CounterTek
Owners: Ray and Kim Roux
Location: Ephrata, PA
Business: Custom Countertop Manufacturing
Purpose of Loan: New Machinery, Equipment and Inventory
Impact: Economic Security
When the Ephrata-based company where Ray Roux had worked for nearly 20 years was sold and operations moved hours away, Ray and other dedicated employees followed. Soon, concerns over new ownership and the desire to return to Lancaster County had Ray reconsidering his options. When the opportunity arose to purchase the building that he originally worked in all those years, Ray and his wife, Kim, decided to go back to where and what they knew best.
In 2010, the Rouxs bought the 7,000 square foot building and started CounterTek, a custom kitchen and bathroom vanity countertop manufacturer with 4 employees. Soon after, Ray and Kim came to Community First Fund to help finance new machinery and equipment, inventory and working capital. By the end of their first year, CounterTek grew quickly and brought nearly two dozen jobs to the area.
Ray and Kim believe that the better your employees are treated, the better they will work. The thriving, employee-focused company pays an average $15/hour and offers excellent benefits, including PTO, 401(k) matches and 100% health insurance costs. Since its start, CounterTek has realized double-digit sales growth every year. Ray is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.
Today, CounterTek employs 49 people and has plans to expand. Which just goes to show that hard work and doing the right thing pays off.