Before meeting Mary McGarrity, co-founder of United Stoneworks, Curt Richter was a general contractor who learned early on that he had to differentiate himself from the competition. At that time, he gave his clients tickets to local cooking classes, and it was such a hit that the waiting list grew to six months long.
When Richter and McGarrity formed United Stoneworks in 2009, the cooking class concept continued, but they took it one step further by hosting them in the working kitchen in their showroom. They hold the classes twice each month, and professional cooks are invited to teach and promote their restaurants in the process.
McGarrity and Richter bring years of experience to the company. Before beginning this endeavor, she was an architect working for the largest countertop fabricator in New Mexico, and she was head of the installation department of Home Depot for several years. Before Richter became a general contractor, he worked in the office equipment industry.
United Stoneworks, located in Albuquerque, N.M., receives about half its business from the commercial sector with the other half coming from retail residential customers. Nearly all of the work they do involves granite and quartz countertops paired with tile backsplashes.
Soon after opening, the company became recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction. It hired only qualified professionals, kept the showroom attractive and well organized and became active in the local community in several ways, one of which has been holding parties open to the public at every opportunity.
Richter and McGarrity recognize that their financial model is not popular in the countertop industry, but they say they have been able to keep costs down and production high by encouraging employees to take ownership of the business and take pride in their work.
Read more of this Fabricator Profile here: United Stoneworks