I visited a few Moraware customers near New Orleans – NF Granite in Pearl City, LA and GNL Contractors in Slidell, LA.
On the drive up, as I went past public housing and abandoned buildings, I was expecting the worst in this part of the country. But I was surprised by both of these countertop fabricators – they’re experiencing incredible growth.
Usually, I write a single post for each company, but these two were strikingly similar. Both are in the process of moving to larger buildings, both primarily install countertops for Lowe’s customers, both cover a huge territory. And, both are using Moraware JobTracker for scheduling and managing the details of their jobs.
Getting automated
Both seem to be on the same path, too – with NF slightly larger and more automated. In conjunction with NF’s move to a larger fabrication shop, they’re also moving to digital templating and fabrication. Most of their office work revolves around scheduling the templates and installs for their Lowe’s customers.
Mastering multiple businesses
GNL has an innovative business model – rather than having a single company for everything, it’s really divided into three companies that share the same space. There’s the company that runs the sales, marketing, and administrative functions. A separate company deals with fabrication, and another does the templates and installs. That way, each can focus on their specialty.
The key to success
It was a bit strange visiting such direct competitors, and I was worried about spilling the beans about their businesses. But it turns out, as with most successful shops, there are very few secrets. The most important factor is having hard-working, friendly, and motivated employees. Everyone I met at both GNL and NF Granite fit the bill. Thanks!
Want to know more? At Moraware, we make software for countertop fabricators. CounterGo lets you draw, estimate, and layout countertops in just minutes. Systemize is scheduling software that helps you eliminate the time you waste looking for job folders. RemnantSwap is a free place to buy and sell stone remnants with fabricators near you.
