We are now in the final stretch of 2015, and looking back, it seems it was a pretty good year. Signs of recovery are evident. Fabricators are telling me they are busy, machinery manufacturers are selling equipment and the three major trade shows I attended this year had reported increased attendance over their 2014 edition. In fact, Marmomacc, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, received 3% more visitors than last year. (A full rundown on the international stone event begins on page 46 of this issue of Stone World.)
From talking with fabricators over the years, it seems that those who survived (or at least hung on) during the recession did so because they were open to diversification. They realized quickly that they couldn’t put all their eggs in one basket, so to speak. For some, this meant cutting more quartz surfacing, while for others it meant working with Big Box stores. And those who provide quality customer service definitely stand out from the rest. Word of mouth and customer referrals are key, so it is important to offer a client an environment where they feel comfortable and trust a high level of service will be provided.