The Ellis Page Company: A Novel Model for a Commercial Fabrication Shop and Workforce
by Sharon Koehler
Photos by Sharon Koehler and Courtesy Ellis Page Company
Just over three decades ago, Ellis Company, LLC opened its doors in Annapolis, Maryland, as a solid surface fabrication company. They specialized in trim, walls, and toilet partitions. Since 1992, the company has moved around the Washington D.C. area several times, until they found and purchased the building they are in now, in Manassas, Virginia. According to owner Roy Page, the city was a big help by bringing in 3-phase electrical so the location would work for them.
Mr. Page also commented that over the years, besides their occasional changing of workspaces, and the 2009 name change to Ellis Page Company, LLC., the business has evolved into something quite different than what it used to be. They do very little solid surface these days and they have transitioned over to 99.9% commercial work. They generally work on projects of a quarter million dollars or more. The only residential projects they work on are the occasional requests from the individuals at the companies they partner with. They are a member of the Natural Stone Institute and ISFA. They also belong to the Facebook groups All Slab Fabbers and Women in Stone.
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CNC operator Elizabeth and Roy Page discuss the morning’s production run.
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As the company has changed, so has their equipment. They still have their solid surface equipment for the occasional job. However, the company invests heavily in the technological advances of our industry. Their fabrication shop houses a Marmo Meccanica edge polisher, three CNC machines, and two CNCs are dual table machines. They also run two saws: a Champion 5, and a waterjet saw. The CNCs and the saws are all made by Prussiani of Italy.
Four years ago, they contracted with Prussiani to build a prototype CNC. It was the first machine of its kind to be built, designed specifically for them. Two years later, they purchased an identical CNC machine to go with the one they already had. And they are now interested in a newer, more advanced saw. There is a crane over every machine to quickly and safely move material on and off the machines –safety is foremost in the shop.
One of Roy’s fabrication philosophies is: “Let the machines do the work.” His goal is that when his employees go home at night, their backs feel the same as when they came in.
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Above: Each piece of equipment in the shop is served by a crane to easily and safely deliver materials. |
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Above, Left: Installing a mitered quartzite book-matched reception desk.
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In keeping with the newer technological upgrades of the industry, they are selling their old backsplash machine to make room for another, newer one. They also have a filter press water system that circulates 11,000 gallons of water. Keeping with the theme of upgrades, they are looking to improve that system to better keep up with their growing water demands. Towards that end, they also have a system in place to capture and recycle rainwater. Their website is currently undergoing a revamp process as well, to keep up with their ever-evolving business. The future also seems to be knocking on their door when it comes to their business cards. They are exploring dot.card for “virtual” business cards — no paper or app needed, just a phone.
On another technological note, since all material that comes into their shop is pre-sold (approximately two containers of material a week), they use a labeling system to help route material and cut down on errors. However, on the off chance that a piece does get cut in error, because of the size of the projects they do, miscuts are usually incorporated back into the project or the next one, reducing waste. At the moment, the material of choice for all these large projects seems to be white quartz, which means miscuts really do fold back easily into the project.
Not everything they do involves technology. They template a lot of their projects by hand, only bringing out the laser template machine for angled or other complicated areas of a project. In 2021, the company reworked a section of their warehouse doors to make it easier for the forklifts to load and unload the install trucks out of the weather. Plus, they make their own glue-up brackets out of scrap material. If they break one, they just make another one.
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Above, Left, A Marmo Meccanica edge polisher is a work-horse for the fab shop.
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There are two surprising side effects to all the machinery and safety-conscious technology. The first one is the longevity of their work force. Just about all of the team has been with the company for well over a decade, including co-owner Troy Page, Roy’s son. Several other team members are closing in on 20 years with the company. Most started when it was a solid surface company and transitioned as the company evolved. Even though most of them prefer not to, all but a couple of people in fabrication can do solid surface as well.
The second, more amazing side effect is that it opens fabrication up to women. As a matter of fact, at Ellis Page Company, LLC, the majority of the workers in the fabrication shop are women. There are two male polishers and a male forklift operator. The rest of the crew is women. Women are programmers, sawyers, and operators. One of the female crew, Elizabeth, has been with the company almost 20 years. She started in solid surface and grew into her CNC programmer/operator position as the company changed over time. Ellis Page Company, LLC has actually been working toward this for decades. They hired their first woman fabrication worker in 1999.
When Roy Page was asked if there was a difference between women and men in fabrication, he responded with a very boss-like diplomatic answer: “A lot of people like to sit there and say that women are more attentive to detail. We like to think that everyone here has that same attention to detail.” He did mention that he thought women seemed to pick up the programming process a little bit quicker than men, though.
When asked about the future of women in his company, Roy did say that he would like to hire or train a female installer, but still feels that in general heavy construction is still a “man’s world,” and a woman installer may have a tough time. As for a female templater, he has thought about it but hasn’t worked out the details, yet – “But it will happen,” he says.
Ellis commented that recently, one of his female fabricators scored a shop record of 60 sink tops cut and polished in one day, beating the old record of 52. The shop, as a whole, has a team record of 96 tops in one day.
Speed is a very important part of the process. Since there always seems to be a rush on commercial projects, the company works on a very fast turn-around time, a week or less for most projects. They unload and handle material, fabricate, and install with a staff of 20-25 people at any given time. They have three 3-man install crews.
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Above: One-of-a-kind mitered fireplace hearth graces this hotel lobby. Below: Mitered black marble bar includes an ADA counter designed, fabricated and installed for a local sports bar. |
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Above, Left: Jennifer Daughtery runs the day-to-day operations of the company. Above, Right: Roy Page: “A lot of people like to sit there and say that women are more attentive to detail. We like to think that everyone here has that same attention to detail.” |
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Shop Manager Kara Andes does everything from programming to quality control to scheduling. |
The shop is managed by Kara Andes. Kara wears many hats on behalf of the company: Shop forewoman, quality control, scheduler, and programmer, just to name a few.
She is a more recent hire, with just two years under her belt. Even though she didn’t come from a shop background, she quickly learned how to program and operate all the machines, and she is involved with every job.
Roy Page may own the company, but he truthfully admits that Jennifer Daugherty runs the day-to-day business. She has been with the company for 15 years. Jennifer started out answering phones and has worked her way up to running the company.
Ellis Page Company, LLC. Is looking at a very bright future ahead. Roy’s son Troy is very involved in the business.
They have a location that is right for them. Plus, they continue to invest in their equipment and their people. Add all that to a stable, loyal customer base that helps promote the business by word-of-mouth recommendations, and truly, from where they sit, the future of the company looks great.
Please send your thoughts and comments on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharonk.SRG@gmail.com .