PICTURED IS AN EXAMPLE OF A KITCHEN BUILT BY DAYHOFF CABINETS. THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD BUSINESS CONTINUES TO THRIVE, IN SPITE OF A TOUGH CONSTRUCTION MARKET AND NEARLY BEING DESTROYED BY THE TELEGRAPH FIRE LAST YEAR. F ive years ago, Alan Dayhoff took a risk. It was a calculated risk, but a risk nonetheless.

Today, the payoff for that initial gamble is evident

in the success of Dayhoff Cabinets, which celebrates five years in business this month.

It wasn’t like he was jumping into a completely new pool. Dayhoff had been making cabinets for years, but wanted to branch out on his own. He did, and his work is now known for its quality and craftsmanship. Alan, however, is known for his big heart and generosity in the community.

Building was in his blood. Alan’s father, Bob Dayhoff, was a contractor who worked in Mariposa County for decades. It was Bob who helped push him to finally get his own license. Bob was also there to help build the shop on the Dayhoff’s family Whitlock Road property.

Dayhoff Cabinets started as Alan and one employee, Matt. It wasn’t long before the work was more than the two could handle. More employees signed on. Dayhoff worked seven days a week.

Matt has stayed on since the beginning. “He’s taken this business from nothing to something,” he said. “Even in the economic downturn, we’ve remained steady.”

His employer’s attitude has helped. “Things have always remained positive in the shop.” Dayhoff makes sure he takes time to show his crew he appreciates the work they do.

Once the shop was up and running, everything was going along swimmingly. Then, last summer, the entire operation was threatened. The Telegraph Fire raged on the ridge above the shop and house, and the Dayhoffs were evacuated.

DAYHOFF HUGS FORMER GRIZZLY STEPHEN GISLER FOLLOWING A SEASON-ENDING LOSS. HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH GRIZZLY ATHLETICS FOR YEARS. Not only did the Dayhoffs have to decide what personal property was important, but they had to ferret out the most important documents from their cabinet business. All their employee information, equipment and tools were on the property. Not only did they risk losing their house, but also their livelihood too.

Alan said that his wife, Stacie, left first in a convoy of friends who had helped them load trucks and trailers with everything they could. He stayed as long as he dared.

From the Whitlock and Highway 140 intersection, Stacie waited for Alan's truck to come up the road. She said the whole thing was surreal. The fire was creeping down the mountain toward their home as they left. The image was memorialized on film by David McNally from the Dayhoff’s driveway. It has been viewed thousands of times on youtube.com.

"You could feel the heat through the car," Stacie said of the intensity of the fire as she waited on Whitlock. Minutes passed. The call was dropped.

When the deputy came back and told Alan he absolutely had to go, he didn't argue, but reluctantly left the home and business he and his family built from the ground up.

"I was shaking all the way out," Alan said. "About half way, the sobbing started." He not only worried about his family, but the families of four other men whom he employs. Alan said the possibility of devastating their abilities to make a living weighed heavy on him.

The Dayhoffs’ home and business were spared. Work in the shop resumed a week after the fire started.

The Dayhoffs have three children: Bryce, who is 22; and twins Courtney and Emily, who are 16. When Dayhoff Cabinets opened, Bryce was a senior in high school, and the girls were still at Mariposa Elementary.

Both Alan and Stacie are graduates of Mariposa County High School, and were active in athletics while there. They continue their passion for their alma mater through volunteerism and financial support of Grizzly athletics of all kinds.

Regardless of his work and family schedule, Dayhoff continued to volunteer more than most people work. He was an assistant coach on the Mariposa County High School Grizzly football team. It was rare for him to even be minutes late for practice.

Before that, it was Mariposa Youth Football. For years, Alan spent 10 to 12 hours every Saturday in the Gold Bowl. There isn’t a youth organization that Dayhoff hasn’t supported over the years.

Alan is active in the Mariposa County Contractors’ Association and gives countless hours to projects like the annual contractors’ show each October. For the past several months, he can be found most weekends building the new restroom facilities at the Mariposa County Visitors’ Center.

Even though he is officially “retired” as a football coach, he still plans to barbecue hot dogs for Grizzly football players on Mondays during film sessions. He will haul gear to Truckee for the team in a this weekend.

All the while, he has been building a strong business in an economic climate that has pushed many right out of the market. The people he works with and for know why he has been successful.

“He is the greatest guy,” Dave Gerken of Alpine Builders said. “He does his homework every time with a smile on his face and never complains about anything. Alan just asks what you need and gets it done and always, always shows up on time.”

In terms of Dayhoff’s volunteerism, Gerken called him a “huge, huge” help on the bathroom. “He’s always there,” Gerken said. “He’s always smiling. It’s always, ‘what can I do for you?’ There is never a problem with that guy.”

Barbara Perry at Alpine Builders also works with Dayhoff on a regular basis. She says its both his personality and his work ethic that make him successful. “He’s a fantastic guy,” Perry said. “There’s not one bad thing about him. He’s so professional. He’s one of a kind.”