[Administrator]

Introduce yourself here.

Where are you located? What is your company name? Let us know a little bit about you.

And thanks for joining the Fabricator Network.

[Tom M]

Thank you, Andy, Mory and all others who are going to keep the site up and and running. I’m sure it is not an easy thing to do, in addition to running a business.

My name is Tom Mather, I run C. Mather Co., Inc. (Mather Countertop Systems).

We are located in South Windsor, Ct.

We are a smaller size company that does mostly custom work. The first solid surface fabricator in Ct., and we also specialize in custom post formed laminate. I was a ISSFA charter member, and put on a seminar out in Vegas.

Although ISSFA and I have grown apart in recent years, I’m still a supporter, especially of the opportunity to talk the biz with other fabricators, manufacturers, etc. That is also why I am pleased to see this forum on the scene.

I wish everyone good luck, and I hope to bug you all on a regular basis.

[Lesley Thomason]

My name is Lesley Thomason my husband Jason and I own Advanced Surfaces in Santa Maria, CA. We purchased it in March 2006 and are quickly working our way into the solid surface world. I appreciate all the help I have gotten for you all so far. Thanks Andy and Mory for setting this all up!

Lesley

[Tom M]

Well, 118 (as of now 5:15:19 PM) new members, versus 3 yesterday. Looks like your email idea has reaped mucho benifits.

Congrats.

Tom

[Karl Crooks]

I’m new to this site also.

Karl Crooks / Back To Perfection

We are restoring, repairing and renewing all Solid Surface / E-Stone for homes and businesses.

This site looks GREAT and I’m sure it’s been alot of work to put it together and keep it running. Nice job guys! Drop by our site when you have a chance http://www.backtoperfection.com

Restore ~ Renew ~ Rejoice

[Shane Barker]

Wow…I just found this thread. So a lot of you know me but for those that don’t. I have Chico Custom Counters in beautiful Chico California. Chico is about an hour and a half north of Sacramento, so we are the true Northern California. We do a lot of Laminate for both commercial and residential, and we also do Solid Surface. We currently employ 8 guys in the shop and 5 in the office. We do laminate for two Home Depot and Lowe’s stores and we also do the Hi-Macs for Lowe’s. I have been in the industry for over thirty years and have worked with Solid Surface for over 16 years. For the most part it has been a love hate relationship, but it is what I know and what I do so I make the best of it.

So I think everyone should chime in and tell us about their self, even you veterans that have been around a while.

Shane

[Mory Ludwick]

Hi All,

I have been self employed for 31 years. Originally I owned a company that all we did was framing and finish work. At that time we had over 100 employees. after a whole lot of years doing finish and framing I under bid a remodel job on the countertops. There was no way I was paying those prices. Another finish carpenter and I fabricated the countertop in their garage. The rest is history. Alright, I can’t lie. I fell in love with making that kind of money. We have grown by leaps and bounds, but at a very controlled rate. We have been very involved in the solid surface, quartz, and granite countertops and we still manage to slip in alot of laminate tops. All in 4 years time. I will post a link of an article that was done in Solid Surface Magazine (Surface Fabrication now). I would like to personally like to welcome everyone to this site. I have made some great friends all over the world. Four years ago I never even heard of Andy Graves. Even though I am in Omaha Nebraska and he is in Anaheim California, Andy has become a very close friend. I have met some of you and hope to meet a whole lot more.

http://www.surfacefabrication.com/articles/2005/marapr/030405_2.htm

http://www.premiercountertops.com/

Mory

[Mike Langenderfer]

I am from Toledo Ohio. We do everything from laminate to granite. Several lines of solidsurface and quartz along with natural stone. I am currently at the ISSFA regional meeting in Minnesota. I invite all of you who are not members to consider joining. I have friends from all over the world thru ISSFA.

[Anthony DeCaro]

Hello everyone!
My name is Anthony DeCaro and I am a Production Manager/ CNC Programmer for Eagle Fabrication Inc. located in Keyport NJ. We do both commercial and residential SS from Temp to Install. Ive been checking the site out for a few days now and I think it is an excellent place for fabricators to meet up and discuss different topics, especiallly for those that cant make it to issfa events and trade shows. I look forward to getting to know everyone hear and learning from what others have to offer( hopefully I can pass on some knowledge too!)

