Fabricators Can Now Find Matching Stone for Projects with www.remnantlocator.com
Fabricators facing the dreaded and frustrating choice of absorbing the cost of a full stab of stone when they’re a few inches short of completing a job now have some help.
After five years of extensive testing in the Portland, Oregon, market, a new online service, www.RemnantLocator.com, is being rolled out in the 100 largest metro areas and cities across the country. The service is the brain child of stone industry consultant Aaron Crowley, known to Slippery Rock Gazette readers through his monthly column.
“For fabricators, www.RemnantLocator.com is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to locate remnants to finish projects,” he said.
Finding a remnant can mean the difference between profit and loss for a fabricator on a job if quotes are even slightly off. “You’ve already contracted to deliver the project and if you don’t have enough material, even if you’re short just a couple inches for a backsplash, you have to find a remnant or you’ve got to buy a $1,500 slab and eat the money.”
Very often another fabricator might have a matching remnant, but, until now, finding one would require a great deal more time, cost and detective work.
Here is how and why the service works:
Fabricators simply visit RemnantLocator.com and register based on the city or metro area they are closest to. As a Registered Fabricator, your “Remnant Request” is then automatically emailed to all of the other Registered Fabricators in your area. It’s as simple as that.
You will also receive “Remnant Requests” via email whenever another user submits a request. To make a “Remnant Request” as a registered fabricator, you only have to log on to RemnantLocator.com and enter the basic information of the remnant you need – material name, slab supplier, thickness, size, etc. – then hit “Submit.” The program automatically creates an emailed “Remnant Request” that is sent to every other fabricator registered in your city or metro area.
If a fabricator has a requested remnant, they contact the person making the request and make arrangements for the transfer. Fabricators who don’t have the remnant, simply delete the email.
Crowley has seen good results using the network in the Portland, Oregon, market where his shop is located. “In 30 seconds, I can send a request out to 70 fabricators looking for that piece of stone. It’s a very efficient way for fabricators to find remnants.”
Advantages of RemnantLocator.com:
- Geared towards the small to mid-sized
- shops who buy material from local slab
- suppliers
- 5 years of successful use in Portland, OR
- Free for single user accounts - $4.99 per
- month for multiuser accounts up to 5
- Connects fabricators through email
- Helps fabricators locate small pieces to
- profitably complete projects
- Avoid having to buy full slabs
- Helps fabricators quote additional counters
- more competitively
- Does not require remnant lists or inventory
- management
- Does not charge a fee for transactions
Aaron Crowley is a stone shop owner, author, speaker, and consultant to mid-size stone companies. He also pens a monthly column for the Slippery Rock Gazette. Contact him at aaron@fabricatorsfriend.com.