Stone People: Making More by Marketing Less

Scheduling is quite simple, too.

“Usually, we’re less than seven days,” he says. “Even in our busy days we were that fast. Of course, there are going to be a few times when you can’t do it, when we’ve gotten hit really hard with a lot of jobs, but most of the time that’s what we do.”

Martinez adds that particularly with some of his larger customers, years of working with them allow him to easily set a template date and install the finished countertops a week later.

Installation is no haphazard matter, either. Although everyone on the crew is trained to work in both the shop and doing installs, his son Michael is the main installer.

“I like to think he’s taken installing to another level,” says his proud father. “He can dress seams by hand and they’re so tight on quartz that they literally disappear. He’s great at paying attention to all the little details, as are my other sons and employees.”

Ask to define the shop’s specialty, Martinez uses one word: quality.

“It’s attention to detail, it’s our returns and seams, and it’s our service,” he says. “We try to turn jobs around fast and people are really happy with what we do. We have one of the best reputations in this area.”

Martinez says his crystal ball still hasn’t told him where the market is going – it seems to be down one month and busy the next – but he remains optimistic about 2012.

“This is still February,” he observes. “We’ll see what happens in April and May.”

Although the company is set up so that one day it will be operated by his sons, Martinez says he also can’t see himself retiring soon.

“I just can’t see myself stepping away from doing this,” he concludes. “I like working with our customers and the other good people I meet. I just enjoy it too much.”

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