Kitchens by Lombco Opens New Showroom in Lexington
“I t was six years after the work we did on this building that we ended up opening a showroom here,” John Marchese, Jr recently told me in Kitchens by Lombco’s new showroom location at 311 Marrett Road in Lexington. Six years prior to their July opening, they had done construction work in the back of the building. At the time, they never thought they would call this home. While they wanted to eventually expand closer to the city, there seemed to be other plans for the location. John told me, “We kind of just dropped the idea and then never really thought about it again. And then last year, I was thinking, ‘now is a good time to expand down closer to the city.’ I was looking at spaces in Burlington and my father reminded me, ‘what about the space in Lexington? They never did anything with it.’ Now we are lucky to call it home.”
John grew up surrounded by the remodeling industry. His father, and now business partner, John Marchese Sr, had owned a company called Positive Improvements. John told me, “My father has been in the remodeling business my entire life. So, during summer vacation when other kids were working in a grocery store, or other typical summer jobs, I was working as a carpenter. So, I’ve been a carpenter, on-and-off, the last 20 years. So that is how it started for me.”
John had an incredibly interesting journey to his new Lexington location. He explained, “I spent my 20s just traveling all over the world. After college, I didn’t know what to do. I graduated during the 2008 recession when there weren’t many job opportunities. So, I bought a one-way ticket to Spain and spent a year traveling through Europe. After that, I got the travel bug. I then spent the next decade traveling the world. I was volunteering a lot, and doing lots of backpacking—it was the best time of my life!” He continued, “I would occasionally come back to the US, and every time I came home, I would work for my father’s company. Luckily I didn’t have to get rehired every time. I would just show on up on Monday morning. I would save money, then do more traveling.”
John had one last detour before starting his business with his father. After settling in Lowell for a few years and working in the insurance industry he met his wife. She was getting her Master’s degree at UMass/Lowell and John had remained active on a website he used while traveling—it introduces hosts to travelers in need of a place to stay while visiting their city. John had become a host and a friend for people visiting the Boston area and he told me, “She reached out to me and was just looking to meet new people outside of the University. And, when she reached out we met up and hit it off.”
For John, that meant one last trip! He said, “My wife is from Malaysia, so when she finished her degree we went to Malaysia for a year and a half. Being from New England, I have pretty thick blood, and it was just such a hot place. After about a year and a half, we decided to come back to the states.”
Perfect timing. John told me, “When [John Sr] bought this business, I was telling him I was thinking about coming home. And he suggested, ‘if you want to start and run this business with me, you’re more than welcome to come back in.’ So, he purchased the Kitchens by Lombco name and opened the first showroom in Tewksbury with all the brands of cabinets and countertops that we sell. We both knew a lot about installation and remodeling. But we both had to figure out the cabinet end of things together. So that’s what we’ve been doing for the last six years. We do most of our projects up in the Tewksbury, Lowell, and Andover area because the residents know the name Kitchens by Lombco; it has been a staple in that area for 30 years. But, my father also did a lot of work in Lexington and that is what drew us here.”
The father and son team have done a lot of work in Lexington. The amount of projects is too long to list! They vary in size and scope and include both residential and commercial. Their jobs are not always kitchens either. John explains, “We do more than kitchen remodeling. We do lots of kitchens and bathrooms every day, but we do a number of additions. We do a lot of basement remodels—we do bars and media rooms. So basically, we remodel a lot of residential homes but we also have commercial projects as well.” Just last year, Kitchens by Lombco completed an brand new build-out for Drs. Coppe and Sears, who are well respected dentists here in Lexington.
John tells me, “There are three parts of the business. We supply cabinets to other contractors, we supply cabinets to people that have their own contractors that just need cabinets from us, and we offer full kitchen remodeling. So if somebody finds us—they kind of hit the jackpot. It’s like a one-stop-shop, and they’re working with one company. They don’t have to go and juggle multiple people and spend lots of time searching for cabinets and other materials. We can handle it all. With a full kitchen remodel, we offer or source all the products that go into the kitchen including cabinets and appliances, and we do the labor and all the coordinating. Plus, we do more than kitchens. We can do bathrooms, game rooms, and just about anything you need ”
Kitchens by Lombco provides beautiful cabinetry and state-of-the-art products from locally-sourced vendors. They will also work with your preferred vendors. Their Lexington showroom offers a stunning glimpse of what your new kitchen could be! Give them a call and arrange a time to drop by and see for yourself.
In the end, after all of John Marchese Jr’s traveling, he is happy to have a new home in Lexington. He exclaims, “We are just so excited to be here. We want to become part of the community. I’d love the opportunity to work with anyone in the town. We provide free estimates and have a brick and mortar showroom right here in Lexington. So you know you’re not just hiring a contractor—you’re hiring a neighbor who is committed to providing high-quality service with the best prices, and a history of working in and around Lexington.” John concluded, “We take great pride in our craftsmanship and stand by our work. It’s always very fulfilling to see the expressions of joy on the faces of our clients when a job is completed. To us, you’re family, and we treat our customers the way that we’d like to be treated.”
For more information, or to get local references and/or arrange a time to visit their Lexington showroom, call them or visit them on the web at KitchensByLombco.com. Their local showroom is located at 311 Marrett Road in Lexington, and their phone number is 978-858-0700.
https://kitchensbylombco.com