Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they can be found in every industry throughout the United States. The construction industry is no exception. As a matter of fact, an article published on eyeonhousing.org stated that “residential construction remains the industry of independent entrepreneurs with 81 percent of homebuilders and specialty trade contractors being self-employed.” This research, provided by the National Association of Home Builders, is conducted every five years and is a continuing trend.
Whether working in residential or commercial construction, independent entrepreneurs have become savvy in the art of cutting costs without sacrificing quality. One of the ways they do this is by outsourcing specific jobs to trusted companies. Companies like L.E. Smith who not only provide high-quality countertops and surfaces but are also dedicated to helping clients build successful businesses.
Thriving during peaks and valleys
Small businesses in the construction industry face many challenges. Perhaps the most common challenge is learning how to balance the peaks and valleys of income. Fortunately, these cyclical patterns are often predictable. Businesses can generally expect busier times in the summer, followed by slower times in the winter. The key to thriving during both the busy and slow seasons is similar to that of any business, maximize profits and reduce unnecessary spending.
This is where The L.E. Smith Company comes in. Not only can we help our clients and their contractors improve profit margins on countertops through our scale and efficiencies, but we also provide installation services. According to Brian Smith, director of sales at L.E. Smith, “Whether our clients are experiencing a peak or valley, they can trust us to handle manufacturing and installing their countertop surfaces.”
These shifts in the way we view our resources and partnerships can lead to significant bottom-line improvements. For example, when casework/millwork businesses partner with us, they have more time to focus on what they do best, cabinetry. They trust our team to handle the countertops and surfaces and end up making more money while doing less work. For more information on how this works, check out this client case study that breaks it down into dollars and cents.
An extension of your team
Although increasing profit margins is certainly a large part of building a successful business, we also know that a business’s reputation is often more important. A small business known for high-quality craftsmanship may struggle with outsourcing work to just anyone. What our partners quickly come to realize is that L.E. Smith is not just anyone. As a matter of fact, we consider ourselves an extension of our clients’ team, and we take our job seriously.
Not only do we offer high-quality products and services, but we also believe that successful project implementation requires more than just a great supplier. It also requires industry-leading turn times and a reputation for excellent project management. We do this by assigning at least one project manager to every job to help answer questions, coordinate production and ensure that everything is shipped out on time. For large, phased jobs we also provide an on-site project manager to ensure any issues are addressed quickly and installation goes as planned.
According to Christine Wheeler, director of manufacturing and services, “These individuals have experience on large-scale projects, and we have the capacity, size and speed to exceed project expectations.”
Technology and economies of scale
As one of the largest laminate countertop companies in the country, L.E. Smith is buying large volumes of laminate and solid surface. This means that we can offer competitive pricing on hundreds of colors, styles and materials. We are also dedicated to providing the best service possible to every one of our clients. This commitment has inspired us to continually improve efficiency in areas such as:
- Thermoforming,
- V-grooving
- Self-edge countertops that meet AWI specification
- Electronic sharing of templates and shop drawings.
As a result, L.E. Smith can produce laminate and solid surface countertops with a level of scale and efficiency that allows our casework/millwork partners to make healthy margins while focusing on their core cabinet business We also offer industry-leading turn times with optional installation services.
To learn more about how The L.E. Smith Company can help you increase your profit margin and reduce labor pains, contact us at https://www.lesmith.com/contact-us or call 419.293-5027.
