Summit Stone Works Inc.
“I’ve seen a lot of shops get sucked into wanting to be the big guys on the block and buying all the expensive machinery,” he says. “But, if a recession hits, what are you going to do? Well, when things are bad, we go skiing.”
Rather than go electronic, Monroe heads out to help with the templating and to chat with the customer.
Click picture to enlarge“My customers like to see me on the job, just to make sure that everything is happening properly,” he says. “We meet our customers and talk about the exact corners. And, remember, if we meet them once, we’ll see them again around town.”
Plus, once the slabs are in hand, the client is invited in to consult on the layout.
“We’ll throw the slab on the saw table or on an A-frame and the customer can see if there’s something unique in the stone they want in the middle of the island,” Monroe says. “Because we’re a local company, we can facilitate that.”
At the other end of the project, Monroe is likely to be part of the install team, especially if the job is a large one. That’s not a surprise, though, because on large jobs, everyone (except receptionist Brenda Moidel) is likely to head out the door, with Monroe and his three-man team handling all of the job.
“Chad Hipp is my main fabricator and main installation specialist,” the boss explains. “Eli Brown is a fabricator and he takes care of most of our undermounts and edging. And, Shai Ovadia is our last worker; he polishes and helps on installs.
“I believe all of my fabricators should be able to fabricate everything,” he adds. “We don’t just stick to doing one thing only.”
Monroe adds that when he hires someone, his main concern is their work ethic; he’s happy to train likely candidates.
“I can train somebody who wants to learn how to do granite work,” he says. “And, because it’s a resort community we live in, I want to be known as the better shop. I want people to know us as good fabricators.”
LIFT TO THE TOP
Of course, being a bit removed from big city lights, there are nuances to the operation that might surprise even veteran shop owners. Not only does the company’s space include a small machine shop to do necessary repairs on its grinders and polishers; there’s also space set aside to work on its vehicles.
“If we have a blown radiator or a brake problem, we can do those repairs,” Monroe says. “A couple nights ago, a hose broke on the forklift. I ran down to the auto-parts store, got the hose and, at about 1 a.m., we had the job finished up. At 6 a.m., the slab truck arrived, but that’s what we have to do.”
Doing installations in an area known for its winter weather can also be a challenge. It’s not unusual to find 6” of snow arriving overnight, or the temperature dropping well below zero.