Slippery Rock Gazette

Shannon Carey

Photos Courtesy Countertop Rock

Although Ricciardi does take on commercial and multi-unit jobs, the bulk of Countertop Rock’s work is in home remodels. Exotic stone like Galaxy Black and the Stone Wood Onyx slab shown above are still in high demand with his customers, but the average cost for granite has gone down, he says. “It’s become more accessible, more affordable.”

Above: The clean lines of this mitered and laminated granite island makes it the center-piece of this open-plan combination kitchen and family room in a custom private residence.

Above: This double ogee edge profile was done for a Scottsdale client, in a $3 million customer home. Countertop rock gives a lifetime warranty on installation, and customer satisfaction takes top priority.

Above: This complex Black galaxy countertop shape was created using a hand router – and considerable skill.

Joe Ricciardi, founder of Countertop Rock in Phoenix, Arizona, has a deep background in customer service, and he brought it with him to the stone industry.

Originally from northern New Jersey, Ricciardi has been in sales his whole life, and most of those years were in the automobile industry. He worked as general manager and sales trainer, created marketing materials, and even turned around a failing dealership. In the late 1990s he got an offer to take over a car dealership in Phoenix, and he accepted.

Around 2001, Ricciardi realized it was time for a career change. A friend connected him with an Italian man who was a stone artisan.

“He had great workmanship when it came to tile and granite work, but little know-how when it came to marketing his business and the ability to grow it,” Ricciardi said.

The two struck a bargain. Ricciardi would market the company if the Italian man would teach him about stone fabrication and installation. After four years, the man decided to leave the country, and Ricciardi struck out on his own.

“I had a little building, a handsaw, and an old Mitsubishi,” said Ricciardi. “I started basically out of the trunk of my car. Every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., I stopped everywhere, walking onto job sites, usually getting thrown off the site. I would just keep showing up until I was given an opportunity to bid the home being built or the hotel going up. Eventually my tenacity paid off and relationships were built and customers started to call.”

That hard work was a sound investment. Today, Countertop Rock has a fabrication shop and showroom on a half acre of property, two steady crews and eight fabricators. The shop has two bridge saws and hand tools.

“Nothing too fancy,” Ricciardi said.

Part of his secret, aside from radical customer service, is keeping it simple.

It’s All About the Customer

Ricciardi built Countertop Rock on customer service, and it’s gained him repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals that can’t be beat. While he has done and continues to do commercial and multi-unit jobs, the bulk of his business is in home remodels.

But, if he gets one home in a neighborhood, chances are the neighbors will call Countertop Rock when it’s time to remodel their own kitchens and bathrooms, Ricciardi said. He takes any job that comes his way, and uses skills learned in his car salesman days to keep business at Countertop Rock. The key is flexibility, he said.

“I negotiate, talk alternatives,” he said. “When someone needs a bid or we have an appointment, I am immediately on the project, and if the numbers do not work for the client’s budget, I find a way to make it work, finding alternatives or even taking a ‘short deal.’ Being flexible with people I’ve learned comes back around in the long run.”

Countertop Rock has a lifetime warranty on installation, and customer satisfaction takes top priority. The business has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. With thousands of jobs completed over the last 14 years, and 700 in the last year, that’s quite a feat.

“We are not a big, fancy facility, but we get the job done with the highest quality workmanship and best price possible,” Ricciardi said. “I am very customer oriented. If I ever have a customer who is not 100 percent satisfied, it literally keeps me up at night. So, I do everything to make sure people are fully satisfied with our work.

“My philosophy is: pay attention to customers’ needs, give them quality and a fair price, and be there after the sale and the installation. I give a lifetime warranty on our installation. I’ve had customers from nine years ago whose sink may have come loose or seam may have separated, and we come back out at no charge and repair it for free.”

Keeping it Simple

Ricciardi estimates that Countertop Rock’s business fell off maybe 10 percent during the recession, and the shop weathered the storm just fine. The worst that happened was that Ricciardi won a bid to do stone in 50 new bank branches, but the bank built eight branches and quit when the recession hit.

“My strategy was to have a low overhead,” said Ricciardi. “My trucks and equipment were all paid for. The fact that my overhead is low, I am able to pass those savings along to my customers.”

Now, the housing market in Phoenix is doing well. Ricciardi estimates that more than 100 stone fabrication shops are thriving in the area, and he’s optimistic about the future.

“The market here is very, very good,” he said. “There’s a lot of work here. I am very optimistic about the coming year and beyond. To me, the future is exciting.”

The shop sells a full line of natural stone, including Cambria, Travertine and Venus Quartz.

Countertop Rock also does cabinetry, and Ricciardi is trying to expand that area of the business. He’s also expanding in to multi-unit jobs. One upcoming project is a 205-unit condo complex.

“It’s magnificent,” Ricciardi said. “It’s like Miami Beach, lots of glass and quartz with a contemporary feel.”

Countertop Rock does all fabrication and installation in-house, including large jobs like hotels. Ricciardi said many shops order prefabricated material for large jobs from overseas, but not Countertop Rock.

“I just like to do things custom,” he said.

Changing Industry

In just the past decade, Ricciardi has seen a lot of changes in the stone industry. One big change is the shift away from stone as a luxury item.

“Years ago, granite was a luxury item. A 60 square foot job would be almost $5,000,” he said. “That same job today is about $2,500. It’s become more accessible, more affordable. The affordable stuff is our bread and butter here in the Phoenix market.”

Whether affordable or luxury, Countertop Rock has done it all. Ricciardi has worked in multi-million dollar homes, with exclusive material like onyx, and executed lovely work with double- and triple-laminated edges.

And he appreciates every job, big or small, for helping make Countertop Rock successful.

“For me, after all these years, I am selling my integrity and showing my appreciation to thousands of customers who have entrusted me with their homes and projects. I am very grateful.”

For more information, visit the Countertop Rock website, www.countertoprock.com.