''I pride myself on being creative and being a survivor,'' said Anthony Saladino.
In 2009, Saladino was abruptly laid off from a five-year position as a kitchen designer and sales manager. One day he had a job, the next he didn't.
In the years Saladino had spent on the showroom floor, he'd noticed that customers were coming in to touch and feel the cabinets, but were making their final purchases online.So, the day after he lost his position, Saladino contacted cabinet manufacturers that he knew well. The idea was to sell their products online to reach a national customer base.
It took about six months to set up the business.
Saladino worked as a salesman, while his partner and brother Andrew, a computer programmer, invested funds and contributed technical support to the business.
In two years, the Staten Island-based Kitchen Cabinet Kings grew from an initial $10,000 investment to a company that generated $460,000 in revenue last year.
Business ownership provides security, he said.''If you're your own boss, you're not going to fire yourself.''
