Chris
Basic Member
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Posts: 329
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| 21 May 2007 10:09 AM |
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Hello all,
My name's Chris Abate. I currently reside in Rhode Island and I work in Mass. I'm the Founder/President of Crystallyne Enterprises and the primary author of our countertop estimating software QuickQuote.
I hold a BS in Computer Information Systems from Bentley College in Waltham, MA. That means I'm designed to translate geek to normal-speak and back again.
I have worked in various computer fields including the dreaded tech support for the last seven years or so. Five years ago my father who is a fabricator in MA got me working on QuickQuote. A couple years later I went into business for myself to sell it at his insistence. Despite being a somewhat typical computer geek, I still get drafted from time to time to help out Dad in the shop, and believe it or not I spent this past weekend washing, wrapping, and loading tops.
In my spare time I will take in a good movie, play some video games, or watch SciFi on TV with the guys. I also enjoy writing as a hobby and had a column in the college newspaper for two and a half years. I even have had the good fortune to post a guest commentary in Surface Fabrication Magazine about purchasing software for businesses. I also love a spirited debate and can be found under many aliases railing against or for certain issues on a myriad of forums.
I look forward to getting to know you all.
Chris |
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"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things."
- Niccolo Machiavelli |
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Lenny E
Veteran Member
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Posts: 1364
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| 21 May 2007 12:25 PM |
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Hi Crys,
Sorry I have limited time for long names. Im sure Gordon (a fabnet genius) or others will give u a well deserved shorter handle. Still love that T MO avatar Gordon posted, been laughing silly over that for a while. Welcome to the fabnet. Make sure you thank Andy and all the hard working peeps who make this miracle happen. All geeks are welcome..even the puter ones. Im the insane geek incarnate from hades and site resident until they boot me. (it happenned B4 on the ISSFA site after a few uncomfortable questions) If this stuff is of interest, try LenSmiths site ..www.solidsurfacegeeksom, or if its your last day on earth and you have run out of optiions, and are totally bored try www.issfa.org, some smart ALEC just recently put a tell all psot under granite.
Anyway, have fun, hope u get some biz from here.
See ya 2morrow, my wife is saying its bedtime for bonzo in China. . .
B Rgds,
Lenny
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David G.
Veteran Member
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Posts: 1852
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| 22 May 2007 12:25 AM |
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Hi Chris, I had the pleasure of speaking with you and your family in Orlando. Lots of interesting things going on here.
Iv'e learned to type with 2 fingers and a thumb in the short time Iv'e been hanging out in fabber space.
Cheers David G. |
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DON"T LET WILDLIFE RUN RAMPANT! (Walter Hickel)
david1062"at"gmail.com |
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Chris
Basic Member
Private Messenger:
Posts: 329
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| 22 May 2007 03:44 PM |
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Ah thank you for yhe warm welcome.
And indeed, thank you for pointing out I had been remiss in thanking our hosts. I would certainly like to convey my appreciate and gratitude for those who help carry fabricators into the 21st century. :-) |
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"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things."
- Niccolo Machiavelli |
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Chris
Basic Member
Private Messenger:
Posts: 329
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| 22 May 2007 03:45 PM |
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Appreciation, even. |
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"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things."
- Niccolo Machiavelli |
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Peter Carpenter
New Member
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Posts: 34
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| 24 May 2007 04:33 PM |
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Hi my name is Peter Carpenter my wifes name is Mary we have a solid surface business in Adelaide, Australia called Solid Surface of Destinction we love your website it is very helpfull to us down under. |
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| Peter
theinstaller@internode.on.net |
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Andy
Senior Member
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Posts: 5139
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| 25 May 2007 01:34 AM |
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Welcome to all the have come to the FabNet in the past few months. It's good to meet all of you and hope you like the FabNet. |
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FabNet Administrator
andy@thefabricatornetwork.com
Countertop Company - www.OliveMill.com |
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Tom M
Senior Member
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Posts: 5924
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| 25 May 2007 09:27 AM |
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Brian,
I'm sorry I didn't see your quietsion after my comment. The way I have my browser set up for FabNet, this thread is one of the more difficult to visit.
My Folks snowbird in Cape Canaveral, but they summer (and I live) in Connecticut.
Tom |
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| "Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." - Shakespeare |
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Lenny E
Veteran Member
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Posts: 1364
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| 28 May 2007 11:14 AM |
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Hi ,
I neglected your post while checking on the insane stock markert here in China, faxxing forms to the IRS, updating Vusas and applying for visa for elswhere.. My profuse apologies. I was dong that Glow in dark thingee at ISSFA. since the powers that be only wanted to sell classes and left me to my own wits. Steve Bace, the best solid surface fabrication trainer I have ever met, had me whip up a batch in the lab. Those Shop guys went wild. They saved the routing dust from to paint on minature scale racecar headlights. MAde me laugh.Anyway, there is a website....www.lumistone.com
Hope this helps,
Lemny.
PS its avaliable in powder blue, or this halloween green..the green is the strongestglow , but like the powder blue.
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David G.
