CMS opens showroom for technology

As a way of offering further service to its customers, CMS has added a fully functional display area to its facility for machine demonstrations and hands-on training

cms 1 — CMS opened a showroom at its North American headquarters in Caledonia, MI, which includes a 13,000-square-foot area for machine demonstrations.

cms 2 — “The opening of the showroom was in response to show the technology in action,” explained Chris Nesbit, national marketing manager.

cms 3 — Terminator was on hand to demonstrate the Zares II 3D optical CNC tool measuring system.

cms 4 — Attendees of the event had the opportunity to sit with sponsors who represented leading industry manufacturers to learn about their products.

cms 5 — CMS’s new area also allows it to store numerous spare parts. “We have 30 to 40 shipments of spare parts going out a day,” said Nesbit. “Storing [products] at our facility is a way to shorten our lead-times.”

cms 6 — A training area is also in place at the facility to offer customers guidance.

cms 7 — Overlooking the display area is a new conference room where the company plans to hold webinars.

cms 8 — The two-day event wrapped up with a customer appreciation dinner.

After much preparation, CMS recently opened its new showroom in Caledonia, MI, and held a grand opening to introduce the new display area to its customers on July 31 and August 2, 2019. The 30,000-square-foot showroom, which includes 13,000 square feet for equipment demonstrations, will allow the machine manufacturer to educate its customers on its technology.

“The opening of the showroom was in response to show the technology in action,” explained Chris Nesbit, national marketing manager. “We will continue to bring machines to trade shows, but our customers need to see them year-round. [Also], we want to show that we have machines for several different sectors.”

CMS made significant accommodations to its warehouse space to prepare the new showroom.

“Waste water trenches were cut into the floor like a stone fabrication shop,” said Nesbit. “We want the machines to run like they normally would in a customer’s shop.”

At the time of the open house, CMS was debuting its new Sink Crafter machine, which was built in North America. “It’s the first of its kind, built right here in North America,” said Nesbit. “It’s very cost-effective and built with all CMS components.”

The new showroom also had the first Formax belt-fed bridge saw machine brought to North America. “It’s a completely automated beltline bridge saw,” explained Nesbit. “It’s about 65 feet long and has the ability to integrate loading and unloading robots. It’s incredibly exciting for the stone industry.”

Overlooking the display area, which is complete with 15 machines, is a new conference room. “We decided it is better suited to show off the showroom,” said Nesbit. “We plan to hold technical and informational webinars.”

CMS is committed to training its customers. In addition to webinars, the new showroom is set-up to bring customers in for training on the machines. The company also offers technical phone support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Besides the showroom, CMS is now utilizing its warehouse to stock machines for sale. “This is a newer practice for us at this scale,” said Nesbit. “We also have 30 to 40 shipments of spare parts going out a day. Storing [products] at our facility is a way to shorten our lead-times.”

The open house also included 10 sponsors, as well as representatives from the Natural Stone Institute, which provided an opportunity for attendees to speak with these industry-leading companies and learn about their products and services. The event concluded with a customer-appreciation dinner on the second night.

“We were very pleased with the turn out to the event,” said Cevin Moberly, national stone sales manager. “It was an excellent chance to showcase a broader view of what CMS has to offer. We are working hard to find more automated solutions to meet our customers’ needs.”

As Group Editorial Director of Stone World, Contemporary Stone & Tile Design and TILE, Jennifer Richinelli has been covering the stone and tile industries since she launched her career at BNP Media in 1996. Throughout her tenure, she has visited and reported on numerous national and international quarries, stone fabrication shops, trade shows and other industry events. She has also collaborated with members of the A&D community, including many renowned architects, on articles about designing with stone and tile.

Contact Jennifer at richinellij@bnpmedia.com or (201) 245-5204.

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