ISFA FABRICATOR PROFILE: Carolina Custom Surfaces
Carolina Custom Surfaces (CCS) was founded in 1995 by Rudy Hoch. Rudy and his wife Phyllis bought the manufacturing assets of a small cultured marble company in Randleman, N.C. and CCS was born. Under Rudy’s leadership the company made cultured marble vanities, shower systems and bathtubs. It also began to produce its own brand of solid surface called Carolite. In 2000, CCS relocated to Greensboro, N.C., to accommodate the company’s growth and to be closer to its primary builder market. During the time CCS was being managed by
Hoch, Joe Duszka earned a degree in industrial engineering at the University of Illinois, and
went to work for a couple of manufacturing
companies in Chicagoland eventually working his way up from industrial engineer to plant
manager. “From this experience I knew that I
one day I wanted to own my own manufacturing
Carolina to run their business with the intent to eventually sell it to them, which was the opportunity they had been working toward. So, they moved from the Chicago area to join CCS, and in December 2005, the Duszka’s bought the company and Joe took over as president. “Shortly thereafter we began the search for
company because I loved working in an industry
a new location to allow for growth in solid
Duszka. “I love working with people, processes,
so that we could enter that growing segment
Material with varying degrees of gray veining are most sought after in Carolina Custom Surfaces showroom, with quartz making up 40 percent of the material used. currently operates three manufacturing
departments: stone, solid surface and cultured
marble. The company has almost 50 employees in manufacturing, templating, sales and
administration and has a fully staffed showroom for both residential and commercial customers. It primarily services about a two-hour radius of
its location, except for work with its commercial partners, which can take it further because
where we built a tangible product,” explained
surface and to open a stone fabrication shop
and equipment to figure out the best way to
of the industry,” said Duszka. “It was apparent
Diversity as a Fundamental
accomplish the task at hand. However, I also
at that time if we wanted to continue to grow our market share, we would have to enter the
Today, the company produces about 750 sq.
knew that I needed to have a better financial
understanding of how to run a business, so I
stone fabrication business. This is when we
went back to school and earned my MBA at
partnered with Park Industries to help us learn
Pepperdine University.”
how to fabricate stone and what equipment
In 2004, within a few years of earning his
master’s degree, the Hoch’s approached Joe and his wife Deborah about moving to North
24 • Vol. 12 / Issue 3 • International Surface Fabricators Association
was needed.” In late 2006, early 2007, CCS moved to its current location in Greensboro, N.C., and
projects are evaluated on a job-specific basis.
ft. of finished surfacing material a day, with the
jobs split up among its various products. Quartz and stone makes up 65 percent of its work,
solid surface 29 percent and cultured marble 6 percent of the material processed.
The work is divided about 60 percent
residential work and 40 percent commercial
