For example, the other day a gentlemen came in and was absolutely fascinated as to how the granite block gets to polished slab form. He could not believe that the back of the slab was what the raw material looks like prior to the polishing. Then he put a sample down on the showroom island and walked around the entire island, a few times, describing how with each angle of the light the granite looked like a different piece of material. He said it was “gorgeous and unbelievable, a great conversation piece”!

While not all customers are as enthusiastic as he was, more often than not, they are surprised and impressed by the whole process. Usually the most surprising things are the size of the slabs, the fabrication process and the natural beauty of the stone!

It is a fun and educational experience for most. Come and be impressed and awed at our showroom and granite!

Feel free to share…

Angie

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Heat the chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a crock pot. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Enjoy!

Barb

Getting the necessary information for your job up front, allows us to fabricate most cut-outs and holes in our shop, rather than in the field. There are times however, when a hole may need to be drilled on site, (e.g. when a customer decides to add a soap dispensor, an RO system, etc., after the fact. When this happens, a diamond core bit drill is used in the field.

Following are a few photos I wanted to share of the hole drilling process in the field:

Installed Granite Countertops

 Hole drilling in the field using a diamond core bit drill with running water.

Granite Countertop with finished hole.

 Granite Countertop with finished hole ready for dispenser installation.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

We are happy to announce, we have added another line of sinks to our list of products for your convenience.

The following granite composite sinks are now available:

Magnum 801 (Large Bowl on Left Kitchen Sink)

Magnum 802 (Equal Bowl Kitchen Sink)

Magnum 818 (Single Bowl Bar Sink)

If you have questions regarding sinks, granite countertops, etc., please feel free to call, or stop by our showroom. We are glad to help.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Pheasant Gumbo

1 pheasant cooked and shredded
1 lb. Andoville sausage
2 jalepenos peppers chopped
1 onion chopped
1 can diced tomatos
2 cups fresh okra chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 quarts chicken broth
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup bacon grease, or lard

Cut up the sausage and brown in a dutch oven. Remove some of the drippings and add the bacon grease. Whisk the flour into the grease. Keep stirring the roux mixture, until it is a dark caramel color. (This takes approximately 20 minutes.) Add the onion, celery, okra, green pepper, jalepenos, and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the broth and tomatos. Simmer uncovered for 1/2 hour. Add the sausage, pheasant, and tomatos. Season with coriander and cumin to taste. (Easy on the coriander.) Simmer uncovered until thickened to your liking. If the soup is too thin, you can add some Minute Rice.

Note: The roux is the most important part of the recipe. It takes awhile to get it dark colored.

Enjoy!

Barb

Today at work, I mentioned that I was so sick of the rain and clouds that I was thinking of getting one of those sun lamps, the ones used by those suffering from (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder often use. While I was joking at the time, I am seriously going to consider it. Why not? They really aren’t that expensive, and probably worth it.

Some other things to try to boost your mood include:

• Exercise
• Listen to some music
• Doing some activity you enjoy
• Take a bath
• Watch a movie you enjoy
• Have a cup of tea, or hot chocolate
• Etc.

Here’s to sunny days ahead…

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Some people buy for enjoyment, or improvement, while others may buy something to save money, or reduce their costs, etc. For example, some people may be interested in granite countertops  for their kitchen because they want a larger area to entertain guests and enjoy the company of family and friends, or they may want to show off their home. Others may want to add granite countertops to their home to add resale value. Still others may buy granite countertops because of their durability and low maintenance features. Whatever the reason, it is important to identify motive, and then gear your products benefits to the persons circumstances.

Following are Six Basic Buying Motives mentioned in the article:

1. Profit or Gain: The buyer may be looking for quality, saving money, or making a profit.
2. Fear of Loss: Buyer wants to reduce costs, save time, reduce risk, or blame.
3. Comfort and Pleasure: The buyer seeks enjoyment, comfort, attraction, etc.
4. Pain Avoidance: The buyer may want less work, protection, or may want to save time.
5. Love and Affection: The buyer values beauty, prioritizes family and friends, or may want social approval.
6. Pride and Prestige: The buyer has a desire for fashion, or style, or acceptance from others. They enjoy a good public image.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Every time we get a signed proposal, someone will ring the bell. Often times, you will hear a lot of whooping and hollering from the guys in the shop! It really entertains the office when that happens!

Help us out! Start RINGING OUR BELL!!

Below is a photo of Leisa, customer service rep, ringing the bell (notice how it is bigger than her head):

Feel free to share…

Angie

The other day I came across, “Too Poor To Buy Cheap,” an article found in the September 2009 issue of Selling Power magazine that caught my eye. The author mentioned that he once bought a suit for $100. While it was a good price, it ended up that it was not a good deal. He actually only wore the suit once and never wore it again because he didn’t like the way it fit. In reality— it was a very expensive suit.

Last spring, I came across a sale on some purses at some retail department store. I found two that I liked that I thought were a good price. When I got to the register however, I was going to only buy the one, thinking to myself that is really all I needed. The store clerk however, talked me into buying the second one because it was “so cute.” Turns out that I should have listened to my instincts, as I haven’t used the second purse yet.

Consumers need to keep in mind that when they hear of a fabricator selling granite countertops way below others, most likely they are cutting corners to sell it for that price. There may also be change orders to “up” that price down the road.

Sometimes investing more for something up front will actually save you money, and most likely alleviate a lot of headaches.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Cut pieces  are loaded on the Pro-Edge, where an operator then sets the parameters to the run the piece. When the program is set, a water-fed polishing arm passes continuously over the piece to achieve the polished edge. Backsplash pieces are also loaded on the Pro-Edge for edge finishing.

Following are a few photos of the Pro Edge I wanted to share:

Thanks for reading!

Barb