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Let L.E. Smith Improve Your Bottom Line

The COVID-19 pandemic has had varying degrees of impact on the construction industry. Fluctuations in product availability and price have made planning and budgeting seem impossible while labor shortages have led to overworked crews and unavoidable delays in scheduling. When you combine this with the low mortgage rates driving up the demand for new homes, it can start to become overwhelming for residential construction companies. Fortunately, entrepreneurs in the construction industry are quite savvy when it comes to controlling costs and increasing production. One of the strategies they use to accomplish this is strategic partnerships. By partnering with companies like…

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Trust LES countertops for projects large and small

The L.E. Smith Company is a trusted countertop and surface supplier for everything from multi-million-dollar hospital construction to multi-family renovations. Our ability to accommodate small and large-scale projects without compromising quality or timelines has earned us a reputation for excellence in the industry for more than 70 years. That reputation has been hard-won and requires constant innovation and process improvement to maintain and improve upon. Our commitment to each and every one of our clients is pretty simple. We make it our goal to ensure that they are more profitable and successful as a result of partnering with L.E. Smith…

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Trends in Kitchen Design

Kitchen trends: laminate countertop edge profiles Many of us here at L.E. Smith remember the days of avocado green refrigerators, tile countertops and carpeted kitchens. These are all trends that started out looking cool, but later became regrettable decisions that we laugh about when we pull out the old family photo album. Today, we are excited to share a kitchen trend that we promise you won’t regret when you log in to your digital photo albums 20 years from now. Today’s laminate countertops offer strong competition for popular, natural stone options Laminate countertops were first introduced in the late 1940s.…

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Solid surface countertops are making a comeback

Third-generation builder says solid surface countertops are making a comeback After 50 years of new home construction and renovation, Welling Construction, Inc. has seen just about everything when it comes to kitchen and bathroom trends. Although some trends are gone forever, think avocado green kitchens and carpeted bathrooms, there is one that is making a welcome comeback. “When we first started in the early 70s, laminate was the trend in bathroom vanities and kitchen countertops,” said Sean Welling, 3rd generation owner of Welling Construction, Inc. In the 90s, that trend shifted to solid surface which reigned in popularity until the early…

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70 Years of Experience and WBE Certification

Our Experience and WBE Certification Will Help Your Business Grow 1950 was a big year for new beginnings. Cinderella premiered on the big screen, the comic strip Peanuts was published for the first time, and Lawrence E. Smith opened a small business called The L.E. Smith Company. Although L.E. Smith does not have the same celebrity status as Cinderella and Charlie Brown, they do share a few common traits. Building a business from the ground up took a strong work ethic and creativity. It also required the ability to face challenges with a sense of humor and a drive toward…

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Antimicrobial countertops and surfaces

Home renovation projects lead to demand for antimicrobial countertops and surfaces For the past year, COVID-19 has changed the way we live in our homes. What once was a place where we came to relax at the end of a long day is now where we spend the majority of our time. While this transition has helped many people get back to basics with home-cooked meals and family game nights, it has also magnified the areas of the house that need to be updated or repaired. As a result, the construction industry is seeing a dramatic increase in the demand…

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A milestone year for L.E. Smith

Celebrating 70th-anniversary and certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council The year 2020 has proven to be a milestone year for The L.E. Smith Company. Along with celebrating our 70th anniversary, we are also proud to announce our certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, Ohio River Valley. “L.E. Smith has always been committed to equity, and that commitment has been both differentiating and positively impactful to our results,” said Laura Juarez, shareholder and chairperson of the board. “We’ve intentionally created a leadership team where diversity of perspective, life experience and skill are celebrated and…

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Optimizing profits in the slow season

Rain, snow, sleet and hail may not stop mail delivery throughout the year, but it does have a significant impact on businesses in the construction industry. This is especially true for those of us that deal with harsh winters followed by unpredictable spring weather. Although we joke that we may see three seasons worth of weather in a single day, it is difficult to find the humor when it begins to impact our bottom line. For many businesses this time of year, the drop in temperature also means a drop in profits. Although this may not be not true for…

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Leverage your competitive advantage for effective marketing

As a business owner, you are no stranger to understanding your customers’ needs. After all, you built a business around providing goods or services that fulfill those needs. What proves to be a little more difficult is understanding and marketing your competitive advantage. According to smallbusiness.chron.com, “A small business builds a competitive advantage by providing a better overall value to customers than competitors are able to.” That competitive advantage is the message that you want to include in all of your marketing efforts, as it is the reason customers will choose to do business with you rather than your competitors.…

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Top benefits of choosing a single supplier for all your surface needs

On any construction job, there are a lot of moving pieces that must be seamlessly coordinated in order to stay on track with project timelines. Many contractors have chosen to simplify this process by selecting a single source supplier for all of their countertop and surface needs. Not only does this save them time by eliminating the need to coordinate multiple suppliers, orders and deliveries, it can also lead to increased profit margins. At L.E. Smith, we take our role as your partner seriously. As a result, here are a few of the advantages our clients benefit from when they…

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