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About Us

Oakley Millwork believes that the "history of a company is best defined by what it has achieved, not by its years in business."

Our History

1956

C. Howard Johnson and his partner, George Fennema, opened the doors of Oakley Millwork at 12345 S Harlem in Palos Heights, Illinois. They sought to provide services and features that no other lumber company or millwork specialist had previously offered. Oakley's customers have learned that the added value of quality provided by Oakley does not increase the cost.

Howard Johnson gained his experience by working at Oakley Manufacturing which was located on Oakley Avenue in Chicago. Oakley Manufacturing specialized in custom staircases for Chicago's graceful old mansions.

Because of business growth, the company soon relocated to a converted barn in Orland Park, Illinois.

1957

Oakley introduced a first by offering customers bundled window casings. This saved carpenters countless hours and assured builders that they wouldn't come up shot of trim as the job neared completion.

1967

Through significant manufacturing innovations, Oakley started offering pre-hung doors. In the same year and another first, Oakley introduced window casings that were mitered and assembled prior to shipment. Both of these streamlined processes dramatically increased productivity for both Oakley and it's customers.

1975

Oakley introduced a system to band doors and jambs together, thereby eliminating the use of nails for this purpose. Shims were added between the door and the jamb to maintain consistent tolerances from the plant to the home.

1979

A new 16,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility was built in Frankfort, Illinois.

1984

The founder, Howard Johnson, retired and management of the company was assumed by his son, Glen Johnson.

1987

A second plant with 7,000 square feet of production space was opened in Batavia, Illinois. This location provides a strong presence in the western suburbs of Chicago.

1989

The NO BACKORDER GUARANTEE was implemented. This was achieved after years of personal dedication of all Oakley personnel and the development of sophisticated computer software. Four years later Oakley achieved a goal that had never before been reached in the industry: continuous service for 15 months without a single backorder.

A 1,500 square foot paint shop plant in Frankfort was introduced to provide Masterpiece Finish™ doors. Because of the popularity of Masterpiece Finish, the Ice Cream Colors Collection™ of painted doors and trim was introduced four years later and the plant was increased to 5,000 square feet.

1991

Oakley qualified and was nominated for the coveted Malcom Baldridge Award for excellence.

Glen Johnson was honored by the President of the United States in a special Rose Garden ceremony as "Businessman of the Year" for the state of Illinois.

1992

To provide better service, a new Batavia facility of 20,000 square feet was opened due to growing business demands.

All Oakley employees completed Statistical Process Control (SPC) training.

The first "Supplier Appreciation Day" was launched. Oakley continues to acknowledge the value of responsive, quality-minded suppliers.

1995

With another first, Oakley offered customers the Dream Home Collection series - an effective marketing tool to help homeowners select trim, doors and hardware that meet their architectural preferences.

Today

From the early humble beginnings to today, Oakley has been a dominant force in the millwork industry with the common thread: take care of our customers, listen, learn, respond. Make sure we are exceeding their expectations.

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