Perhaps because the company's founders discovered firsthand that passion and not prior experience was the key to success, they've fostered an atmosphere of learning. Irion has rarely hired fully trained cabinetmakers. "For some reason, we seem to do best with people who learn most of what they know with us," Irion said. The learning occurs off the job as well as on. If an employee wants to make something for himself, Irion gives him lumber and free run of the shop after hours. A number of Irion employees said that's how they got from one level to another. "As we see you can do something effectively," Monn said, "you'll get to do it for the shop. Then you have to do it cost-effectively, and you get a raise."