[Bob Kopfmann]

Jon, nice article in this months issue of Surface Fabrication magazine. When I turned the page and saw your pic, then saw the topic of Management I was sure that somewhere in the article you would work in the management of the Redsox & Patriots but no. 🙂 But, the Fabricator Network did get a plug

Congrats…

[Andy Graves]

What he said.

[Mory Ludwick]

What he said Thanks for the PLUG

Mory

[Jon Olson]

Thanks Dave. Your Welcome Andy + Mory Your my buddies looking out for you. If anybody has any suggestions on articles let me know. We’ll see what we can do. Cant do Sports articles don’t think Kevin would allow it.

[Richard Barwick]

Well, Jon, I take it that you are somehow connected to the surfaces magazine or know someone who is. I have a question that I would love to have answered or forwarded to someone who can answer it.

And the question is, “What happened to that great magazine?”. I started getting the solid surface magazine after my initial training and used to love it. Great articles about solid surface all over the magazine. Now, it is pointed more toward granite and e-stone, very little solid surface info left. I got a subscription notice the other day and decided not to reorder, just isn’t the same magazine it used to be.

Now, I understand the trend of countertops is moving toward engineered stone and granite, but is the gain in market share temporary or just reaction to designers and magazine writers current “golden boy”? The more I learn about granite and e-stone, the more wary I am about recomending the stuff. I am currently going through stoneadvice.com archives trying to get a sense of problems and benefits of both materials for countertops and there seems to be a trend of more and more people with complaints. True, a lot of the problems are with fabrication or installation problems, but isn’t this one of the strenghts of solid surface, the ability to recover from mistakes?

Bottom line is I am going to be fabricating and installing both by the end of the year, need to stay competitive and offer all products in demand, but I see both products as in a bubble, with a chance of competition becoming stiff due to saturation. I can see adding some info on stone and e-stone, but ask them not to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Am I alone in this opinion? Al, the dinosaur slowly sinking in the tar pit? If I am, why is the solid surface part of this site getting more traffic than the e-stone and granite pages?

[MartinDenton]

Al, maybe this will help. I’ve been in the Solid Surface & Cabinet tool supply biz for 22 years.Never envisioned I’d be selling all things granite tool. 5 or so years ago our SS customers, especially those fabricating Corian were getting in to Zodiaq. Differant tooling, differant fabrication technique. They needed the tools to go forward. We needed to adapt to the market place just like they did. Our SS customers had their contractors coming to them and asking that since they were doing their SS counter tops, why could they not also do their granite tops. So, these customers started to create a wet side for stone along with their dry side for SS. While many were only installing stone and still needed the tooling to do so, many went full boat in to stone fabrication. On the other side, granite fabricators started to get in to SS. A progression if you will. Surface Fabrication magazine has done exactly the same. They’ve progressed in to all things countertop. I read the magazine cover to cover and personally find that they offer articles on both sides equally. That’s just me but in my opinion, they’ve covered both sides of the aisle quite well.

Dave

[Andy Graves]

I used to read the magazine page by page, probably more than once. I still like the magazine, I just don’t fabricator or install stone, just sell so some of the articles arn’t as interesting to me. That is just the evolution of our unique industry.

[Jon Olson]

Hello Al I do appreciate your thoughts. My involvement with Surface Fabrication is as a writer. Sorry to hear you may not renew your subscription to the magazine. True there is more ES and Granite attention given but if you look at the last few issues I would say at least half of the Magazine attention was on Solid Surface. Besides that there are articles such as the one I write that give advice on your company whether its a Solid Surface shop or a Granite shop. I might add I work for a company that is 95 % Solid Surface so I feel your pain.

Here’s the problem As Andy said the industry is changing. It would be nice to have a magazine strictly for Solid Surface but can it stand on its own? I don’t think so. We all have to place value on what we think is important. Dave reads the magazine cover to cover Andy says he reads some of it. Al wants to stop his subscription. I read every article even though I, am a Solid Surface Guy. I like to know what the competition is doing and who knows maybe one day I’ll come to work and my Boss tells me where getting into Granite.

