Meet Alex Frayman, Antuan Frayman & Mark Gorski ...
Master Kitchen & Bath Design (MKBD)
by Linda Herman

Besides shoes, jewels and china, I don't think there's anything I prefer to be surrounded by than beautiful "building" materials for my home. So when I met the charming owners of MKBD, I had the double pleasure of seeing beautiful woods, granites, ceramics and other "stuff" used for some of our area's most beautiful homes.

Their packed showroom is located on Second Street Pike right behind the stationary passenger train car in the heart of Southampton. Filled with handsome woods, shiny granites, squares of tiles and floor coverings, I met with the "inside guys" behind this family owned and operated full service contracting firm. I'm not sure if I had more fun uncovering the information about their business or more fun uncovering the relationships between the three partners.

My interview started like most, sort of. It was the first time I met Mark Gorski. I had talked with him a few times before our face-to-face meeting. He immediately directed me to his partner, Antuan Frayman, saying that Antuan would be handling the interview. I was a little disappointed. I always like to showcase all parties involved. But I've also learned to go with the flow. In the end, my patience was rewarded.

Antuan is a native Philadelphian. He pursued a business and finance degree at Florida's Atlantic University and as he likes to say, "I got my experience for the business in Brooklyn, South Beach and Los Angeles. You're only as good as what you've seen or experienced, and I've tried to bring a lot of experience to what I do. My exposure has been pretty well rounded. From my knowledge of financing, both commercial and residential, to my very hands-on experience in the building trades and design side, I've helped make MKBD the full service contracting firm that it is."

Now this is where my favorite part of the "interview" process really starts. He continued saying, "My grandfather, Alex Frayman, started this business in 1982. Serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, we can handle anything the job requires, large or small. Alex handles the construction side of the business, and Mark and I handle its day-to-day activities. Mark is often more involved with the construction side and I'm more often concerned with the design and financing areas."

Suddenly Mark joined our coversation and finally, I was privy to "full disclosure." A close family friend, he revealed he's like a grandson to Alex Frayman. Mark continued, "We specialize in customer service. We offer our clients the best products they can afford... and we encourage them to get the highest quality affordable, because doing so generally limits problems down-the-road."

So now that I had the two partners together, I figured I could proceed with both barrels! I wanted to find out about trends in the remodeling industry. According to Antuan, "Green is in. It may be a little more pricey, but increasingly our clients are looking to work with recyclable products for their cabinets, floors and countertops. Materials like bamboo and stainless steel are more and more popular." Mark offered that bathrooms are a favorite room to redo. "They require less time to complete, generally are more affordable, and an updated bathroom is great for resale. Often times you can expect to recover up to ninety-four percent of your investment."

And what are those things a client should look for when shopping for a contractor? Antuan said "The client should hear a lot of questions from the prospective contractor. Every project has a life of its own. I always ask what it is that the client already likes about the specific room to be remodeled. What do they not like? How many people use the room? How often? We need to understand the "space" in order to provide the best "remodel." We need to understand their budget and we need to know how much time we have. These are parameters that help establish our response to their request."

Mark's concerns were about reputation. "A customer needs to be assured that the contractor is responsible from beginning to end. We hold ourselves accountable from inception through follow-up. A project of any size, if it's the laying of a floor or the complete redo of a kitchen is more than the sum of its parts. It's design, installation and follow-up. And in our case, it can also include the financing. We have a commitment to ‘make good’ on our work after the work is finished. This is something we've learned from Alex, and something we are bound to continue."

I commented how wonderful it must be for Alex to have them working with him. According to Antuan, "I always wanted to work with Alex,” said Antuan. As a kid, I spent summers working in demolition, sweeping up debris, laying tile, sheet rock. He never let me do anything that would strain my growing back... he waited until I was 26 for those kinds of assignments! So I've really learned the business from the broom up!"

Mark admits his inclination was not always in this direction. "I figured I'd work in finance. I grew up in Wilkes Barre and went to Kings College, and then worked in Delaware, the capital of protected banking! My interest changed after I started working with Alex. His work style so impressed me that I knew he was and is a person I wanted to associate with. He's straight forward and his word is gold. And that's the way he runs the business. Honesty is his motto. Honesty to a fault."

As Mark and Alex continued, Mark commented that "Our job is to alleviate the stress felt by the homeowner. We try to get in and get out as fast as possible.

" I asked about all the "Flip It" programs on T.V. and how they may have impacted their business. "Our clients are definitely more knowledgeable because of these programs. However, as entertaining as the remodels are, they don't present the REAL reality. It's true, homeowners can go to a variety of stores for materials, but what is key to any job....whether we do
it or another contractor... is the installation. Installation will reflect a quality job and impact the long term life of the job completed. It's not "every man" that can install a sink or a bathroom or a kitchen cabinet."

And in today's economy... "As people are remaining in their homes, they are increasingly updating their favorite rooms; kitchens, bathrooms, basements. Hopefully they turn to businesses, like ours, that are determined to stay in the community they serve. Like our clients, we are price conscious and are so while providing the best possible quality, and always the best service available," said Mark.

Their homes? I was happy to hear that they're pretty current on remodeling jobs in their own homes. In fact, Antuan shared an animated description of the renovations he's completed. He's renovated his home from the studs up. I guess all that work as a kid has paid off!!

I loved meeting MKBD's Antuan Frayman and Mark Gorski. They're two men any grandfather would be proud of. (And so would a grandmother!) It was even more special to hear them speak of Alex with such respect. I'm sorry I couldn't meet Alex Frayman personally. I would have enjoyed seeing the look on his face as Antuan and Mark talked about the business they love and the man they admire so much. I'll just have to relie on their insights as business partners having the highest regard for another partner. And maybe on my next visit... I'll get to meet the third partner in Master Kitchen & Bathroom Design!

MKBD Master Kitchen & Bathroom Design
606-8 Second Street Pike
Southampton, PA
215-355-4747