House Design Firm Makes Morton Grove its Home

For Apex Kitchen & Bath, customer service means giving your patrons a dip in the bubble bath. The new 3,500-square-foot showroom, at 9346 N. Waukegan Rd., boasts fully functioning bathroom and kitchen displays, available starting on Thursday with the official ribbon cutting ceremony. 

"Representatives [for the products] told me not be surprised if customers would request to sample the different types of settings on the body sprays [for baths and showers]," said manager Lou Plevritis, 40, who founded Apex 13 years ago.

Business Growth

With more than 80 faucets and about 1,000 knobs and handles, Apex Kitchen & Bath's new location in Morton Grove signals growth for the high-end kitchen and bath design firm. For the past 11 years*, it has leased a work space in Niles. The business bought a space in Morton Grove that is twice the size of its Niles location.

"Half of our competitors have closed," said Plevritis. "As we have expanded into a high-end market, we have found that people aren't buying new homes and so are remodeling instead."

Morton Grove's Remodeling

Local leaders from the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Morton Grove attended the ribbon cutting, along with a handful of staff and family. 

"I think it is a great event," said Community and Economic Development Director John Said. "The bigger thing is that Apex is investing in the community, which will help everyone, whether it is the improvement of the appearance of Waukegan's corridor or the increase in property tax and retail sales tax for the local government."

Christina Marino, president of the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce, agreed. 

"It means a lot - not only for the obvious interior improvements but also for the exterior," she said. "It helps Waukegan aesthetically."

On the topic of similar ventures in Morton Grove, Marino noted the patience and persistence required for new local businesses. "It's going to take a lot of word of mouth to get places up and running," she said. 

*Correction: The text originally said it had been leased for three years, not the accurate 11 years.