On March 21 and 22, Julie and I attended a Park Industries Digital Expo in South Carolina. As I’ve mentioned before, these are great events, because Park always gets a nice group of fabricators together to talk about their businesses.
We had a reception Wednesday night, and it was good to catch up with some long-time Moraware customers. Everybody’s pathway into this business is unique, so if you see us at event, be sure to share your story!
Thursday was a focused mix of conversation, classroom training, and a fabricator visit. The training was business-focused, rather than technical or craft-focused. I shared a quick overview of our software, as part of an end-to-end explanation of what it means to be a digital shop (which also included digital templating with Laser Products, laying out material with SlabSmith, and programming with Alphacam).
My favorite part of these presentations is hearing from experienced fabricators – because each owner deals with a different set of challenges. Dave Scott from Slabworks of Montana shared his approach to serving a large geographical area. Stuart Young discussed how going digital has helped Stoneworks Surface Products continue to grow. Scott Hanes from Majestic Marble talked about his intensive focus on processes and all the ways he keeps refining them (if you haven’t already, watch a great video of Scott that he made with us).
John Rozelle from Rozelle Stone was our host fabricator for this event. After a brief Q&A, we headed to his shop for a tour. John pointed out that his customers tend to be very upscale, which means his needs will be different from the needs of a high-production shop. One implication is that Rozelle Stone is possibly the cleanest shop you’ll ever see; John likes to impress his customers by showing them how countertops are made, so the shop has to look great.
I always learn something at Park’s Digital Expo events – they’re incredibly valuable. Even if you’re not in the market for new equipment, you should attend when you have the chance. Sign up here!
