Zsolt Granite
by Peter J. Marcucci
Photos Courtesy Zsolt Granite and BACA Systems
When Zsolt Kuntarics immigrated to America in 2001, it was for a better life as well as to support his family who remained in Hungary. Hungary was not one of the fifteen Balkan countries that had been part of the Soviet Union since 1922. However, Hungarians did feel the effect of the USSR collapse in 1991, as Russia’s flea market economy spread throughout the area. For Zsolt, who was born in 1979, growing up during this era wasn’t easy for him or his family, he recalled.
“I had a very loving family. We were all very close and we learned to work hard, because the economy was not the same as America. To earn a good living, you had to be a reliable person and at the top of your game or you’re not going to have a job!”
Choosing to settle in Florida, Zsolt’s first job was at Walmart cleaning floors. Soon after, just by a stroke of luck, he landed a job as an installer’s helper with Surface Crafters in Holly Hill, Florida, where he loved learning fabrication, he explained. “I was riding in the company truck with the lead installer driving, and I imagined and thought, ‘Okay, I have a goal. I’m going to open my own company, and be successful.’” Zsolt went from a helper, to installer, to a lead installer, and eventually became the most requested by customers, he continued. “I didn’t do anything special! I just cared a lot, and gave 100%, and if I saw someone who was better than me, I wanted to be that much better.”
By 2006, Zsolt saw another opportunity, and hooked-up with a fabrication company in Gainesville, Florida as their production manager. Unfortunately, the company soon folded, leaving him and his wife strapped with house and car payments. With only a part-time job that didn’t cut it, the moment of truth had arrived. What to do?
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Left: The focal point of this high-end residential kitchen is the mitered porcelain island that doubles as an eat-at counter, kitchen storage and a work space.
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At The Top of His Game
Well, as you might have guessed, Zsolt took a calculated leap of faith towards the pursuit of the dream he imagined while riding in the installation truck years before, he explained. “I was still very young, and I decided that this is the time to open my own business. I started with two of my friends, working fifteen hours a day Monday thru Sunday, with only two circular saws and two grinders. We did amazing customer service that eventually got us to where we are today.”
Currently, Zsolt Granite Corporation has two Florida locations. The original, located in Longwood, houses the company’s administration, sales, showroom and fabrication, while the second location in Gainesville is strictly sales and showroom. Between these two locations, with the exception of Miami, the company’s span of coverage is mostly from the top of Florida’s east coast all the way down to Naples on the west coast – basically most of the state. Notable at this point, is that the company is both wholesale to big box and kitchen and bath dealers, and retail to builders and walk-in owners. This dual business model, in many ways, can be tough to handle.
Zsolt attributes his almost two decades of growth to his built-in understanding of hard work, good quality and great customer service. An excellent combination, but not perfect, he continued. “In the beginning, I had no clue how to run a business. I made a lot of mistakes that cost me a lot of money. I was just a hard worker from Hungary who worked my way to owning a company, but I wish I had a better business background when I started. That said, we have had amazing growth over the years.”
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Above: BACA Systems Robo Sawjet M Series machine has made a difference in speed of production, especially for waterjet sink cutouts, says Zsolt.
Below: Zsolt Granite Showroom kitchen vignette showcases an elegant, modern design esthetic. |
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Below: One of two Zsolt Granite Paladin CNC work centers. |
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The Moving Parts
What Zsolt says he lacks in business experience, he makes up for with his machine savvy and production background. His 20,000 square foot shop exudes production coolness with a killer line up of equipment featuring a Robo SawJet 2.0 and a Robo SawJet M Series, a BACA Miter X, two Better Built Machines (BBM) Paladin CNCs, and a Sasso K600 5-Axis CNC Bridge Saw. Both BACA units are duel table. His older unit is the 2.0, while his newer unit and the one he raves about is the new M Series.