Veteran Member
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Posts: 1852
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| 12 Jun 2007 02:46 AM |
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To everyone, I just wanted to take a minute and invite all the members who haven't ever made themselves known to your fellow fabricators at this site to mabe take a minute take and do so. There have been some interesting things going on here for some time now, it's easy to get involved. I'm sure many of you have lots to offer. At the very least it's interesting to learn where everybody is from and whats going on in their area. Cheers David G. |
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DON"T LET WILDLIFE RUN RAMPANT! (Walter Hickel)
david1062"at"gmail.com |
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ApollonioDavid
New Member
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Posts: 1
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| 19 Jul 2007 01:32 PM |
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Hey Everyone
Dave Apollonio
Brand new to the fabricating game, I have been working with Precision Counter Tops in Chantilly, Virginia for about 10 months. I run the CNC at our shop, it is a Multicam 5000. I just recently found your website and have already reaped the rewards of my find, specifically the dxf sinks files. Thanks for such a great resource. |
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Workhome
New Member
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Posts: 9
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| 20 Jul 2007 10:00 AM |
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Hey to everyone,
Been on the site for about a month and now have time to formally introduce myself. I was the one looking for the pigment. My name is Aurora and my husbands name is Fermin. We own Fermin's Countertops in New Mexico. We both worked @ Avonite for several years then Fermin went on to work for different Countertop Shops, until we finally decided to take the plunge and go out on our own. So far it's been great. I was a sales service rep for the West coast and International Dist. for Avonite. So alot of your names are familiar to me. Basically I inputed all the orders for the Distributers like, Abet, Calply, National Wood, Harters and so on. And occaionally I'd get a call from fabricators who hadn't received material or cracked sheets. The job was great I learned alot about the Biz, but I love being on this end of it. I know, I know I talk my husbands head off too!! Oh, and I found some pigment...Thanks Guys.
Aurora |
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Valerie Graves
Basic Member
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Posts: 188
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| 21 Jul 2007 01:55 PM |
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Aurora,
It is great to have another woman here on the site! My name is Valerie Graves. I am Andy's (aka FabNet King) wife. It is great to have you on board!
Val
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Elegant Southern Surfaces
New Member
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Posts: 70
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| 27 Jul 2007 10:59 PM |
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Hi All,
I am Ken J. and have been in construction and or solid surface for a long time now. I am excited about this site and hope I can learn alot and share a little. I look forward to some great back and forth.
Ken J. |
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| Ken J
Elegant Southern Surfaces
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"Not all who wander are lost." J.R. Tolkien |
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Andy
Senior Member
Private Messenger:
Posts: 5139
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| 28 Jul 2007 01:29 AM |
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Hello Dave, Ken and Fermin. Welcome to the FabNet and have fun and hope it helps your business grow. |
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FabNet Administrator
andy@thefabricatornetwork.com
Countertop Company - www.OliveMill.com |
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Owen
New Member
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Posts: 7
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| 29 Jul 2007 02:10 PM |
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Hi. I'm Owen. Our shop is in Ohio. I built homes for years in California, moved into kitchens and solid surface in the 90's and now only do the high end surfaces: stone, quartz, and solid surface. Business is good and we're having a lot of fun. I like this site. Wherever there is open communication and a free flow of ideas good things happen. I'm finding helpful info here already, and hope to offer the same. Thanks for making and keeping this a great site. |
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| "DO IT ANYWAY" |
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Owen
New Member
Private Messenger:
Posts: 7
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| 29 Jul 2007 02:11 PM |
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Hi. I'm Owen. Our shop is in Ohio. I built homes for years in California, moved into kitchens and solid surface in the 90's and now only do the high end surfaces: stone, quartz, and solid surface. Business is good and we're having a lot of fun. I like this site. Wherever there is open communication and a free flow of ideas good things happen. I'm finding helpful info here already, and hope to offer the same. Thanks for making and keeping this a great site. |
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| "DO IT ANYWAY" |
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Mike Gladstone
Advanced Member
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Posts: 576
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| 03 Aug 2007 06:30 AM |
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Hi everyone. My name is Mike Gladstone, and along with my wife Debra we own and operate GCI Solid Surface Countertops in Clearwater, FL. We do both residential and commercial work. We work with all major brands of Solid Surface, Quartz and Granite. CNC Technology as well as V-Groove Technology help to keep us competitive in this ever changing market. I can be reached at mike@gci.fdn.com or 727-571-1071. |
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Mike G
GCI Solid Surface Countertops |
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Ameritops
New Member
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Posts: 32
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| 04 Aug 2007 06:19 PM |
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Hey everyone my name is Ryan my family and I started Ameritops a year or so back and i have been scouring the web for information to get us up to speed in this industry. First I would like to thank every one who regularly post comments on this forum (you know who you are), your knowledge and expertise is greatly appreciated. Me and my family own and operate a small operation just out side St. Louis Mo and feel that the industry is very strong and the market place in the St. Louis area is expanding. Our belief in quality and affordability may not be the most original business plane ever but we fell it gets harder and harder to find these simple qualities in highly competitive industries. From every one her at Ameritops hello and thank you.
Ryan |
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Emergency Material Services
New Member
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Posts: 3
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| 06 Sep 2007 08:52 AM |
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My name is Michele James with Emergency Material Services out of New Port Richey, Florida. We provide a network for fabricators to sell left over pieces material. I have been in the solid surface industry for 12 years. 9 of the 12 years we have owned our own solid surface company. It is nice to meet all of you.
Michele James |
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