How Do YOU Deal with an Ever-Changing Industry?
Ben Cole
Cole Brothers Marble and Granite
Things are always changing. And in this day and age things change so fast that sometimes it feels like it can be impossible to keep up. New tools, new materials, new glues, new products... it can definitely feel overwhelming at times. But despite some folk’s tendency towards inertia, it is important to keep moving and keep up with the inventions and ideas that are changing our industry.
By now most of you have likely heard about the new sintered materials (Dekton, Lapitec, etc.) that are just now starting to be heavily marketed. It seems as though many of these companies are rushing to see who can claim an early lead in this new product category. My first initial thoughts as I have started to see ads and hear customers asking questions about these materials were negative. I said to myself, “Oh great, another product to have to learn about and deal with.” And in my defense, between marbles, granites, quartzites, soapstone, man-made quartz, and glass slabs there are quite a number of different methods to master and tools to stock.
But my initial reaction was the exact opposite of one that a good fabricator, owner, manager, or company as a whole should have. I realize that people are hungry for new products and designers and homeowners alike all love to be one of the first to catch on to a new trend. And if this new material is the next big thing, or just destined to take a chunk of the market, then I need to position my company to be ready for the shift.
To put my money where my mouth is, I called Cosentino (manufactures Dekton) and asked where I can get more info, take classes, or get my hands on some material to experiment with. And my change in attitude may have attracted some good luck. There just so happened to be a seminar Cosentino is giving only a half hour away from my shop, on a Saturday morning when I am actually free. And so this Saturday I will take my first dive into learning how to fabricate this new product and will soon be a better-informed fabricator. This is the first step to catching up to those companies that may already be fabricating this product in my area, and another step towards building a lead on my competitors who choose to keep their heads in the sand.
No one knows exactly where the stone countertop business is heading over the next five, ten, twenty and more years. But what we do know is that the business will constantly be changing and evolving and those companies that work to study, experiment with, and selectively adapt some of the new products will find their companies leading their local countertops markets. Are you ready to lead?
Ben Cole is a stone industry consultant and Vice President of Cole Brothers Marble & Granite, a family business in Pittsgrove, New Jersey. Ben has a BS in Biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.