“We were the sixth shop in the country to get the M Series that miters using their waterjet technology. Our BACA robots made a huge difference in the speed of our production by preventing breakage and waste, and because the M Series cuts with waterjet, inside corners such as in sink cutouts no longer have to be finished by hand. This made a big, big change. We can push production, and have super reliable machines with a lot of speed and accuracy. A lot of bridge saw manufacturers say that robots are not accurate. Well, I don’t know what they consider “accurate.” I’m not putting together aerospace parts or doing fine surgery on hearts! Our BACA robots are absolutely accurate for working stone. Furthermore, on the average, we do 1,000 square feet per day, sometimes in two shifts, and with the machinery we have we can easily double that to 2,000 per day.”
Zsolt Granite is also looking forward to their purchase of the new D2 Iris Scanner powered by Horus Software, which will enhance their vein-matching capabilities and allow them to showcase their slabs in stunning 12K high-resolution photos. They are particularly excited about the scanner’s augmented reality feature as a sales weapon, which will help them attract new clients by enabling them to see not just the slabs, but also envision the full look of the materials within their project space. This capability is expected to generate significant excitement for their customers about their upcoming projects.
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Above: Luxury bathroom project includes wall-to-ceiling large format porcelain panels for the walk-in shower.
Below: Custom residential kitchen features dual 10-foot work counters with mitered aprons. |
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Sourcing Material
With Zsolt Granite’s average of 1,000 square feet per day, the volume makes a great case for buying direct from select quarries in India, Vietnam, and Brazil. The company also has close ties with Daltile, MSI and especially Cosentino USA. 60% of their volume is quartz, 24% is natural stone, 5% percent is solid surface, with 11% Dekton and porcelain, he said. “What makes us different is that a growing percentage of our fabrication is using Dekton and porcelain. In the beginning I was not a fan. It took two to three times longer to fabricate than quartz or natural stone, so why wouldn’t I hate it? Then one morning, I woke up thinking that if customers want it, let’s just learn to work with it, and I ordered a container.”
With a total of 73 team members at both locations, 14 operate fabrication, 5 are fulltime template makers using Laser Products Industries LT-55’s, and 6 subcontracted install crews round out production. “Our people are our family and team members, and our number one assets,” continued Zsolt.
“If they don’t do their job, I can’t do my job. They are secure, awesome and appreciated, and they all work very hard to bring the best out of each other. My first priority has always been creating dream kitchens for our customers, and to make their dreams come true with an amazing space in their house. I cannot do this without creating a dream environment for my people. I can make all the money, and I can be all successful, but without them being happy, those things mean nothing to me. I’m speaking from the heart when I tell you that it’s very important that success come about because you’ve created an awesome environment for your people, and they love working for you. This brings growth that everyone benefits from, and we all can make a good living, because the business is successful due to team work.
“For example, my general manager Amy Teal and I had worked through some tough times, for a few years. She is the most amazing and loyal employee I’ve ever worked with and perhaps ever will. Without her, I wouldn’t be here, and I am forever grateful and want to thank her a lot. I’d also like to thank my brother Joseph Kuntarics, who has helped build this business over the years, and is now my production manager.”
Many of Zsolt’s clients have been gained through word-of-mouth. However, due to the vast and diverse market covered throughout the state, social media, Google and a marketing firm have also been used. This has worked out quite well with 30% of revenue coming from kitchen and bath dealers, about 4% from builders, 36% from big box stores, and 30% from residential and commercial clients.
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Above, Left: Zsolt Granite used richly-veined porcelain for this floor-to-ceiling gas fireplace facade.
Above, Right: This bookmatched 2-story porcelain fireplace facade adds an elegant and stylish flair to this conversational seating area. |
Zsolt’s Thoughts on the Silicosis Controversy
“The heightened awareness and concerns lately about silicosis are actually a very good thing. We need to protect our people as best as possible. I totally understand that old-school fabricators and installers might be resistant to changing the way they do things, but it’s a must, and it’s up to us owners and leaders to make them understand that they will have no choice. The biggest challenge is that the people who have done fabrication for a very long time may be very stubborn, and just don’t want to change the way they do things. They need to understand that it will save their life and their family’s life.”
Zsolt Granite Corporation is a member of The Rockheads Group, The Kitchen and Bath Association, The Natural Stone Institute and The International Surface Fabricators Association.
Visit www.zsoltgranitecorporation.com for more information.