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Using Automation to Delight Clients
Don Benton (left) and some of the Granite and Marble Solutions team with and their new BACA Robo SawJet. (Photo courtesy Granite & Marble Solutions
By Peter Marcucci
In February 2021, Granite and Marble Solutions added a BACA Robo SawJet, a dual-table, combination saw and waterjet, capable of cutting and coring any slab material quickly and accurately. “My fabrication manager is like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to new toys,” continued Benton. “Then there’s our saw man. He was not resistant, but he was a little intimidated to be in charge of running the SawJet; however, he was still very receptive to the training. So it did take everyone a little time to get used to the differences, and we did have our growing pains, but it was worth it.” According to Benton, return on investment (ROI) was an important factor before purchasing the BACA Robo SawJet, because it was such a large investment, especially after just buying the business. However, ROI is not everything, he explained.
“The biggest thing that I liked and continue to like about BACA is that we have that same relationship we had in the beginning. Their people are willing to give references and talk about stuff and help me to understand how the shop can do things better. “Paul and his team have been in the industry, are open and consultative and are willing to share their knowledge, and that is very important to me, because it keeps me and my company moving forward. Additionally, their service has been great! If we have an issue, we call them up, and they walk us through whatever the problem is, and get us back up and running.”
Read more in the November issue of the Slippery Rock Gazette.
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VIDEO: A Monumental Work in Nevada
Catch up with the Slippery Rock Gazette in January for the details on this massive natural-stone masonry project in the historic mining area between Carson City and Virginia City.
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Vermont Verde Antique: Resiliency After the Storm
The Vermont Verde Antique quarry in Rochester, Vt. (Photo courtesy Vermont Verde)
By Karin Kirk
On a late summer weekend in August 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall for the ninth time, in Brooklyn, NY. The storm had whipped itself into hurricane force some 2,400 miles southward, first crossing over land in the Virgin Islands, then striking Puerto Rico and the Bahamas before gathering strength and bouncing up the eastern seaboard, making landfall three more times, in North Carolina, New Jersey, and finally Brooklyn. The following day, the storm veered inland and churned her way northward through the New England countryside, stalling over southern Vermont, dropping nearly one foot of rainfall in a single day. The steep slopes of Vermont’s Green Mountains funneled the rain into streams and rivers, and the famously bucolic waterways transformed to raging torrents.
Many of Vermont’s roadways follow stream valleys, and water rose beyond the stream banks and gushed over the pavement, ripping out chunks of tarmac, carrying off cars and pickups, and dislodging bridges that had stood for over a century. Almost every stream and river in the state flooded. Six people were killed, and 500 miles of roadway were damaged. Thirteen towns were left stranded when bridges and roads that served them collapsed, leaving no access to the community. Among those unlucky towns was Rochester, home of the Vermont Verde Antique quarry.
Check the December issue of the Slippery Rock Gazette for more!
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The Wrap-Up
By Rick Stimac, BB Industries President/CEO
Last month BB Industries was honored to receive the ISFA Envision Award because it declares that we have created something imaginative and exceptional for the surfacing industry. We strive to be innovative in all that we do, from technology and operations, to customer service and treating our customers, vendors, and employees like family. In the past few years, we have heavily expanded both our external and internal sales teams, added our large fulfilment center in Salt Lake City to better serve the west coast, and hired people who are helping our organization to grow strategically.
We are also heavily involved in all stone industry associations, and as always strive to be the best partner for all with whom we do business. This award recognizes all the steps we have taken in the last few years to grow our business significantly, upgrade our technologies, and expand our reach across the country – all important steps to be better for our partners. The ISFA fabricator who nominated BB Industries for the Envision Award shared this: “BB Industries has stepped up their leadership regardless of COVID, which has hampered us globally.
"They have stepped up by creating and displaying ingenuity that enhances the fabrication industry.” Part of combating the challenges of COVID included opening a full-service distribution operation in Salt Lake City to better serve the west coast with a sustainable approach in mind. We have hired a business analyst to support strategic growth, ensuring our partners the highest level of service and efficiency.
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