When you enter Colonial Marble & Granite’s 15,000- square-foot showroom in King of Prussia, expect to see what you won’t find at the competition: options.
Unlike most fabricators that show a minimum quantity of available stone choices, Colonial Marble & Granite offers more than 4,500 slabs in more than 450 colors. “The size of our inventory is among the top 2 percent that you’ll find at fabricators in the United States,” says James Freeman, vice president of sales and marketing.
Another distinguishing feature of Colonial Marble & Granite is the fact that it has an indoor slab yard with lighting typically found in a home. Most fabricators only have a limited outdoor slab yard where customers can choose something similar to what their slabs will look like. At Colonial Marble & Granite, homeowners actually reserve specific slabs for their projects.
“We offer one-stop shopping from soup to nuts,” Freeman says.
Another unique offering is the technology used at Colonial Marble & Granite, which Freeman says is the future of the home stone industry.
Computer numerically controlled technology meticulously cuts the stone into the desired shape. Then the sink, curves and arcs are cut out and edges are finished. Before this technology existed, stones were cut by hand, leaving the potential for imperfections or inconsistency.
The selection and technology aren’t the only things that set Colonial Marble & Granite apart from the competition. Other fabricators typically take two to three weeks to measure and install stone. Colonial Marble & Granite does it in one week.
“We have reshaped the industry to what we feel a turnaround time should be,” Freeman says.
Michael Tawadros, a Montgomery County homeowner, attests to Colonial Marble & Granite’s cutting-edge qualities. “I was looking for the perfect piece of granite to match my maple cabinets and rosewood floor,” Tawadros says. “I looked at a lot of places but just couldn’t find a really distinguished color until I found Colonial Marble & Granite.”
“From a service standpoint, the company was just phenomenal,” he continues. “The salespeople were really low pressure in the store and offered a fair price. Plus, I was impressed by how quickly they were able to turn it around.”
Store owners Nikos Papadopoulos and Angelo Bekas founded Colonial Marble & Granite in 2006 after personally seeing the customer service shortcomings in the industry. They focused on creating a business that offered a fantastic customer service experience every step of the way, from choosing the product to maintaining the best technicians.
All natural stones are offered—not just granite and marble—including onyx, travertine, slate and a quartz line called Q (a naturally manmade stone that is more of a solid surface material). Thousands of tile options are on display also. Onsite designers help customers make the best design decisions.
Granite continues to be popular for traditional uses in the kitchen such as countertops and backsplashes and in the bathroom for vanity countertops, tub decks and showers, as well as outdoor kitchen countertops, indoor and outdoor bars, credenzas and even tables (both the base and table top), and fireplace surrounds.
“Longevity is built into the product,” Freeman says. “It is resistant to daily wear and is visually brilliant.” Simply clean with soap and water daily. Use an industrial cleaner every few weeks. The only maintenance required is resealing granite every 12 to 15 months.
Marble, which has a softer look and comes in whites and creams, offers the same outstanding qualities as granite. Marble has more veining compared to granite, which offers movement. Marble is a wonderful choice for kitchens, and is very popular in Europe. A bit more porous and softer, marble requires sealing every six to nine months.
Tile is most common in the kitchen and bathroom as well as for outdoor flooring and fireplaces. “Tile patterns can be as creative as the customer wants them to be,” Freeman says.
Colonial Marble & Granite is currently offering a promotion that includes up to 50 square feet of granite (a typical kitchen is 40 to 50 square feet), a new stainless steel sink and faucet, and all of the labor including edging and sink installation.
Colonial Marble & Granite
201 West Church Road (entrance off of Henderson Road), King of Prussia
610-994-2222
ColonialMarble.net
Karen Reuben is a Royersford-based freelance writer. (WriteNowServices.com)
