Fabrication Equipment

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First impressions are everything -- especially in the luxury hospitality business. That’s why Las Vegas icon, Bellagio Hotel & Casino, refused to compromise their brand’s reputation for elegance when a custom-carpet entry floor showed signs of deterioration.

Waterjetting isn’t new to stone fabrication, though it is still not the norm. Due to being quick, accurate and safe, waterjets are starting to be featured more in stone shops working in the custom architectural and design fields.

The 40 x 300 mm supports from Blick Industries have been upgraded to have suction cup tops with replaceable seals. Soft rubber seals, which are easily swapped out when damaged, have replaced the one-piece hard rubber pad from the previous versions. The new design provides a secure seal for vacuum holding when handling stone, glass and solid surfaces.

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 at the end of the summer.

Water. Abrasive. Sludge. Stone fragments. All standard findings in a countertop fabrication shop. What impact can these harsh elements have on your business? Machine downtime.

At the heart of Quality Stone Concepts’ business is an appreciation for a team environment and sense of community. Owned by M. Ryan Culicerto, Terry J. McClaskey and Tony Pirrone, the Virginia Beach, VA-based fabrication company has widely transitioned since it was founded in 2007.

At the age of 12, Alex Elzein accompanied his father on his first stone project. This sparked his interest in the stone world. Elzein went to college where he received his engineering degree and joined the corporate construction world. However, he kept thinking about the stone business.

The day fabricators could use just one saw blade or one core bit is mostly over. Because of the expansion of new and different materials to the market, CNC tooling companies and suppliers have to continuously update their tools.

My favorite thing to say about us is: ‘We are not the best stone company in Chicago because we are the oldest. We are the oldest, because we are the best,’” said Tom Van Etten, when speaking about his family owned business Galloy & Van Etten, which was started in 1899.

It should be no surprise to anyone that our market is constantly changing and we, as fabricators and business owners, have to adjust our operating models to stay innovative and competitive, but most importantly, cater to an all-knowing, multi-generational customer audience.