Thanks Bentlyj! I'll make that suggestion. I'm ok with working with plywood, but MDF is just too much mess. Will see if they can look into finding some cabinet grade plywood. I bought some recently at a big box store for a project for another friend, and some of the voids were sizable. Given the still high prices, it's disappointing when the quality and cost seem mismatched.
Again - thank you everyone 🙂