[Andy Graves]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Andy. Most of you know me already cause of my beautiful picture to the left. [EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]I have been in the solid surface business for 20 years. We are located in Southern California near Disneyland. My Mom and Dad started the business and I bought it from them about 2 years ago. They also started an association for southern California Fabricators about 12 years ago and shut it down when ISSFA was formed. That association was actually featured in the second issue of the Solid Surface Magazine. Anyway, we sell solid surface, quartz and granite, but I only do the solid surface side of it. I used to fabricate and install but now I just do the measuring, and CAD work.

I started the Fabricator Network with Mory because it was time. We thought we could build a better mouse trap so here it is. It is free to everyone to participate. The only way we support this site it through advertising. But that doesn’t mean all manufacturers and vendors can’t participate in the site. Everyone is welcome to join and get involved.

This site is NOT an association or non-profit. There is no board of directors, no committees and no political nonsense. It is an online Fabricator Network for all countertops companies to get together and share ideas. If you want to see something included on this site, let me know.

If you have any questions for me, either post on the forum, email me or just give me a call.

[Jim Meunier]

Hello Everyone.

My name is Wes and I’m a recovering Solid Surface addict. I was a facricator for 20 plus years. Owned my own company and was a manager for a large solid surface company in South Florida for 10 years. I grew up in my dad’s cabinet shop. So I know just enough to be dangerous. I moved to the dark side about 3 years ago and started selling tools and supplies to the guys who don’t know they’re addicted to acrylic, polyester,silica and wood dust. I really think this forum is a great idea and hope I can help my fellow humans out with what I’ve learned over the years and I already learned quite abit so it’s a win-win deal for me.

PS: GO DOLPHINS (being a Steelers fan is not a company mandate, thank God)

[Brad Reamer]

Hi there. Brad Reamer from WILCOR in Chicago. I know many of the folks that have posted on this site. It sure looks great. If there is ever anything that a fabricator or industry person needs in Chicago, please do not hesitate to ask.

[Linda Graves]

Hi ,

My name is Mom (Andy’s).  This site is great but I do need to make
a small correction.  I did not start the original Solid Surface
Association in Southern California.  Marc Salveson from Precision
Surfaces

& Darris Eggar from PCI had the idea for an association and got
fabricators together to discuss the possibilities.    We
started out as a bunch of fabricators who were disgruntled with the
manufacturers and distributors but quickly became a group of friends
that shared ideas, worked together on projects, & bid against each
other on others. We were capable of bidding on the same jobs one day
and have a great time over dinner and an meeting the next.  Since
John (Andy’s dad) preferred to stay in the shop, it always appeared to
be a “woman owned business” but that never seemed to be a problem
with  these guys. ISSFA certainly serves a purpose but has never
had the same friendly, helpful comradarie we had with our original
small group. This site seems to have re-captured that original
purpose.  Share information, help each other out with problems and
enjoy the friendship of other fabricators.

Congratulations Andy.  Great job.

Mom

[Shane Barker]

Welcome Mom,

Thanks for posting; it is nice to here from the one responsible for Andy.[EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO] It is also very honorable for you to make that correction. It sounds like your Association was very special and I could not agree more about this site, it is truly an awesome place for us fabricators/business owners to come together and share ideas along with the good and bad experiences. We also have a family business and I am the first to admit that my wife plays a very important role in keeping things together. There is probably more business out there held together by the wives than people realize. But growing up in a family business myself we both know that it is a struggle only achieved by very special people that have the ability to work together and endure the hard times sure to come. So welcome to the site and I look forward to hearing more from you. And remember this site would not be here if it weren’t for you.[EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]

Shane.

[John Mauck]

Hi, my name is John

I work for Advanced Surfaces in Santa Maria CA. I started working there in July of this year and have fallen in love with SS. I have been managing the second shift in our shop for a little over a month now.

I am very glad to have access to this site, it has answered so many of my questions and helped broaden my goals for the future.

Thanks for all the help!

[Author]

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