By Ty Gant, Editor, Southern Utah News (sunews.net)
Citizens who frequently follow the highway out of Fredonia to the south and east will be familiar with the industry and manufacturing facilities that exist on that south side; those buildings are some of the pioneers of commerce in this area. Drivers keeping an eye on that old industrial park lately will see the place abuzz with activity much like in its halcyon days - activity that is courtesy of FabQuartz and Granite.
FabQuartz as a full and independent operation is a relative newcomer to the area, running since November of last year. Its operations and employees previously fell under the umbrella of H&C Development, a company that has been doing construction and development in the area for some time - now, as FabQuartz is diversifying its operations and servicing a wider range of clients, it is separating to become its own independent business.
Jacob Cluff of H&C, with Jesse Reed, owner and manager of FabQuartz, with a slab ready to be cut on the bridge saw. Photo by Ty Gant.
Jesse Reed, owner and manager of FabQuartz and a veteran of the construction industry, is optimistic about the role his business will play in a community that is in dire need of affordable construction and development plans. Says Reed, “We’ve got a ton of experience with the guys here, as well as a few new guys learning the trade to keep things going - construction is in the blood for a lot of us around here. My family’s been in the countertop industry long enough that we’re known in the industry … We have a great business partnership with H&C, but I’d like to serve the other builders in the community too. There’s so much work to be done, I want to be able to serve the whole community.”
Reed defined his motivation as being both professional and personal: “There’s definitely a need, everyone knows there’s a lot of construction being done right now. We want the community to know we’re here for them. We’re from here - we’re all locals, our families are here, this is our hometown. We want to serve the community by providing an exceptional service at the fraction of the cost required to go to St. George or Cedar to get a countertop … that’s one thing we’re doing differently than everyone else, is our transparency. It’s hard for end-users in this industry to know what each facet of their build costs, we’re showing every step so you can make it fit your budget. We’re not the cheapest guys out there, because the cheap guys get you cheap quality, brought with all of the issues we’re trying to avoid - we’re doing top tier work at an affordable price.”
The issues to which Reed refers are common to production and manufacturing facilities in this area: water conservation, workplace safety and logistics. FabQuartz’ equipment, like most heavy manufacturing gear, requires a lot of water to function. Per Reed, the facility is at 95 percent water reclamation capacity, pushing nearer to 100 percent. “The only water we lose is to evaporation. Everything else gets put back into the system for filtering and reuse - and in a sealed building like this, it’s possible to get even that evaporation back into the system with the right means. It takes a ton of water to run some of these machines, so we’re investing in making sure we’re treating one of the most precious resources around here right.”
The FabQuartz team is also proud of the safety and efficiency of the processes dedicated to moving around thousand-pound slabs of raw stone. Jacob Cluff, owner of H&C and one of the motivators behind FabQuartz’ founding, said, “Work injuries are minimal with the setup they’ve got here. The safety of the crane assembly they do here is through the roof - it takes care of injuries and means the guys aren’t bending or lifting anything by hand, good for short term injury prevention and in the long run.”
“Everything’s operated off cranes, for the sake of our crew and their safety,” adds Reed.
The purpose of this facility in specific is more than just the business operations - FabQuartz sees the restoration of these old buildings as a historical imperative too. “Part of the pride and joy of what we’re doing here is embracing what this old park used to be,” Reed said. “All these old industrial buildings are part of Fredonia and Kanab’s identities. Some of these old buildings helped give this area its start, this was a center of commerce at one point … something like 1,200 jobs have been provided by this area over the years. We want to modernize this facility for use, without losing what makes it special.
“We’re investing here for the long haul,” says Reed. “When you live in a rural area like this, it’s hard to get the supplies you need to build an entire project.” With the countertop shop underway and in full operation, FabQuartz is looking to offer more multi-purpose fabrication for local builders - with the next items on the docket being cabinets, trusses and prehung interior doors. According to Russell Wulfenstein, a marketing consultant from H&C, “It’s great for locals to have all of this right here - they can get quote, local shipment and delivery is always cheaper and it’s easier to get teams onsite to assess projects. It’s always going to be cheaper to go with a local countertop shop instead of outsourcing.”
A sense of locality and community were the the rallying call for the FabQuartz leadership. Reed concluded, “I want to make sure I’m offering a service I’m proud to put my name on. We’re proud to be able to do the hundred thousand dollar job just as well as helping the guy who needs a new vanity for a few hundred. We’re looking to revitalize Fredonia as place where people can afford to live, and provide jobs for the sake of the community."