Page 9 - Feb_2020_SRG_33pg

Slippery rock Gazette
February 2020|9
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Fox Marble
Continued from page 2
“Automation and globalization are here to stay. That’s evolution. To stay in business, you’ve got to have state-of-the-art water-fed machines, proper dust collection and air circulation. We have the best technology and the best ma- terials, but it’s our people who make this company, and it’s not getting any easier to find them, and that’s the challenge. Our dedicated staff of 140 people has made our business. They are val- ued dearly and appreciated.”
To Sell or Educate?
That is the Question
“We are fairly new to the Artisan Group,” continued McLaughlin. “The group means a lot to me, because I respect the organization. It’s allowed me to visit other successful facilities and to make major decisions on machinery purchases that were based on what the group’s con- sensus was, and where the indus- try is going. It’s been a real game changer, and helped us figure out
Photo by Lawrence Lauterborn
what coming trends are, and how to market those trends.
“The internet, however, is not a good marketing tool for us. People in our market do not buy stone off the internet. What it does do, though, is educate them. Clients are much more sophisticated, whereas they know the difference between materials and all the possibilities. The internet is also very important to show people our location. We pay a person to constantly to get us good ranking on Google search and Yelp, and that’s important and key to get- ting them to walk in our door. You can track how many views it and how long they stay, and that is ex- tremely important, too.
“When they do walk in the door, we both sell to them and educate them. We are expensive, and there’s a reason that we are expen- sive: because we offer the highest level of service. We’ll first get an idea of their budget, and try to (value engineer) their needs. If a customer wants just price, they’ve come to the wrong place, and most of them who come here know that beforehand. No, they don’t want a deal, they want value, and that’s
what it’s all about. Getting the best service, the best experi- ence, and if there’s a problem, even if it’s years down the road, if it’s our work, we take care of it; that’s our reputation, as such. There’s no other way! 75 percent of our work is referred by general contractors, designers or people
who have used us in the past.”
Final Words of Wisdom
“Years ago, I saw that granite was coming, just like I now see sintered products coming. It’s the future, and the future looks very, very bright.
Please turn to page 12
Below: This commercial project located at 703 Market, San Francisco, CA features Calacatta marble cladding, sourced through Evolv Surfaces.
Left: The Fox Stone Care division serves Northern California and
Hawaii. Pictured: the Fox Stone Care department team leaders.
Photo Courtesy Neolith®