Custom Stone Interiors, Centre Hall, Pa.
By comparison, the sinks and faucets are a fairly recent addition to the CSI mix.
“We’re just trying to ease our customers’ shopping experience,” says Waltz. “Stone can be tough enough to decide on because of all the different colors, and this eases the process somewhat. We have several different brands of sinks and several different types of faucets, and we want to be able to offer everything that would go into a finished countertop project.”
Of course, customers have the option to look elsewhere if they don’t see what they want. The same holds true with CSI’s decision to stock a selection of natural stone – a move that took place only about a year ago.
“Right now, we have about 200 slabs in our warehouse,” Waltz says. “We’d like to up that number. It just saves our customers from having to go to different suppliers to make their selections.”
That’s no mean consideration given that the nearest importer/distributor is approximately 90 miles away in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Otherwise, CSI customers are forced to go more than two hours to larger cities like Pittsburgh.
Among the stones the partners stock are both soapstone and slate, and Waltz says the company has a reputation for going beyond granite and quartz surfaces.
“Soapstone is a great material,” he says. “We’ve had a good amount of interest in that for both kitchens and commercial jobs. Slate is another one that isn’t traditional. We don’t use it too often, and it’s a little more care and maintenance, but sometimes the customers want something that stands out from everybody else.”
As with some other markets around the country, Waltz adds that CSI encountered a fair number of customers who are looking beyond Uba Tuba and Venetian Gold to alternative products. They recently received certification as fabricators of the concrete-and-recycled-glass product IceStone®.
“We haven’t had a whole lot of interest in IceStone – I think because of its price point and more-involved upkeep,” says Waltz. “But, for anyone who is looking for a unique green product like this, we can do it.”
DEVELOPING MARKETS
Regardless of what a customer is looking for, Waltz and Everhart do their best to find solutions. Along with kitchens and baths, the company does fireplace surrounds and other stone work – although not tile.
While Waltz says the fireplace surrounds have always been a good market for remnants, a newer market is outdoor kitchens.
“That’s a national trend where people are starting to bring the indoors out,” he observes. “We’re doing more jobs involving outdoor kitchen areas where we’re installing fully functioning kitchens with sinks and all the other amenities a regular kitchen would have.”