We had the pleasure of joining fabricators from across the country at the All Slab Fabbers workshop in Eugene, Oregon (July 24–25, 2025), hosted by Narelle Hooker and her team at McKenzie Stone & Tile.
This wasn’t your typical conference room event. Instead, the workshop took place right inside the shop, giving everyone a chance to see real processes in action and roll up their sleeves for some hands-on learning.
Inside McKenzie Stone & Tile
McKenzie Stone & Tile is a second-generation family business with the third generation now coming on board. With 30 employees and a mix of stone, solid surface, tile, and slab gallery work, their team welcomed fabricators from across the country into their shop.
Moraware Breakout: Improving Shop Efficiency with Southeast Stone
On Friday morning, our own Harry Hollander and Shayne Hogenmiller of Southeast Stone shared how Moraware’s Systemize helps shops boost profitability and reduce bottlenecks with job tracking, scheduling, and improved visibility. He shared his roadmap for how he helped double his shop’s capacity and reduce his loss rate to 1%.
For many fabricators, the big “aha” moment was realizing that Moraware isn’t just about organization—it’s about freeing up time, improving communication, and giving the whole team more breathing room.
Whether a shop is just starting to outgrow their whiteboard or is ready for a full operational system, Moraware provides structure that scales as they do.
Southeast Stone's Journey: Modernizing for Growth
Hands-On & Real Talk
Between software sessions, attendees gathered in the shop for live demos and repair training with Frank Alpaca, plus supplier showcases with the latest tools and materials. The roundtable discussions at the end of each day were some of the most valuable moments—covering current events like tariffs, sharing practical shop advice, and exploring how fabricators can better share knowledge with each other.
One highlight was a dedicated roundtable for women fabricators, creating space for connection and conversation around experiences in the industry.
Building the Next Generation
We also noticed a strong turnout of new employees and younger fabricators. It was exciting to see fresh faces entering the trade, eager to learn and contribute. Events like this reinforce just how important community is—mentorship, shared knowledge, and open dialogue are what keep the industry moving forward.
Why We Love These Events
For us, events like All Slab Fabbers are about more than product demos. They’re about connecting with fabricators where the work really happens—in the shop. We walk away with fresh insights, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of the challenges (and successes) shops are facing.
Big thanks to All Slab Fabbers and Narelle and the McKenzie team for opening their doors, and to all the fabricators who joined us for great conversations.
