Nathan Parsons and his company, The Porcelain Slab Company, enjoy a unique niche in the market. Located in Rocky Mount, N.C., near Raleigh, his company tackles both small and large-scale residential and commercial projects that encompass floors, walls, and countertops. But the company does it with porcelain slabs.
“If it’s flat, we cover it,” Parsons said.
His experience with porcelain slabs began in 2014 in a stone countertop shop where he worked with his wife. At home, and at projects around the country, customers begged Parsons to develop porcelain slab procedures and help with installs.
“Even when I was running a massive stone countertop facility in Raleigh, I would get asked to help save the day,” he said. “Knowing that the quartz silicosis problem was only getting worse, I felt comfortable giving up the cushy management role to start something from scratch. So in 2023, The Porcelain Slab Company was started, and it’s been a rocket ride since.”
His company has seen a steep learning curve. “I am proud enough to say that amongst the worst porcelain slab installers, I am the best. I have been able to fail and learn more than anyone else—easily over $200,000 in hard lessons over the years. But every broken slab, every bad measurement, every curdled silicone line, we have learned a way to get better and faster.”
The sole focus on fabrication and installation of porcelain has provided Parsons with a unique position in the marketplace between tile and stone countertops.
“We understand the science behind the tile process, but have been able to bring the knowledge of the stone world with specialized heavy CNC equipment to make the work easier,” he said. “Ultimately, our goal is to make the customer experience painless when ordering porcelain slabs, no matter the application. We don’t want them to feel the pushback that they might get from stone shops on what is or isn’t possible, or feel that a tile installer hasn’t learned what is needed.”
Joining NTCA
Parsons has been hounding Ceramic Tile Education Foundation’s (CTEF) Scott Carothers and National Tile Contractors Association’s (NTCA) Matt Welner for years with questions, but officially became an NTCA member around 2018.
“I had never touched thinset a day in my life before my first slab training in 2014,” Parsons said. “When I learned about the education available through the NTCA, it gave me a way to identify the ‘unknown unknowns’ of working with tile. I remember asking Scott Carothers about how to use the trowel properly at one event. I was not shy about my lack of knowledge.”
NTCA membership offers a triumvirate of value to Parsons. “I tell every prospective member the same three things: If you are a business owner, you get your investment back with the vouchers. If you are a manager, you get your investment back through training and education events. If you are an installer, you get the knowledge, insight, and camaraderie of all those in this association that you would not get on your own. The ROI is a no-brainer.”
Parsons took his business to the next level by obtaining his Certified Tile Installer credential (#1969) in January 2025. Montolit’s John Roberts, himself a CTI Evaluator, urged Parsons to take the exam for seven years, but he delayed because his experience was grounded in slabs, not tile. Despite the challenge, Parsons passed on his first attempt and is proud of his accomplishment.
“Being able to say that we understand the fundamentals of tile as a business makes a huge difference when we are compared to stone shops for slab projects,” he explained. Referencing “the TCNA standards, proper methods, and having the technical know-how continues to help us close larger and larger projects, because we put the decision-makers at ease. My CTI is an added arrow in our quiver. We are in the middle of multiple six-figure projects because we could answer the questions others couldn’t.”
The challenge of growth
The Porcelain Slab Company continues to grow and evolve, and is on track to double revenues four years in a row. But that rapid growth brings unique challenges, Parsons said.
“We now have a 22,000-sq.-ft. facility filled with brand-new specialized CNC equipment— and the increased overhead costs that come along with it. We have to continually assess where the ideal price point is to maintain volume, while staying at a healthy margin,” he explained. “And as we keep growing, I can’t continue to do it all. So personnel will need to be identified and trained in ways that leave everyone confident in their abilities to perform.”
Parsons’ first career out of high school was as a news photojournalist, and he compares the exhilaration of creating something out of his head for the audience each night with the thrill of creating with porcelain.
“We see the blank canvas,” he said. “We have the idea from the client; it’s then up to us to properly build the vision that is in my head, step by step. That reveal to the client is just like sending the news story out on the 11p.m. broadcast. And I still hear my first producer in my head: ‘You are only as good as your next story.’ But in this case, my next install.”
Lesley Goddin has been writing and journaling since her first diary at age 11. Her journey has taken her through a career in publishing and publicity, landing her the editor position of TileLetter and its special publications in 2006. Her goal is to educate, inspire, recognize and encourage those in the tile industry -- especially the tile and stone contractor.
