Joel Davis
Special Correspondent

Stone Mart, the fastest growing stone distributor in Ohio, has announced plans to offer its customers an exclusive variety of quartzite not available for purchase elsewhere.

“We are in the process of launching a signature series exclusive to Stone Mart,” said owner Yash Lunkad. “Only factories have been able to do so to date. We believe this is a huge achievement for a distributor our size that is based in a relatively small urban area.”

Quartzite is a translucent stone used for accenting, bar tops, and wall cladding. “People back light it just to create a rich look and ambiance,” Lunkad said. The Columbus, Ohio-based company is able to offer the signature series of quartzite after intensive negotiations with several stone factories and after committing to purchasing large volumes of the stone.

It is this willingness to work hard to provide extra value to its customers that sets Stone Mart apart from its competitors. “Anyone can provide product,” Lunkad said. “It is providing the service that counts. It’s what we believe in.”

Between two locations, Stone Mart employs 20 people in all. Its sales staff is trained extensively in home decoration, and the company incorporates the latest technology in its daily operations. From the sales floor, every member of the staff can access a central database loaded with facts about the more than 350 choices of stone from around the w­­orld offered by the company. “We carry engineered stone, but our primary expertise is natural stone,” Lunkad said. “Questions can be answered on the spot.”

Stone Mart does not cut or install granite, but works closely with fabricators and contractors to provide the best quality products to its customers. “We guarantee you have to look no further, and we will make your selection easier,” Lunkad said. “We have a 99.9% customer retention rate. In five years of being in business, we haven’t lost one customer.”

The company can provide assistance and advice in designing the perfect kitchen. Once customers settle on a design and hire a contractor, the staff at Stone Mart will help them pick the best stone to suit their needs.
Lunkad, who founded Stone Mart in 2006, holds Master’s Degrees in business administration and economics. His entire career has been spent in the stone industry. “I have done nothing but sold stone all my life. I started out selling stone and just loved doing it.”

Being based in Columbus, which is within 250 miles of larger urban areas such as Lexington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, gives Stone Mart a strategic advantage, Lunkad said. “As I looked at it, Columbus is a distribution hub. That’s why I thought distributing granite from here would be a good move.”

In the end, customers can count on Stone Mart. “We’ll always be standing by them,” Lunkad said. “They can count on us.”

Stone Mart has locations in Columbus, Ohio, and in Rochester, NY.  For more information, visit http://www.stonemartmarblegranite.com or call 614-527-0257.