Episode
225
Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0000
Many cabinet and millwork shop owners fall into the same trap: staying busy but not making money. In a recent episode of the Cabinet Maker Profit System show, I sat down with Jillian Klinar from INNERGY to explore how to choose the right jobs, protect your margins, and stop wasting time on work that doesn’t pay.
Jillian started her career in corporate real estate before making a huge shift — joining the carpenter’s union in Pittsburgh. From the shop floor to estimating, she learned first-hand what it takes to build profitable projects. Today, she works with INNERGY, an ERP system built for our industry.
According to Jillian, the average win rate in the industry is only 20%. That means 80% of estimating hours are wasted on jobs that never close. Shops need to be strategic:
Jillian shared a painful lesson about missing a costly material change. The takeaway: mistakes in estimating can be expensive, but they highlight the need for systems, checks, and clear communication between sales, estimators, and project managers.
One of the strongest insights from the episode: estimators and project managers must work together. Both perspectives matter — but they only help the business when they’re aligned.
If you’re running a $2M–$5M shop, you’re probably already feeling the pain of being busy but not always profitable. The solution isn’t just working harder — it’s choosing the right jobs and putting systems in place to keep margins healthy.
Just because your shop is busy doesn’t mean you’re making money. The key is choosing the right deals and protecting your margins.
More about Jillian Klinar: LinkedIn | Innergy
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