Business Sense: 5 Best Practices for Training New Employees on Existing Processes and Systems

As if finding help wasn’t hard enough for busy fabricators, once you find the employees you need, you have to train them! While it might take time out of your very busy schedule, training is a vital part of keeping your business running smoothly and efficiently.  If you look at employee retention … Read more

Health & Safety Watch: OSHA Withdraws Temporary Vaccine Rule; Permanent Mandate In the Works

The U.S. Department of Labor has withdrawn its emergency temporary standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination or testing for workers at large employers. However, OSHA will continue to pursue a permanent standard to that effect, according to a Federal Register notice issued January 26, 2022. On November 5, 2021, OSHA adopted an emergency … Read more

Wilsonart Unveils Top Trends for Kitchen Surfaces

After a year full of unpredictability, many gained a newfound appreciation for our kitchens and the many purposes they serve. The heart of the home is getting the attention it deserves as homeowners realize the importance of having a multi-faceted kitchen and are ready to invest in new solutions for … Read more

Business Sense: A Quick Guide to Setting Goals For Your Countertop Business

By Katherine Gifford of Moraware Goals are critical for any business, including the fabrication industry. Without them, it’s like playing a game of darts in a pitch-black room. You keep aiming and throwing, but you have no idea if you’re ever going to hit the bullseye. That’s where KPIs come in.  … Read more

U.S. Customs Finds Additional Evasion of Antidumping/Countervailing Duties on Quartz Surface Products From China

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“Customs”) has been taking aggressive action under The Enforce and Protect Act (“EAPA”) against companies that are violating U.S. trade laws as they pertain to quartz surface products from China. On November 26, Customs found that 15 U.S. importers were guilty of illegally transshipping Chinese … Read more

Business Sense: It’s Time to Hire a Data Person for Your Countertop Shop

By Katherine Gifford of Moraware Not another person to hire! This one is different, I promise.  To fully understand how your business is performing—whether it is weekly sales, material usage, or employee efficiency—analyzing the data is incredibly crucial for success. If you don’t know where your bottlenecks are, you can’t make the adjustments … Read more

Business Sense: 3 Ways Countertop Fabricators Can Save Money in Their Business

By Katherine Gifford of Moraware Money! There never seems to be enough of it, right? Just when you think you’re in the black, someone drops another slab or a customer complains about a job and you have to rework it for free. Now you’re actually paying to install countertops instead … Read more

KBISNeXT Stage Brings Business Insights to KBIS 2022

The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), owners of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), revealed the programming lineup planned for the NKBA presents KBISNeXT™ Stage. The stage will host more than 20 programs, including four awards events and 60+ leading industry voices and personalities throughout the three-day show, … Read more

Health & Safety Watch: A Safe Workplace is Sound Business

OSHA has recently updated the Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs it first released 30 years ago, to reflect changes in the economy, workplaces, and evolving safety and health issues. The new Recommended Practices have been well received by a wide variety of stakeholders and are designed to be used … Read more

Business Sense: Better Data Leads to Better Business Decisions

By Katherine Gifford of Moraware Have you ever heard the saying “garbage in, garbage out”? It’s the perfect description for when you overlook the information input part of your process. If you aren’t thinking about how and why you are entering job info into your job management system, then you … Read more