WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Aristokraft Cabinetry ranks highest among cabinet brands in satisfying new-home builders and remodelers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates/McGraw-Hill Construction 2007 Builder and Remodeler Cabinet Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

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The inaugural study is designed to provide comprehensive information to assist cabinet manufacturers in their efforts to improve customer satisfaction. Overall satisfaction is based on performance in eight factors (in order of importance): warranty and replacement service; delivery; product features; credit/billing; customer service and support; price; product installation and durability; and ordering process.

Aristokraft Cabinetry is followed in the rankings by Mid Continent Cabinetry and Quality Cabinets. Aristokraft Cabinetry performs particularly well in customer service and support, delivery and price. Mid Continent Cabinetry receives particularly high ratings in credit/billing process and warranty and replacement service, while Quality Cabinets performs well in ordering process and product installation and durability.

"The competitive nature of the cabinet industry means that providing excellent customer service and increasing product differentiation are critical for manufacturers in maintaining and increasing market share," said Jim Howland, senior director of the real estate and construction practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "In particular, providing outstanding warranties and accurate and on-time delivery are key."

The study examines three types of potential problem areas that builders and remodelers may have with cabinet brands: timeliness (products arriving on time), order accuracy and billing. The occurrence of problems in these areas negatively impacts overall satisfaction and, ultimately, the bottom line. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents report they received their products from the manufacturer on time and as ordered.

"When cabinet orders do not arrive on time, or with exactly the components ordered, it causes delays in the completion of the construction project," said Burleigh Morton, senior director of research and analytics at McGraw-Hill Construction. "These delays can be costly for builders and remodelers, so late or inaccurate deliveries by cabinet manufacturers can have a negative impact on customer loyalty."

The 2007 Builder and Remodeler Cabinet Satisfaction Study is based on 1,416 evaluations gathered through April and May 2007 from new-home builders and remodelers who ordered and purchased cabinets within the previous 12 months.

   Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)    Aristokraft Cabinetry     742   Mid Continent Cabinetry   738   Quality Cabinets          733   Merillat                  732   Industry Average          730   KraftMaid Cabinetry       727   American Woodmark         706    About J.D. Power and Associates  

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies , connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Engineering News-Record (ENR), Architectural Record, and Regional Publications, the Company provides information, intelligence, tools, applications and resources to help customers grow their business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion global construction community. For more information, visit http://www.construction.com/

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

   J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:   Syvetril Perryman                  Elaine Pacheco   J.D. Power and Associates          Cohn & Wolfe   Westlake Village, Calif.           Los Angeles, Calif.   (805) 418-8103                     (310) 967-2961   syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com         elaine_pacheco@cohnwolfe.com   

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate

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J.D. Power and Associates

CONTACT: Syvetril Perryman of J.D. Power and Associates, +1-805-418-8103,syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com; or Elaine Pacheco of Cohn & Wolfe, +1-310-967-2961,elaine_pacheco@cohnwolfe.com, for J.D. Power and Associates

Web site: http://www.jdpower.com/http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/http://www.construction.com/