Complementary Franchises Enhance Project Efficiency and Open Doors to Increased Franchise Success
- Art of Drawers and Cabinet IQ have joined forces.
- Together, complementary franchises offer homeowners a smoother and more complete kitchen upgrade.
- Each brand brings services the other doesn’t, creating a stronger one-stop experience.
- The partnership also gives franchise owners more ways to grow and serve customers.
Anyone even somewhat familiar with real estate knows that the two best rooms to renovate for the biggest return are kitchens and baths. Allan Young was no stranger to the home improvement world, having grown Richmond-based ShelfGenie to 50 franchise locations before selling the brand in 2020. A former Army commander turned serial entrepreneur, Young returned to the sector, launching Art of Drawers to further capitalize on a field he’d already harvested to great reward.
In 2025, Young made the decision to join forces with Cabinet IQ, a Texas-based franchise specializing in kitchen remodels. The partnership resonates on several levels. Art of Drawers provides custom solutions to better organize and free up usable space in the kitchen. Cabinet IQ installs top-tier cabinets and countertops. Together, the brands can offer homeowners a one-stop shopping experience for those looking to elevate their renovations on the rooms that matter most to homeowners.
According to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the U.S. spends more than $600 billion annually on home maintenance and improvement. From the perspective of Young and Cabinet IQ founder Michael Hartel, the implication is clear: home renovation is not only a fertile business environment, but also an ideal space to carve out a unique, lucrative niche. “This partnership positions both brands to become the go-to solution for kitchen transformation across the country,” says Young. “Together, we can capture more of the customer journey, increase average project values and support franchisee success with a broader suite of services. It also strengthens our presence in the booming home improvement sector by pairing two fully complementary models.”
Power of Partnering Complementary Franchises
On a more micro level, the advantages of partnering complementary franchises are clear. Since there’s no overlap between the services they provide, the result is a turnkey solution with a more robust final product. “Instead of navigating multiple companies for cabinetry, refacing and organization, customers can enjoy a coordinated design, selection and installation process,” explains Young. “This reduces friction, shortens project timelines and delivers a result that feels cohesive.”
Research from the Journal of Light Construction found the average cost to renovate a kitchen ranges from $28,000 to $80,000, with a return on investment as high as 90%. Thus, from a customer’s cost perspective, the horse is more or less already out of the barn. Once a homeowner has committed to new cabinetry, the mindset is in place for an aesthetic upgrade; supercharging the project with a clean, minimalist storage solution is only a modest supplemental expense. Time and again, Art of Drawers customers would inquire about services that Cabinet IQ offers, and vice versa. After a few conversations between Young and Hartel, it was only a matter of time before the lightbulb went off.
Benefits for Art of Drawers and Cabinet IQ Franchisees
The partnership between the complementary franchises also delivers both logistical and cost-saving benefits. Franchise owners are able to scale using the same customer base and stay within their territories. In a typical scenario, extending brand reach means going into a neighboring county. That equates not only to additional marketing dollars, but the challenge of targeting a new demographic, and possibly being faced with already established competition. Having the ability to draw from two distinct client pools means a larger data set and thus a more nuanced understanding of the industry trends and buying patterns.
For franchisees, the path is then paved for new revenue streams, cross referrals and expanded service offerings. The result? Bigger projects and ultimately a higher customer retention rate. “For Art of Drawers franchisees, it opens the door to cabinetry and refacing work through a trusted partner. For Cabinet IQ franchisees, it adds premium organizational solutions that boost job size and customer satisfaction,” says Young. “Together, owners benefit from shared training, shared marketing opportunities and enhanced differentiation in competitive markets.”
To those who’ve been there, home renovations are sometimes a double-edged sword. The prospect of a fresh, revitalized room offers a psychological reset and bumps up property value in one fell swoop. The process of screening contractors, however, is not for the faint of heart. It’s not uncommon for a project to be stuck in limbo while one contractor waits until another contractor’s materials and timeline are in sync. In an ideal world, the collaboration significantly minimizes the chances of a home improvement project going sideways. “We’re excited that homeowners will get a kitchen experience that is truly complete and our franchisees have more ways to serve customers and grow their businesses,” says Young. “We’re building a category-leading solution that will redefine what customers expect from a kitchen transformation.”
Learn more about the Art of Drawers franchise.
