Our Story
Three generations of Rubottom craftsmen, one enduring standard of quality. From a one-man workshop to a full-scale operation — still family-owned, still Ventura-made.
Founded in a Garage in Bassett, CA
Wilbur Rubottom started W. L. Rubottom Company with a $100 personal loan, drawing on years of training as an apprentice and journeyman wood carver to build kitchen and bathroom cabinets for post-war Southern California's booming housing market. It was a true family business — wife Anne handled bookkeeping, and sons Lee and Larry joined as teenagers.
First Shop Opens in El Monte, CA
As the housing market grew with new developments across Los Angeles County, Rubottom secured a building in El Monte to establish the company's first official shop. Cabinets were built by hand with hammer and nails — air compressors didn't yet exist. Lumber was hand-carried into the shop, milled on large table saws, and the floor swept daily of sawdust loaded into a furnace out back.
Ventura Shop Opens on Olive & Lewis
The first W. L. Rubottom Company location in Ventura opened in a metal building at the corner of Olive Street and Lewis Road, a building that still stands today. The following year, land was purchased on West Lewis Street, a new shop and office were built, and production began in 1961 with more than 40 employees.
Customline Plastics Launched
W. L. Rubottom Company expanded into laminated plastic countertops with a new venture, Customline Plastics, operating out of a shop on Garden Street in Ventura. Under the management of Lee Rubottom, the division grew quickly and in 1972 relocated to a converted R.C. Cola building on Olive Street.
Leadership Reorganization and Expansion
Lee Rubottom moved into management at the Lewis Street cabinet plant while Larry Rubottom transitioned to lead Customline Plastics. The company doubled its manufacturing and office square footage to meet growing demand, and by 1977 was running two shifts with more than 60 employees.
Pioneering Water-Based Cabinet Finishing
New California environmental laws required cabinets to be finished in-plant rather than on job sites. Rubottom Company built a new finishing plant, obtained permits for environmentally friendly water-based materials, and became one of the first manufacturers in California — and eventually a pioneer nationally — in adopting this cleaner finishing technology.
Wilbur Rubottom Passes
Wilbur Rubottom, the founder of W. L. Rubottom Company, passed away in 1993. He had retired from active management in the mid-1980s following a series of heart-related illnesses, returning in his later years to his lifelong passion as a master wood carver.
Regional Expansion Across Central Coast
Growth in the California housing market allowed Rubottom Company to expand well beyond its Ventura and Santa Barbara base. The company became active in Santa Maria, Lompoc, San Luis Obispo, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, and Valencia; extending its reach to roughly 150 miles from the Ventura plant.
Lee Rubottom Passes, Gary McCoy becomes President
Lee Rubottom's diagnosis with a brain tumor in late 2004 and his passing in early 2006, Gary McCoy, Wilbur's son-in-law and longtime Sales Manager, became President and CEO in November 2005. Jay McCoy became Sales and Marketing Manager, Mark Rubottom became Plant Superintendent, and Larry Rubottom assisted in the transition before retiring.
The Great Recession has Devastating Impact
The Great Recession originated in the housing market that was W.L. Rubottom Company's bread and butter market. The impact of the recession forced the company to consolidate and close the external finishing plant; greatly reducing its ability to produce. But survival was paramount.
Jay McCoy Becomes President and CEO
Upon Gary McCoy's retirement in 2010, Jay McCoy, who had started in the production plant in 2003 and grown into the Sales and Marketing Manager role, became President and CEO, continuing the family tradition of leadership into the third generation.
Small Business of the Year, Ventura County
In partnership with U.S. Small Business Administration, and on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, W.L. Rubottom Company was named "2016 Outstanding Small Business" for Ventura County
W.L. Rubottom Enters the Direct to Consumer Market
After 80 years of selling cabinets through the old fashioned proposal -> contract -> drawings -> measure -> install pipeline, we've built our own app for customers to buy our product directly from us. Check it out!
Built on Values,
Not Just Wood
At W.L. Rubottom, every cabinet carries the weight of our name. That means honest pricing, premium materials, and the kind of attention to detail that only comes from a family business where your reputation is everything.
We don't cut corners. We don't make promises we can't keep. That's been our way since 1946, and it's not changing now.
Craftsmanship First
Every cabinet is built to outlast the home it goes in.
Honest Pricing
Manufacturer-direct means no hidden markups, no surprises.
Family Reputation
Three generations of Rubottoms stake their name on every order.
Local Roots
Made in Ventura, for Southern California and beyond.
Continue the tradition
Let us build something beautiful for your home — the same way we've been doing it for three generations.