If you can imagine a granite showroom as dazzling as an art gallery, then you can picture the showroom at StoneWorks. Filled with hundreds of slabs of unique granite from quarries around the world, StoneWorks is one of the best-stocked granite fabricators in the area.

But what you’ll also see is example after example of how StoneWorks can transform this granite into gorgeous kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces, floors, columns and countertops to match countless styles and settings. With broad selections of marble, quartz, onyx, tile and other stone also available, StoneWorks creates custom installations for a variety of commercial and residential needs.

Exceptional Selection
Located at 941 Hubbard Road in Hickory, StoneWorks was founded fifteen years ago as a division of Hickory Tile and Marble. “My family has been in the tile business here since 1959,” says Tim Lail, who owns StoneWorks with his wife, Teresa. Their son also works for the company and spends most of his time in the field working directly with customers. “When we bought Hickory Tile and Marble from my father, we created StoneWorks to expand our offerings.”

That expansion included a 10,000-square-foot showroom that houses up to 300 slabs of first-grade granite in infinite color variations, known as exotics. The stone is imported from quarries in Africa and shipped from others located throughout the United States. “I hand-pick every piece of granite we bring into our shop, so we know what it looks like before it gets here,” says Teresa. “That’s an important step in maintaining the quality and variety of what we offer.”

“Customers can walk through our warehouse and select the specific slabs that will be used for their project,” adds Tim. “Being able to view the actual slab is a huge benefit to our customers, because no two slabs of granite are alike. Each piece is one of a kind, so a customer can’t really know what their granite will look like from a picture in a catalog or a small sample. That’s why the showroom is so important to us.”

Along with viewing StoneWorks’ extensive selection of granite, customers can choose from marble, onyx, soapstone, quartz and engineered stone. But it’s the granite that captures not only Tim and Teresa’s hearts, but also those of their customers. “Our customers are amazed that all this different granite comes from the ground,” Teresa explains. “The beauty of it is unparalleled, because each slab is a unique reflection of God’s artistry.”

“Visiting our showroom is like walking through an art studio,” Tim concurs. “All the colors are natural and run the spectrum – blue, green, purple, black, yellow… they’re all here. I’ve had customers return with friends just to show them around.

“In addition to their disbelief at what’s available, customers are often surprised at how economical granite is,” Tim continues. “It lasts forever. This is not something that will need to be replaced in ten to fifteen years, because it’s harder, more stain resistant and more scratch resistant than other surfaces. And the beauty? That’s just the icing on the cake. It’s a great product.

“It’s also a fun product to sell,” Tim adds, “especially when we can help a customer pick the color that works for their budget and their taste. It’s like helping them buy a famous painting – which I’ve never done before, but I’ve bought a lot of slabs.”

Custom Fabrication
The StoneWorks expansion also included the addition of an on-site fabrication shop to grind, shape and polish slabs for kitchens, fireplaces and other surfaces. But the fabrication facility isn’t just a machine shop; it is filled with some of the best technology available for cutting and manipulating stone. And that technology is operated by experienced artisans who know how to get the best out of each piece of stone that comes through their doors.

For example, many granite fabricators offer only two or three different edge selections for countertops. At StoneWorks, the number of custom edges that have been created is closer to 40 – and counting. “Compared to other stone fabricators out there, we have a much larger selection and a greater ability to customize,” says Teresa. “We are not a production shop; we are a custom shop. That’s what we do.”

The connection to Hickory Tile and Marble is also a big plus, because customers can tap into both divisions for a completely custom installation. “We’re a small, family-owned business, so we’ve all got our hands in a little bit of everything,” Teresa explains. “Our staff consists of our shop fabricators, our tile people, our installers, and three people who work in the office and sell product.”

“We work with the entire range of customers, from architects and contractors to interior designers and individual homeowners,” Tim adds. “We’ve even done work up and down the Eastern seaboard, including Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Florida.”

Superior Service and Craftsmanship
“When customers come in, we help them coordinate their granite selection with their tile, their cabinets or whatever else is needed,” says Teresa. “Since it’s a natural product, many people will make their granite selection first. Once you pick your granite, your custom cabinet maker can adjust the stain of the wood to work with it. We also offer hundreds of colors and types of tile, so customers can always find a piece of tile that will enhance everything and pull it all together.”

“Our customer satisfaction rate is very high,” Tim adds. “I run into customers all the time – in the grocery store or at restaurants – and I always ask how their granite is doing. They tell me they love it.”

One such customer was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, whose designer worked with StoneWorks on an installation for the executive’s second home. He was so pleased with the work that his designer hired StoneWorks for additional installations in his primary residence.

“I think what draws repeat customers is our workmanship,” says Tim. “We’ve been doing this for so long that we’ve perfected the fabrication and installation processes. One of our signatures is our granite seams; they’re so slick that you can’t feel them or see them. That’s a hard thing to do, and it definitely sets us apart.”

From superior craftsmanship to exceptional selection, StoneWorks has consistently strived to set itself apart on all levels. Based on their showroom alone, they have succeeded in creating the most unique granite retail location in the Greater Hickory area.