Today we’d like to introduce you to Maryla Bosek.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Maryla. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Back in the year 2000, my husband was a real estate broker and was flipping houses. Around that time, granite became a buzz word, and everyone wanted to have granite in their kitchen. At the time granite was very expensive (from $80 to $140 per sq ft). So, my husband got this idea that we can open a store, buy granite and marble directly from overseas quarries and sell it cheaper than local suppliers. Factory Plaza was founded in 2004. Our first location was 2,000 sf warehouse in Franklin Park, IL, After 2 years we had moved to 9,000 sf facility in Melrose Park. In 2009 we purchased a 45,000 sf warehouse in Bensenville, IL. Half of the building is used for granite, marble quartz (we import the slabs directly from India, China, Brazil, Norway and Italy) with the 8,000 sf fabrication area. The other half of the building has a full production line for kitchen cabinets. We make our own brand of cabinets called American Wood Cabinets. We added cabinets to our business 3 years ago. We have spent $750,000 to buy the entire production line and to retrofit the building for that purpose. We currently employ 35 people and have 10 independent contractors to do the installation. We do both residential and commercial work. Our production rate is 45 kitchens a week (tops) and 15 kitchens a week (cabinets). We manufacture both standard size and custom size cabinets. 3 styles, 25 colors, and stains.
Currently, I do accounting, marketing, human resources, payroll and office coaching. My husband does operations, purchases and takes care of our building maintenance.
My husband and I are both immigrants – we were born in Poland and came here when we were teenagers.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth ride – we encountered a lot of challenges along the way: hiring good talent, getting financing, we were struggling with the cash flow when the business was slow (during a recession).
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Factory Plaza, Inc – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Factory Plaza manufactures top quality kitchen cabinets. We make our own brand called American Wood Cabinets. We also directly import, fabricate and install granite, marble, quartz, nano glass, soapstone, quartzite kitchen and bath countertops, as well as fireplace surrounds, bars, and other stone projects. We are known for very competitive prices. From day one, we try to offer our customers the best prices. We care very much about the quality of the product as well. Our Facebook account shows over 40 thousand likes, so we must really do something well :). We simply want to provide good service at a good price – and that’s what we are proud of. We don’t want to deceive people, take their money and run – we want our customers to be happy and to keep coming back. What sets us apart from others is our honesty.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Lake Michigan and our shoreline. I don’t like traffic! 🙂
Pricing:
- Granite starts from $29.99 per square foot which is pretty awesome!
Contact Info:
- Address: 429 S Evergreen St
- Website: www.FactoryPlaza.com
- Phone: 630-616-9999
- Email: estimate@factoryplaza.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FactoryPlaza/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
