The Countertop Factory upgrades fabrication technology
As The Countertop Factory, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, evolved into a stone fabrication business, it upgraded its machinery equipment, including a digital templating system, for better performance
Established in 2002, The Countertop Factory, Inc. of Raleigh, NC, has transformed over the years to become a state-of-the-art fabrication shop focusing on stone and quartz surfacing products. “We started as a solid surface fabricator and grew into the stone industry,” said company owner and president, Ken Vincitorio. “We constantly are self-assessing equipment and personnel needs to meet market demand,” he said. Along with the advanced stone fabrication equipment, an investment in a digital templating system has also benefitted the business.
The 30,000-square-foot facility is equipped with a Montresor Luna 740S edge polisher, a Yukon II bridge saw and Fusion sawjet – both from Park Industries, and a Beckhart Environmental water treatment system, as well as cranes from Konecranes. To couple with the Park Fusion sawjet, The Countertop Factory uses an ELaser from ETemplate Systems for its templating. The company invested in the laser digital measuring system about three months ago.
Time, materials, costs and accuracy are factors Vincitorio cites for making the leap from manual templating to a digital system. “We considered two main players in the digital template world, and ETemplate stood out for its local support and total cost of ownership,” he said.
The ELaser features ETemplates’ Measure Manager software that is custom designed for measuring 2D and 3D projects with accuracy. Since making the switch to the ELaser, The Countertop Factory has found ease-of-use with the product, along with better accuracy and speed to cut, according to Vincitorio. “It may seem daunting to change to digital, but consider the direction of our industry, efficiency is the only way to stay competitive,” he said.
In total, the company has 35 employees, including four install crews, and runs one shift. Tooling and accessories are supplied by Regent Stone Products of Virginia Beach, VA, and GranQuartz, based in Tucker, GA.
The Countertop Factory services the Greater Triangle region, which is an eight-county area anchored by the cities of Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC. On average, the fabrication shop outputs approximately 40 kitchens per week, with each measuring between 60 to 100 square feet.
When looking to the future, Vincitorio plans to pursue new avenues of growth. “We hope to have continued self-improvement, and remain customer driven, as well as to work to remain a relevant service provider to our community,” he said.
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The Countertop Factory, Inc. Raleigh, NCType of Work: primarily residential Machinery: an ELaser from ETemplate Systems of Raleigh, NC; a Montresor Luna 740S edge polisher, a Yukon II bridge saw and Fusion sawjet – both from Park Industries of St. Cloud, MN; a water treatment system from Beckhart Environmental of Kenosha, WI; and cranes from Konacranes, Inc. of Springfield, OH Production Rate: Approximately 40 kitchens per week, with each measuring between 60 to 100 square feet Employees: 35 |
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