The Granite Guy, Farmington, N.M.
Marquez says his emphasis on the quick turnaround is also helpful, since he estimates about 95 percent of his current work is residential, with more than three-quarters of that as remodels.
“There just is not a lot of new construction right now,” he explains. “It’s not like California, where a developer will go in and do a tract of homes. Here, a contractor will build one, or maybe two at a time.”
He adds that he expects his work on new homes to pick up as the homebuilders get to know him, and as new construction starts to improve.
“This year there’s been a lot more new construction than last year,” he says.
Still, the Farmington area hasn’t taken nearly the hit from the economy that some parts of the country endured. The Four Corners area includes oil and natural-gas fields, and while drilling has slowed some, it, too, appears to be headed back up.
Nor has Marquez limited himself to working just in Farmington. The community is within driving distance of several communities in Colorado, Utah and Arizona, including high-end resorts such as Telluride, Colo., and the summer resort area at Mancos, Colo.
“Our name is going out, and people are starting to come by,” he says. “Then, we’re right on Main Street, so a lot of people from Durango (Colo.) drive down and stop in.”
The fact that his crew is skilled and experienced also makes a big difference, especially given that the only mechanized piece of equipment the shop runs is a Hercules Countertop Router and Profiling Machine for doing edges.
“Because we can all fabricate and we can all install, I can send out a team of two guys or three guys depending on what the job needs – and we can still have someone in the shop to keep fabricating,” Marquez says.
He adds that customers are always praising the quality of The Granite Guy’s handwork. He’d like to add a bridge saw; however, with the current economy, being a low-tech operation has its advantages.
“Right now, we’re really not having to put out a whole lot of work at one time, which is one reason I’m able to stay where I’m at,” he says. “If I had a lot of overhead it would be pretty hard right now.”
Not that Marquez is planning to stay small. He would like to see a day when each of the four men currently in the shop has his own crew of fabricators/installers. However, he believes one important element in that is time.
In the meantime, he wants both his customers and his employees to be happy.