Republic Elite celebrates over 45 years of professional cabinet making in East Texas

story and photos by Jessica Harker

Started by Gene Ponder in 1975, Republic Elite has been a foundation of cabinet production in the United States since that time, housed right here in Marshall.

The company began as a cabinet manufacturer, and has remained that way throughout its history, according to Director of Marketing Allyson Humphries, who said that they began with a focus on manufacturing traditional framed cabinetry.

“We’ve had a long and exciting journey since then; some of the highlights include the expansion of our frameless product line in 1999,” said Chief Executive Officer Geoff Bennett “Then in 2017, we introduced a range of innovative designs into our portfolio; and merged with Elite Multifamily interiors as well.”

Bennett indicated that the business was sold in 2002 and grew exponentially until they merged with Elite Multifamily Interiors in 2017, which allowed the company to expand further and provide customers with high grade countertops along with their cabinetry.

Today, thanks to that merger, the company now offers a wide range of cabinetry in a wide breadth of styles, according to Humphries, including frameless and painted and stained, along with natural stone and quartz countertops, matched with the cabinets.

Republic Elite specifically caters to large scale projects, such as new apartment complexes typically with 100 units or more. Humphries said that the company worked with Disney, providing cabinets and countertops for over 2,000 units for a

new development built by the company.

“The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, but most skylines in Houston, Austin and Dallas and the southeastern U.S. showcase our stellar cabinets and countertops,” Humphries said, “We installed over 300 multifamily projects last year, and we expect to continue our impressive trajectory of growth.”

The company has also grown far outside of its origins here in Marshall, where in 2021, the company opened a brand-new manufacturing facility for cabinetry in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The company has the ability to produce around 3,000 high grade cabinets daily.

“Republic Elite’s footprint reaches from coast to coast. We also work with select distributors in key markets in the Midwest and Northeast to expand our reach nationally,” Adam Sumrow, chief business officer, said.

“Our story is really one of strategic growth that leveraged our honed and proven skills to expand outside of our home state. We very intentionally replicated the success that we saw in Texas in new markets, and it’s really paid off for the company.” Sumrow elaborated.

However, the company never forgot their roots right here in Marshall, and still counts the employees they have at the Marshall location as the best they could find.

“Our team in Marshall, Texas features some of the most skilled and dedicated folks in the business. Our Marshall team drives lean manufacturing. Their hard work, dedication and laser-like focus on quality permeates every area of our business,” said Steve Garwood, SVP of operations.

Bennett echoed those sentiments, stating “Our people are what sets us apart. In the long-term, Republic Elite will continue investing in its people, and working towards an established national presence. One of the things that is very important in the cabinet manufacturing business is having disciplined growth to create market density. Republic Elite has amazing resources at the factory level and throughout the organization. Having an intentional footprint allows us to be more effective, proactive, and profitable as a company.”