Quality Granite Worktops Can Still Be Purchased For Cheap
The kitchen and home improvement industry has been hit quite hard in recent times.
The economy has managed to dissolve many of the companies who previously supplied fitted kitchens and other similar products - companies just don't seem to be able to keep afloat.
I have many friends in the industry who have either had to close, or who are operating on half steam, with a few that are just ok! Does this mean that quality has gone down, or alternatively costs way too much? No; is the simple answer to this! There are still a few companies operating today that have managed to organise their businesses, so that they can still gain profit, whilst offering the same quality stone products, at the same quality prices! So, how has this been achieved? I have spoken to a number of kitchen and granite worktop suppliers across the UK that have either reduced their staff permanently, or have reduced their hours spent working.
With the latter, these suppliers of stone products for the home have been using their workforce, only when there has been work to do.
The outcome has been that they are still able to operate at full steam (in effect), but only when full steam working is required.
Therefore the granite suppliers can still manage their business, still pay their employees and still keep the ships afloat! Of course; many of these kitchen suppliers have reported that their overall yearly profits will still probably be down, but many have said that gaining the money required to manage their businesses on a daily basis is reachable! Most have said that if they can use this to ride the recession out, then they feel that staying in business is worth every penny of the future profits they will make! A major cause of other companies going under in recent times has been due to the fact that they have continued to pay wages and business overheads, but with profits, simply not reflecting this.
So! Can you really still get quality and low price in the same package? This is straight forward - yes, but use a local company if you can; and definitely use the type I have spoken of.
There are companies based on small industrial estates (with lower overheads) that still have some buying power with their suppliers, so as to offer you the worktops still fabricated from quality grades of stone.
Of course; it could be said that profits are maybe still down and this, at least should affect their buying power, but, with this said; due to their lower overheads (given location and other factors), they still maintain a certain level of power with their suppliers and thus can still offer their customers competitive prices! Stop, Look, Listen! A Money Saver! If it is still possible to get quality stone at the right price, then getting lower grades of stone could be even cheaper - if you are on a tight budget, then getting a slightly different type of stone or grade could make all the difference to the price! I would like to say also; no company wants wastage at present, so even getting off-cuts and then mixing and matching could be an option.
Think of a worktop surface in black; you could get a cheap priced off-cut for the up-stands and splash backs, which could greatly reduce your cost! Ask your local suppliers for details as you never know what they have.
It could be the case that they have just finished another job for another customer, who used a very similar colour stone to your requirement, where the off-cuts and waste stone could be used for your project! Marble and Granite Worktops [http://www.
hartgranite.
co.
uk] can be purchased from HartGranite.
co.
uk.
They are based in Broxbourne, on the border of Hertfordshire and Essex, but are able to supply and install worktops to many locations throughout the UK.
Alan Bottomley
The economy has managed to dissolve many of the companies who previously supplied fitted kitchens and other similar products - companies just don't seem to be able to keep afloat.
I have many friends in the industry who have either had to close, or who are operating on half steam, with a few that are just ok! Does this mean that quality has gone down, or alternatively costs way too much? No; is the simple answer to this! There are still a few companies operating today that have managed to organise their businesses, so that they can still gain profit, whilst offering the same quality stone products, at the same quality prices! So, how has this been achieved? I have spoken to a number of kitchen and granite worktop suppliers across the UK that have either reduced their staff permanently, or have reduced their hours spent working.
With the latter, these suppliers of stone products for the home have been using their workforce, only when there has been work to do.
The outcome has been that they are still able to operate at full steam (in effect), but only when full steam working is required.
Therefore the granite suppliers can still manage their business, still pay their employees and still keep the ships afloat! Of course; many of these kitchen suppliers have reported that their overall yearly profits will still probably be down, but many have said that gaining the money required to manage their businesses on a daily basis is reachable! Most have said that if they can use this to ride the recession out, then they feel that staying in business is worth every penny of the future profits they will make! A major cause of other companies going under in recent times has been due to the fact that they have continued to pay wages and business overheads, but with profits, simply not reflecting this.
So! Can you really still get quality and low price in the same package? This is straight forward - yes, but use a local company if you can; and definitely use the type I have spoken of.
There are companies based on small industrial estates (with lower overheads) that still have some buying power with their suppliers, so as to offer you the worktops still fabricated from quality grades of stone.
Of course; it could be said that profits are maybe still down and this, at least should affect their buying power, but, with this said; due to their lower overheads (given location and other factors), they still maintain a certain level of power with their suppliers and thus can still offer their customers competitive prices! Stop, Look, Listen! A Money Saver! If it is still possible to get quality stone at the right price, then getting lower grades of stone could be even cheaper - if you are on a tight budget, then getting a slightly different type of stone or grade could make all the difference to the price! I would like to say also; no company wants wastage at present, so even getting off-cuts and then mixing and matching could be an option.
Think of a worktop surface in black; you could get a cheap priced off-cut for the up-stands and splash backs, which could greatly reduce your cost! Ask your local suppliers for details as you never know what they have.
It could be the case that they have just finished another job for another customer, who used a very similar colour stone to your requirement, where the off-cuts and waste stone could be used for your project! Marble and Granite Worktops [http://www.
hartgranite.
co.
uk] can be purchased from HartGranite.
co.
uk.
They are based in Broxbourne, on the border of Hertfordshire and Essex, but are able to supply and install worktops to many locations throughout the UK.
Alan Bottomley
