Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. In the case of Colonial Marble & Granite, however, the two are by no means mutually exclusive.
As a large, industry-leading fabricator and installer of high-quality exotic stone, Colonial Marble & Granite has earned a reputation for being the Delaware Valley’s top resource for kitchen, bath and other home-remodeling projects. Besides its commitment to quality, the company continues to set the pace in the industry in terms of pricing, service and the ways in which it connects with customers.
“No one can compete with our presence in the market,” says James Freeman, senior vice president of Colonial Marble & Granite. “We have an incredibly large coverage area. We’re talking about a 150- to 200-mile radius around our central location that we cover, and now we’re focusing on enhancing our local points of sale instead of expanding our coverage area.”
But Colonial Marble & Granite’s winning formula is about much more than size and scope. Its 100,000-square-foot indoor showroom and production facility in King of Prussia maintains an inventory of more than 4,500 stone slabs—marble, granite, onyx, quartz, travertine and other semiprecious stones—in 450 different colors.
“If you are thinking about doing a project at your home, your best option is to turn to the best,” Freeman says. “We have the strongest pricing in the industry for first-quality material. We work directly with quarries so we can direct-import a lot of product, and we also work with the nation’s largest domestic distributors to provide the best pricing to customers.”
Colonial Marble & Granite has changed the nature of the business locally by moving to an all-inclusive pricing structure. Previously, homeowners who worked with other fabricators often found themselves not knowing what the final price tag would be once the installation was complete. Some fabricators have followed Colonial Marble & Granite’s lead in terms of pricing, and “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” Freeman says. The company is currently running a promotion whereby customers can purchase 50 square feet of granite countertop for as little as $1,999.
Product and pricing are not the only reasons customers turn to Colonial Marble & Granite as their first and only option, according to Freeman.
“We have the most intensive training and evaluating program [for installers], with trainers working in the field,” he says. “The No. 1 crews at any other shop don’t make it here. The reason is that we’re consistently evaluating our performance, and we continually challenge our people to get better. And they do because they take pride in what they do.”
Besides homeowners, business owners are increasingly turning to Colonial Marble & Granite for its expertise. In 2012, the company completed commercial installations for projects such as XFINITY Live! and the former state building at the corner of Broad and Spring Garden streets, as well as the food court at the King of Prussia Mall and Equinox Fitness Center in Summit, N.J.
‘What You Want’
Colonial Marble & Granite opened its doors in 2007 under the leadership of founders Angelo Bekas and Nikos Papadopoulos. The company quickly became known for its variety, quality and service, and it has done anything but stand still in the time since. For example, the company’s CNC (computer numerically controlled) technology enables skilled technicians to machine-cut a client’s chosen slab, assuring customers of a one-of-a-kind installation with perfect precision.
“You’re the customer,” Freeman says, “so you’re going to get exactly what you want.”
Colonial Marble & Granite’s showroom has more in common with a comprehensive design center than a typical home-remodeling showroom. With true-to-life lighting and complementary design elements, customers benefit from having a “one-stop shopping” experience. In other words, customers can use the showroom to gain a realistic understanding of how the stone will look in their home after installation.
In addition to stone slabs, Colonial Marble & Granite also has a sophisticated selection of tiles, most commonly used for kitchens and baths but also for outdoor flooring and fireplaces. Again, Colonial Marble & Granite has options to satisfy any customer’s personal style, from the basic to the opulent, and it continues to look for ways to improve and build upon its already exhaustive product line. For example, the company recently launched its own line of premium stainless-steel sinks to complement its countertop installations.
Besides its showroom, Colonial Marble & Granite maintains a number of satellite locations to help locals plan their home renovations. The company has opened a sales office in Harrisburg, with others coming soon to northern Delaware and Edison, N.J. This growth spurt continues on the heels of expansion dating back to December 2010, when the company opened secondary locations at seven prominent malls throughout the greater Philadelphia area—namely, The Court and Plaza at King of Prussia Mall; the Montgomery Mall in North Wales; the Oxford Valley Mall in Langhorne; the Lehigh Valley Mall in Allentown; the Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrenceville, N.J.; and the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, N.J.
“The mall locations give us another avenue to be out there promoting our product, and customers can make a purchase there if they don’t want to come into the showroom,” says Freeman. “We’re committed to their satisfaction, whether it’s at one of our mall locations or at the showroom in King of Prussia.”
Despite Colonial Marble & Granite’s growth, it has managed to hold onto the small personal touches that made it so successful—and so unique—in the first place. A perfect example is its commitment to hosting cookouts at its King of Prussia location every Saturday and on holidays.
“We’re still a family-run business,” Freeman says. “Whether it’s the products and services we provide or the way we’re interacting with customers, we’re continually looking to find new ways to make a good experience even better.”
Colonial Marble & Granite Inc.
201 West Church Road (entrance off of Henderson Road), King of Prussia
Phone: 610-994-2222
Website: www.colonialmarble.net
