The newly established Beyond Housing Community Chamber is an innovative network of trusted partners from the trades and related industries who share a deep commitment to community, service, and collaboration.
Together, these companies are building a network that strengthens businesses by strengthening the community itself.
Unlike the many existing business networks that focus on lead generation for their members, the Community Chamber is a purpose-driven alliance for those who believe in doing well by doing good—companies that measure success not only in profit, but in the positive impact they make on their employees, customers, and community.
One of the Community Chamber’s inaugural members is STL Cabinetry. Andrew Powell and Kaiden Walter represent a new generation within the trades. The 20-something business partners have already weathered an entrepreneurial whirlwind, taking their company from a startup with a vague idea of flipping houses to a profitable venture focused on selling and installing cabinets.
For Powell and Walter, joining the Community Chamber was a natural fit. As a young company built on relationships, service, and continuous improvement, they were drawn to a network that values collaboration and community impact alongside business growth.
From trial and error to a strategic focus
Powell and Walter started with a single condo renovation project in 2020, when they were still in high school. The two longtime friends had little experience or capital, but they brought willingness to work hard and a genuine desire to learn on the job.
When that project broke sales-price-per-square-foot records in St. Peters, Powell and Walter were hooked on the home improvement industry. They experimented with a variety of types of projects, from full renovations to building decks.
Even early on, they were learning by doing—testing ideas, adapting quickly, and figuring out what worked through real-world experience.
Importantly, they learned what not to do without letting early missteps force them out of business. “You should never want to be the cheapest in anything, because it’s just a price battle,” Powell said. “You just can’t afford to have a team at all. It was just terrible. We were making no money.”
A network built for businesses like STL Cabinetry
Powell and Walter eventually narrowed their focus to cabinetry, continuing to experiment with different products until they settled on a single line of cabinets. Powell explained that this narrowly tailored approach is effective because it avoids overwhelming consumers with choices.
“We focus on one specific type of person: somebody who wants a really good deal,” Powell said. “We have one salesperson, which is Kaiden, and he just kills it.”
Companies like STL Cabinetry reflect the kind of partner the Community Chamber is designed to bring together—businesses committed not only to growth, but to quality, service, and long-term relationships. By connecting companies that share these values, the Chamber creates opportunities for collaboration, referrals, and broader community impact.
STL Cabinetry has three employees and is in the process of growing its workforce. Its customer base is most dense among the new construction in the western suburbs of the St. Louis metro area, although it has projects throughout the region.
The company has been able to keep prices low—even while maintaining a profitable markup—by creating a strong connection with a local supplier. This was especially beneficial when the tariffs hit, Powell added, because they were not impacted as severely by cost disruptions as other companies were.
Another factor in STL Cabinetry’s success is customer satisfaction. “Good service is a huge thing for us,” Powell said. “We’re owner-operators, and that matters. If a cabinet is not going to show up on time or it can’t be assembled on time, Kaiden and I will stay here till midnight building the cabinet for the client.”
In addition, they wrap their cabinets in adhesive foam to avoid damage during delivery and installation, and they use a truck lined with carpet for the same reason. “We recycle everything in-house ethically and sustainably,” Powell added.
That same attention to detail extends across every part of their work—from protecting materials during delivery to creating thoughtful, personalized follow-ups with customers. “Nobody else is doing what we do,” Powell said. This attention to relationships yields word-of-mouth referrals, which are an important source of new business. “People don’t buy cabinets often, but everybody knows someone who needs a new kitchen,” Powell noted.
“Our goal is to do $3 million in sales in 2026,” he continued. “At this rate of growth, we could become the largest cabinet company in St. Louis.”
The next iteration
Given the company’s history of rapid innovation and responsiveness to change, it’s hard to say definitively what the next steps look like. Perhaps kitchen design—the team is currently experimenting with that software—or another aligned type of work. But for now, they continue to focus on cabinetry, optimize their website, and hone their advertising, where they have had over 1 million views in St. Louis alone.
The two co-owners are self-taught in many aspects of entrepreneurship, but they learned the ropes of cabinetry from a mentor within the local trade community, and they continue to pick up skills and knowledge from resources like how-to business videos created by trusted experts.
“We have learned through trial and error,” Powell said,” but also through dedication. Not quitting. Not stopping. Put in constant 12-hour days for a very long period of time, and you will eventually be good at something.”
The Community Chamber was created to bring together companies that want to grow while contributing to something bigger—aligning business success with community impact.
As founding members of the Community Chamber, companies like STL Cabinetry are helping shape a new model—one where business growth and community progress move forward together. It’s an approach rooted in partnership, shared opportunity, and the belief that stronger businesses can help build a stronger St. Louis.
