
Petrafab's history dates back to 2005, when the company was started from scratch with a focus on stone countertop fabrication and installation for high end residential kitchens. Because of the owner's corporate background we cut no corners in infrastructure. Unlike many fabricators we focused on building a real company from the beginning. We were properly insured, hired a professional office manager to handle bookkeeping, billing, purchasing and schedules. We obtained all the necessary licenses and insurance.
We put full time professional fabricators and installers on the payroll with the associated overheads instead of treating them as sub-contractors or paying them by piecework. We were building a team for the long haul instead of trying to make a buck during the boom.
With high end custom cabinet dealers as our primary customers we were forced to focus on perfection. Custom Cabinet dealers serve an exclusive market that is demanding in both style and substance. This experience served us well when the downturn came as the top end of the market declined slower than the lower end.
With some foresight into the coming downturn Petrafab started quoting custom commercial cabinet makers prior to the collapse of the residential market place. The infrastructure put in place in the beginning which seemed a cost liability in the residential market was essential for our entry into the commercial market. Petrafab’s top level performance in both quality and delivery has allowed us to continue to grow the Commercial side of the business while maintaining our focus on high end residential work.
The Current fashion of making stone tops appear to made of stone that is three inches thick has played well into Petrafab’s skill set. This look is accomplished by roll matching mitered edges such that the veining in the stone carries down the edge giving the appearance of a solid block without seams. Doing this work requires skilled artisans in all phases of the countertop production and installation process. Now other fabricators refer work to us if they think it is too complicated or difficult to execute.
Petrafab now has 10,000 ft2 of space and 14 employees as well as all top of the line fabrication equipment. However, due to the custom nature of our workload, Petrafab still does a lot of work by hand that others have tried to automate. We continue growth in both volume and product offering in a controlled and steady fashion.