Giffin Interior & Fixture Inc.: The Final Touch Makes a Difference

Giffin Interior & Fixture Inc. (GIF) is a manufacturer and installer of custom architectural millwork and casework. Based in Bridgeville, Pa., GIF has established its reputation for quality and service over the past 20 years. The company has since grown into a 90,000-square foot facility where GIF’s talented craftsman put their brilliance to work.

The company has developed a national reach with its specialization in custom interiors, fixtures and millwork for a wide variety of clients, including those in the commercial, entertainment, foodservice, retail, education, government, healthcare, hospitality and residential sectors.

Gordon Giffin, president of GIF, outlines the company’s early history in the industry as follows: “I was working for a company here in Pennsylvania, and just realized one day that I was spending a lot of time and energy making money for someone else. I just decided to go out on my own and things took off from there.”

Maturing Quickly

The company quickly established a foothold in the marketplace and within a year had increased its client base and outgrew its original space. GIF then moved into a 42,000-square foot facility that has since been increased to the 90,000-square foot production facility it occupies today. Giffin attributes his company’s early and continued growth in the industry to his hard-working and dedicated employees.

“We have a full staff of cabinet builders, laminators, laborers installers and finishers who are all extremely professional and produce some of the highest quality work in the industry,” boasts Giffin.

In the early ’90s GIF’s growth rocketed the nascent business to a number five ranking in the WOOD 100, a compilation of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. in the secondary wood products industry.

“The growth of our company is based mainly on our reputation,” says Giffin. “We’re known as the best in our field because we continually exceed our clients’ expectations in terms of quality and time.”

Large Backlog Helps

Today growth has leveled off in the rough economic climate that has severely hit the Northeast, but Giffin says that a strong backlog of business has carried GIF through the tough economic times. He explains, “We’re selling our products for projects that are 18 to 20 months out and we went through a scary time when nothing other than healthcare was coming in, but we’ve been seeing business picking back up across the board.”

Some of that new growth can also be attributed to his new aggressive marketing and public relations director: his son Dustin. “I’m proud to say that my son is fully part of the Giffin team, and he brings a lot of energy to the table,” boasts Giffin.

The company has worked on a large number of high-profile projects across the country. GIF was part of the construction of the Cranberry Woods Business Center in Cranberry Township, Pa. The project entailed the use of continuous reveals, which created a major installation challenge for the team. GIF’s highly trained crew devised a unique method for aligning the cherry paneling flush with the adjacent marble and granite. Additionally, the design called for the wall reveals to line up with changes in color and materials in the floor. Giffin’s installation team flawlessly overcame this construction obstacle to carry out the designer’s wishes.

The completed project was a huge hit with the client. Sam Ward, project engineer with TEDCO Construction (the general contractor on the project), was quoted as saying, “This fast-paced project mandated a professional team to meet the severe schedule requirements necessary to open the building on time. Giffin exceeded every requirement for the project.”

When one of the country’s premier resorts, Nemacolin Woodlands Chateau LaFayette in Farmington, Pa., underwent a renovation, renowned architects Hughes Design out of McLean, Va., selected GIF for its custom fixtures and detailed craftsmanship.

GIF created custom cigar lockers for the facility’s Cigar Bar and a fireplace mantel and humidor units for both display and sale. GIF created four wine units with built-in seating and 40-foot diameter segmented soffit in the resort’s French Bistro. In total, GIF placed over two miles of trim in the facility to give it its opulent look. GIF also completed the Falling Rock Boutique Hotel, Spa and Pro Shop, in addition to other facilities on the property.

The Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, the Nixon Library and the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, N.C., are just some of the noted destinations that now count themselves as satisfied GIF clients. Taking a building and giving it custom millwork and interiors to raise it to the next level is not an easy thing to do, but Gordon Giffin and his team at Giffin Interior & Fixture Inc. have the art down to a science.