Al your already an writer.(You have the talent) Maybe you’ll be the next addition to the magazine. The one thing I see as a negative in our industry is every one wants to jump ship when the going gets bad. I hope we don’t do that to the only magazine that serves out industry.

Here’s my prediction The time will come that there will be one association for all surfaces.( Perhaps the Magazine is ahead of its time) More like a countertop association. Lets put all our strengths together for the benefit of our companies.

[Norm Walters]

Jon, I’m pretty sure you were a marriage counselor in a past life.[EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]

[Kurt Bonk]

Well said as always Jon. I was at a seminar a few weeks back and the statistics and the changing industry were quite the eye opener. Now more than ever will the fabricators need to stick together. Doesn’t matter what your passionate for fabricaton maybe. You better get involved somewhere and enough drawing lines in the sand, kids stuff.

Just my personal opinion, for what it’s worth.

Kurt

[Andy Graves]

Kurt wrote

You better get involved somewhere and enough drawing lines in the sand, kids stuff.

Kurt

What do you mean?

[George Puskar]

Jon, that was a good article you did, not trying to minimize anything the magazine does for the industry. I did do a rough count of ads and articles.

solid surface ads 55 solid surface articles 1

e-stone/stone ads 40 e-stone/stone articles 3

not including any combo products that touch all three products

I don’t mind proportional stone articles, keeping an eye on the market is a good idea, but since the majority of their advertisers depend on solid surface, why not continue to support that market?

On standing on its own, did it at one time? I remember some change in managment some time back, at least I think that was it was, was there a change in focus as a result? Jumping ship? Didn’t they change the direction the ship was going?

There are at least four magazines for stone that I have learned of, from stoneadvice.com. I haven’t actually seen a copy of them, but others say they are out there. I understand why stone equipment companies want to advertise in the solid surface magazine, no problem, take their money since ss guys are probally looking into fabrication of stones products, like I am.

Add some stone and e-stone stuff, just don’t forget who got them to where they are, solid surface fabricators and the companies that sell to them.

[Jon Olson]

Thanks Al. Norm that’s what I get for watching DR Phil. Al I was thinking do you think there is enough Solid Surface fabricators to support a stand alone Magazine? That may be why Cygnus made the decision they did.

[Kurt Bonk]

Nice stuff Jon.

Sorry to get off topic. Andy asked a question. My personal interpretation of trends and statistics show that certain segments of the industry will become largely controlled by mega shops, manufacturers,and large retailers. Not trying to spread gloom and doom. I think market share will be redivided and dictated to a certant extent. No crystal ball here; just thinking outloud. Smaller shops will always be here to stay. The guy’s in the middle trying to get to the next level will face a challeng in years to come. So getting involved with sites like this, ISSFA, other groups or associations is what will help make the difference. The knowledge shared among these groups will increase sucess. No more complaining about this group or that group, blah blah blah. I thank the guy’s from the Fabricator Network and ISSFA for offering knowledge sharing oprotunities to help grow the industry. Say what you want. Before you do that; you need to ask yourself; What have you done to help the industry? Or maybe what are you going to do? Get involved!. Old saying that always stuck with me; you reap what you sow.!

Kurt

[Tom M]

Jon,
I think there are as many solid surface fabricators (at least) as there were when the magazine started up. An audience still? Sure! Cygnus will always be looking for greater publishing numbers, though, so they expanded to include others as well as SS fabricators.

There has been many changes since the magazine (and ISSFA) started. Mike and JoAnne (sp?) started it up, Russ lee was great – and accessible! All are gone now, I believe. John Lancto’s stuff in the early days was first-rate. After he started taking on Home Center stores for fabrication, I learned more in a year or so about the difficulties and frustrations than I ever have before or since. The whole thing seems different now. I was terrified that Cygnus would turn it into another K&B Design kind of mag. I am happily wrong so far.

I must say, Jon, your articles are the ones I read with the most interest. Whether it is because you take some difficult concepts and present them clearly, or whether it’s just because I am nowadays more interested in the management end of things (including learning to walk the fine line between good boss/door mat), but you write well, and I appreciate it.

Al, you have a great way of thinking that comes through on these pages. Like the simple, but very effective way you backed up your point by citing the articles/ads in the recent issue. You deserve credit.

Tom M

[Author]

Posts