Humble Start

Many fabricators can relate to Paul’s first cutting setup. It was manual, somewhat home made, and unforgiving. Paul reflects,

“I started with a rail saw…a junior ripper. I had my own tilting table, which I made out of pressure treated lumber. Edges weren’t staying at 90, we did a lot of no-no’s and found out a lot of things the hard way.”

A Good Trade

After working his way up with the hand saw, Paul started looking for a true cutting machine. His first machine from Park Industries® came in true Newport fashion. He traded his boat for a local fabricator’s early model SIERRA® Bridge Saw.

“I called up Park after making the trade and from there they walked me through everything to getting the saw setup and took great care of me. The trade was a win for me…it definitely made me the money to buy more boats (laughs).”

A Stand Out Moment

After seeing what a real bridge saw could do for his business, Paul found a used FASTBACK® Edge Polisher with a lot of hours on it. Again, he called up Park Industries®,

“They took such great care of me getting that machine setup…The third-party electrician who wired the machine for us wired it backwards. The amount of time they spent on the phone to help solve this with me, for a used machine installed incorrectly by someone else, was unbelievable. After that it was a no brainer to go with Park for me.”

A Digital Pair

East Coast Countertops was growing and Paul was ready to take the next step. He purchased a spacious brick building, originally built in 1880 and designed the shop layout around two new pieces of equipment: the FUSION® CNC Sawjet and TITAN® CNC Router.

Instantly, Paul’s production and efficiency grew. His fabricators were no longer cutting out sinks and he felt more in control of his production.

A Fresh FASTBACK® II

Soon after, Paul replaced his used FASTBACK® with a FASTBACK® II Edge Polisher. Paul has loved every minute of it,

“The FASTBACK® II is the second most important equipment any shop should have, behind your saw. It’s going to pay for itself. What it does in one day, it would take a fabricator a full week. And the longevity of the tool life is insane. Just what you’re saving in pads, it’s worth buying the machine.”

A Shop Transformer

Paul was looking to add extra cutting capabilities, but didn’t have real estate left in the shop for a new saw. He moved his FASTBACK® II, and with the help of Park Industries®, squeezed in a two table OPTIMUS™ Robotic Sawjet.

“It’s crazy, Park helped us fit a two table sawjet into the space we had. Some single table machines wouldn’t even fit into this space. For the amount of space the OPTIMUS™ takes up compared to the amount of sq ft it produces, it was definitely the way to go.”

Paul continues, “The OPTIMUS™ would have to be my favorite machine. It moves from one side of the slab to the other super fast. And just the look of it, it still kind of gives me the chills. It’s a beast.”

Production Goals

With all of Paul’s Park machinery, 2 operators running/programming them, and 7 hand polishers, Paul is hitting the production goals of his dreams.

“We’ve exceeded square footage numbers that I never thought I was going to hit. And I’m doing it with a lean crew.”

East Coast Countertops averages about 4,000 sq ft per week with the ability to ramp up to 5,000 if needed.

Beyond the Numbers

Besides just producing great numbers for East Coast Countertops, the machinery has left a lasting impact on their customers and how they approach jobs.

“We feel like we bring on any job…porcelain, bookmatching, inside corners / outside corners, and material on the wall, floor, ceiling, wherever! We’ve done work on some of the mega yachts in the shipyard here in New Port.”

One client comes to mind for Paul, “We have a high end client, whose properties never sell for below $3 million. He wouldn’t even give us the work until he saw the machinery and shop. As soon as he walked in and saw the equipment, he said he was all good and we’ve been working together ever since.”

The Company

What stands out about Park Industries® for Paul is where the machinery is made and the quality of the company behind them.

“Where it’s made is absolutely important to me. I love buying American Made and I’ve seen Park’s facility…they don’t mess around.”

The service Paul’s experienced with Park Industries® has left him with a positive feeling,

“The confidence you get when you have the service Park offers you is great. They are always there to help you, always keep you running, and always go the extra mile to make you happy. They make you feel like you can sleep at night…Peace of Mind.”