SIX CHECKS.
ONE BIG FAIL.
You automated your fabrication shop. But have you forgotten your installation crews?
You've equipped the shop. Now give your crews the tools to finish the job.
You've worked hard to build your shop. You've invested in saws, polishers, forklifts, cranes, and vacuum lifters to get more work done and make heavy stone easier to handle.
But when the truck reaches the customer's driveway, does all that progress stop?
Too often, the last part of the job still depends on the crew's backs, shoulders, and knees.
Six Checks. One Big FAIL.
Look at what you've equipped inside the shop. Then look at what your installers have when they leave it.
HOW EQUIPPED IS YOUR BUSINESS?
- CNC cutting and fabrication equipment
- Digital templating and production software
- Vacuum lifters and overhead shop cranes
- Automated polishing and finishing equipment
- Material storage, handling, and transportation systems
- Modern lifting and handling equipment for installation crewsFAIL
If your answer is still “We've got strong guys who know how to lift,” ask yourself how long you can afford to depend on that.
What If Your Best Installer Was Out for Six Weeks?
You know the person: the one who handles the tough jobs, teaches the new hires, and keeps customers happy. You didn't build that experience overnight.
Now imagine a shoulder or back injury requiring surgery. Your lead installer is gone for six weeks. The jobs on your calendar still need to get done.
Who takes over? Who trains the replacement? How much of your own time goes into keeping everything moving?
Here's one made-up example of how the costs could stack up:
| Where the money goes | Example cost |
|---|---|
| Overtime and temporary help | $8,000 |
| Profit lost on delayed or canceled jobs | $15,000 |
| Your time rearranging crews and schedules | $3,500 |
| Training and slower work | $4,500 |
| Rework and keeping customers happy | $3,000 |
| Hiring, if your installer can't return | $5,500 |
| TOTAL IN THIS EXAMPLE | $39,500 |
Illustrative costs, not an industry average. Your costs could be different; some may overlap or never occur. This example does not include medical bills or insurance claim costs.
Nearly $40,000. One key employee. Six weeks.
A simple example: $40,000 ÷ 8% = $500,000.
The next time equipment feels expensive, compare it with what a serious disruption could cost you.
Good Installers Are Hard to Replace
Hiring someone is only the beginning. Somebody has to teach them. Jobs take longer while they learn. Mistakes can mean another trip, another piece of stone, and another unhappy customer.
Meanwhile, your experienced people are doing two jobs: installing and training.
Pay matters. So does how the work feels every day. Giving crews better ways to move heavy stone shows them you're thinking about their future—and gives them another reason to stay.
Better Handling Makes Business Sense Every Day
The reasons to invest go beyond the injury you hope never happens:
The right setup depends on your work. Compare its price, training, and upkeep with the time spent handling stone, the jobs you install, and the problems your crews face.
YOU GET THE SIXTH CHECK.
If you've already invested in No Lift System carts, ramps, cranes, or other installation handling equipment, give yourself—and your crew—some credit.
Your crew wins: better tools for tough work.
Your business wins: better ways to protect the people and finished work you depend on.
You've carried your investment in smarter handling all the way to the customer's home. That's worth celebrating.
Still Thinking About It?
You don't need a complicated spreadsheet to start. Look at your next tough installation and ask:
- Where are we still relying on muscle?
- What happens if our best installer can't work?
- What equipment would make this job easier to handle?
Equipment costs money. So do delays, damaged stone, replacing good people, and losing your own time to problems you could have planned for.
INVEST NOW.
OR PAY LATER.
You've equipped your shop to do better work. Give your install crews the same consideration.
Let's look at what makes sense for your jobs and your budget.
TALK WITH A SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST →No installer retires before his time.
Call 503-212-4034 · noliftsystem.com
From Shop to Cabinet Top.
The dollar figures show a hypothetical business situation, not typical injury costs or promised savings. Equipment cannot prevent every injury or guarantee employee retention. Select the right equipment for the job, train your crew, and follow rated capacities and safe operating procedures.
