Stone Chatter Podcast

What Are Top Fabricators Doing Differently?

Want more sales without sacrificing your margins? In Part 2 of Stone Chatter’s sales series, Rich, Erik, and Ed join industry pros Carmina Mendez, Lauren Westwood, and Cory Edd to reveal what top fabricators are doing differently—from targeting more profitable customers and transforming the showroom experience to improving marketing, follow-up, outside sales, and team incentives. Discover the overlooked upgrades, add-ons, and sales opportunities that can raise your average ticket, strengthen customer relationships, and stop money from slipping through the cracks. If you’re ready to sell smarter—not just work harder—this episode is packed with practical ideas you can put to work in your shop today.

About Stone Chatter

Stone Chatter is a podcast dedicated to open conversations about the stone industry covering fabrication, business, safety, technology, sales, industry news, and the people shaping its future. Three Perspectives. One Industry.

Intro Music

“Drink Away Your Love - Live at Johnny’s Place” by Travis Blaine, featuring Eric Knight Music used with permission from the artists.

PART 2 - Stone Chatter is broadcasting live from the All Slab Fabbers Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted on-site during one of the industry's most hands-on educational events, this special episode captures conversations with shop owners, fabricators, suppliers, industry leaders, and attendees from across North America. The All Slab Fabbers Workshop brings together professionals committed to improving craftsmanship, shop operations, safety, and business growth through collaboration and education.

In this special live episode

Whether you attended the workshop or couldn't make the trip to Salt Lake City, this special episode brings you directly into the event, featuring real conversations with the people helping shape the future of the stone industry. Thank you to All Slab Fabbers (ASF) for hosting another outstanding event dedicated to education, collaboration, and advancing the fabrication community. Learn more about ASF and upcoming workshops at All Slab Fabbers.

In this episode of Stone Chatter, Rich, Erik, and Ed dive into one of the biggest challenges facing fabrication shops: How to Build a Sales Team That Actually Sells.

Instead of simply quoting whatever business walks through the door, how do you develop salespeople who actively pursue opportunities, protect margins, build relationships, and consistently generate revenue?

For this conversation, the Stone Chatter crew is joined by three guests with very different perspectives on sales, shop ownership, hiring, coaching, and performance.

Guests Michael Ferguson - Former head of sales for Flowform, now with MSI. Michael has worked in nearly every role inside a fabrication shop and has experience building in-home sales teams across multiple states.

Katrina Hora - Second-generation owner of Italian Marble and Granite in Buffalo, New York, a high-end residential and commercial fabrication business that has doubled its volume without relying on big-box work.

Stevenson “Steve” Brooks - Professional sales coach and trainer with a background in mindset-driven sales training and competitive markets.

In this episode

The guests also share specific real-world examples, including how AI helped identify patterns in an individual salesperson's performance, how sales metrics can expose problems that aren't obvious on the surface, and why testing candidates in realistic selling situations can tell you far more than a traditional interview.

Whether you already have a sales team or you're trying to build one from scratch, this episode is about creating a repeatable, measurable sales function that protects margin and drives growth.

President Trump has officially enacted the imported quartz tariffs—and the stone industry is entering a new chapter.

In this special episode, Rich, Erik, and Ed break down one of the most significant developments to impact the stone industry in years. We discuss what the new tariffs mean, when they take effect, how they will work, and what fabricators, distributors, suppliers, and importers should expect in the months ahead.

This episode also includes a recap of the latest Cal/OSHA meeting regarding the proposed quartz restrictions, making this a comprehensive update on two major industry developments happening at the same time.

In this special update

Whether you're a fabricator, supplier, distributor, or stone industry professional, this episode provides practical insight into how these changes may affect your business and what to watch as the industry adapts.

For the first time, Stone Chatter is broadcasting live from the All Slab Fabbers Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted on-site during one of the industry's most hands-on educational events, this special episode captures conversations with shop owners, fabricators, suppliers, industry leaders, and attendees from across North America. The All Slab Fabbers Workshop brings together professionals committed to improving craftsmanship, shop operations, safety, and business growth through collaboration and education.

In this special live episode

Whether you attended the workshop or couldn't make the trip to Salt Lake City, this special episode brings you directly into the event, featuring real conversations with the people helping shape the future of the stone industry. Thank you to All Slab Fabbers (ASF) for hosting another outstanding event dedicated to education, collaboration, and advancing the fabrication community.

Many business owners assume the value of their company is based on equipment, inventory, or annual sales but the reality is often very different.

In this episode hosts Rich, Erik, and Ed are joined by industry experts to discuss how fabrication businesses are valued, what buyers actually look for, and the practical steps owners can take today to increase the value of their companies whether they plan to sell next year or twenty years from now.

Guests include Scott Hartman (KAT Fabricators), Chabun Hieblinger (Twin Shore Advisors) and Aaron Crowley (No Lift Install System). 

Whether you're planning to sell your shop someday or simply want to build a stronger business, understanding how your company is evaluated can help you make better decisions today.

This episode provides practical insights from professionals who work with acquisitions, valuations, and business growth within the stone industry.

In this episode, hosts Rich, Erik, and Ed discuss some of the latest developments affecting fabricators, suppliers, and industry professionals across North America.

From updates on the ongoing ITC trade review to conversations around industry associations, upcoming events, silicosis developments, and other important industry news, this episode provides a broad look at the issues and trends shaping today's stone business.

In this episode

The stone industry offers a variety of associations, organizations, buying groups, certifications, and networking opportunities but how do you know which ones are actually worth your time and investment?

In this episode of Stone Chatter, hosts Rich, Erik, and Ed explore the strengths, weaknesses, and real-world value of some of the industry's most recognized organizations. Whether you're a shop owner, general manager, or industry professional, this discussion focuses on helping businesses understand what each organization offers, where they provide value, and where opportunities for improvement still exist.

In this episode

Guests

Kelly O`Connor – Former General Manager, Granite Mountain Montana

Geoffrey Gran – Owner, The Countertop Factory

Andrew Clyde – Owner, Ashcraft Granite & Marble

The conversation around quartz, workplace safety, and regulation continues to evolve and the industry is watching closely. In this special episode of Stone Chatter, hosts Rich, Erik, and Ed discuss major updates surrounding the recent Cal/OSHA board meeting, ongoing conversations about a potential quartz ban in California, and what the next steps could look like for fabrication shops moving forward. This episode also covers industry organization efforts, the latest developments from the ITC trade review meeting, and where the broader conversation may be heading next.

In this episode

A preview of upcoming Stone Chatter episodes

This episode focuses on one of the most important and sensitive moments currently facing the stone fabrication industry — balancing safety, regulation, business realities, and the future of fabrication itself.

Real conversations. Real concerns. One industry.

Strong relationships between slab suppliers and fabrication shops have always been a major part of the stone industry but are those relationships changing?

In this special Stone Chatter Arena episode, hosts Rich, Erik, and Ed are joined by respected leaders from both the fabrication and supplier sides of the industry to have an open conversation about trust, loyalty, collaboration, and the future of working relationships across the stone business.

This discussion explores where friction may exist today, what both sides expect from each other, and how stronger partnerships could benefit the industry as a whole.

Guests:

Intro Music “Drink Away Your Love - Live at Johnny’s Place” by Travis Blaine, featuring Eric Knight Support the artists: Music used with permission from the artists.