Blog

Francisco To Speak At Ice 2011

Craig Francisco will be conducting a class on L.E. Smith’s lean journey with the attendees of the 2011 ICE convention.  Craig will share his best practices with all who attend in an effort to educate others on how to effectively implement a lean culture into their organizations. ICE is all about the decorative surfacing professional. This is where fabricators from all over the world congregate to see the latest products, colors, textures, tools, techniques and marketing strategies. There is an excitement at ICE that comes when the world’s most creative and talented decorative surfacing pros gather for a few short…

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Spotlight On L.E. Smith

The spotlight shone brightly on L.E. Smith again this week, as they were featured in the latest Countertops & Architectural Surfaces magazine, a publication of ISFA.  ISFA (International Surface Fabricators Association) highlighted L.E. Smith’s 60th anniversary, their customer open house, and their outstanding post form application process.  It’s great to be in the spotlight!

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Customer Or Client?

In your business, do you have customers or clients?  To decide, you merely need to look at the definitions of each.  A customer is someone who buys a product or service.  A client is someone under the protective care of an expert.  At L.E. Smith we have clients.  We are experts in our field, and as a result, have a moral obligation to create value and provide services that make our clients more successful.  To reiterate our commitment to this philosophy, we’ve changed the name of our CS (Customer Service) Department to Client Services.  In addition, we no longer have…

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Passion * Excellence * Beauty

Debuting on our website today, we present a logo that includes three simple words encompassing all things L.E. Smith.  The word passion stands for our passionate commitment to our customers, our craft, and continuous improvement.  We use excellence because we accept nothing less.  We hold ourselves to a higher standard, more distinctive than mere greatness.  We see the beauty in delighting clients every day and the beauty in transforming a kitchen, a work space, or a retail space into a work of art.  We are the creators and innovators of multiple purpose applications, and we are proud to unveil our new logo.

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Fun, Fun, And More Fun…

A great time was had by all on the evening of November 19th, when the associates and spouses of L.E. Smith gathered to celebrate another successful year of making beautiful countertops.  The evening was capped off with an invocation by Craig Francisco, COO, and culminated in a sit down meal, games, and a 50-50 drawing with the proceeds benefiting the local Toys for Tots campaign.  L.E. Smith is grateful and appreciative to be a family business going 60 years strong, and they look forward to 60 more years of fun, fun, and more fun.

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Best Thanksgiving Ever

Thanksgiving is nearly here, and given our obvious affinity for all things kitchen related, we’d like to offer 4 tips for making this Thanksgiving your best ever. 1.Before you head out to the store to buy all of the ingredients and items to prepare your family’s Turkey Day feast, prep your refrigerator by emptying its contents prior to the big trip.  Allow only the bare necessities to stay, by preparing food in the fridge and freezing meals for later.  You’ll make room for the bird that will take up nearly an entire shelf by itself, and you’ll have freezer meals…

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Solid Product, Solid Understanding

L.E. Smith’s solid surface fabrication has taken off, and consequently, so has the demand for more knowledge about this fascinating product.  To meet the needs of our clients, the L.E. Smith Client Services Team, along with other team members, spent a morning reviewing and discussing all of the features, benefits, and design possibilities of solid surface.  Led by Craig Rex, New Product Development, all in attendance learned in depth knowledge about the actual fabrication, sanding techniques, and types of Solid Surface available.  They reviewed the many profile options, integral sink possibilities, and the products’ ability to be easily repaired and…

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Kaizen – How Far We’ve Come

I recently spent some time reflecting on the kaizen events we’ve completed since starting our lean journey in April of 2009. It has been a long road with amazing results! -Along the way we’ve had over 110 associates attend a full week kaizen with over 4000 man hours dedicated to improving our business. -Our employees have embraced our lean philosophy and there has been a complete culture change with every employee fully engaged in the business. -Our 100,000 square foot facility is now free of clutter and organized; which in turn has caused our scrap to decrease. Travelling down the…

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Don’t Count The Days…

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” -Muhammad Ali This quote especially rings true for twelve L.E. Smith employees that have dedicated 20+ years to delighting clients, making beautiful countertops, and giving total commitment to their employer.  L.E. Smith celebrated their dedication by hosting a luncheon for these valued employees.  They were thanked by the executive team for their loyalty, and they spent the time reminiscing about the past, sharing funny stories, and planning for the future.  L.E. Smith is proud to have such a tenured staff, and they hope to have many more of these luncheons in the…

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Trick Or Treat!

Trick or Treat, Savory meat, sides and dips all good to eat. We all made lots, and more to share, To celebrate together, laugh and scare. We spent the day, dressed for fun, Celebrating fall each and every one. A pilot, a Waldo, a witch, and a bee, were all on hand to enjoy the festivities. L.E. Smith makes great countertops, it’s true, But all the while we’re having fun, too So take it from us, have a Happy Halloween, and Dress up, eat candy, and get out of the routine!

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