Uh and so if you don’t get me, leave me a voicemail. I’m I stay pretty busy. Yes. Uh or you could text me and say, hey, this is so-and-so, you know.

Kelli Green 18:30

I love it.

Steve Sturdivant 18:30

Uh so connect with me. Connect with me and we’ll get it together. Uh we do uh do uh 3D CAD work. Uh so we’ll draw the whole kitchen, the whole house up, every room in the house up in 3D CAD with the appliances in it, the sinks in it, floor, walls, banded mirrors, lights in place and everything. So you actually get to to see it before we start on your job and not go, well, I wonder if he got it right. I hope he gets I wonder if he remembered that because everything is in the computer, and once the 3D rendering is done, it turns it into cabinet parts, and there’s no way that we can miss any.

Kelli Green 19:06

And that is so valuable for someone, you know, maybe this is their first construction um or remodel, but to be able to visually see something, you know, what that finished product is going to look like, it really helps you with alignment with your, you know, with the the customer that you have.

Steve Sturdivant 19:21

Well, it’s it’s I’m sure it’s like banking, you know, there’s a lot of there’s a lot of lingo mismatched uh, you know, look like one of my biggest ones it used to be was let’s say I want a bank of drawers here. Well, I would build a bank of drawers. A bank of drawers to me is got three drawer heads on the front. Right. And but they would want where you open up the door and pull them out, and we call those pull-outs.

Kelli Green 19:46

Yes.

Steve Sturdivant 19:47

And that that mistake happened a whole lot of times before I did start doing the 3D rendering. And then once I did that, then it abolished that. And they’re like, oh no, I don’t want drawers there. I want to be able to open up the doors and get to the drawers.

Kelli Green 19:58

There you go.

Steve Sturdivant 19:59

So it stopped all that. So it just it helped streamline things and and also helped tighten that relationship of of uh with me and the customer of like being everything was smooth. It was great. So and that’s what you’re looking for.

Kelli Green 20:12

Absolutely. That’s wonderful. Well, Mr. Steve, it has been an absolute joy to have you on our podcast today. This is wonderful.

Steve Sturdivant 20:20

It’s been a lot of fun. Yes, thank you for asking me.

Kelli Green 20:22

Absolutely, and we just appreciate your trust in us and in Patrick, and we just thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your journey.

Steve Sturdivant 20:30

You bet. It’s been an honor. Thank you.

Kelli Green 20:31

Thank you. All right.

Closing Disclaimer
Kelli Green 20:33

Centric Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA. Anything that we have discussed here is simply for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute for financial advice.