Wayne and Lisa Bush found themselves at a crossroads two decades ago when their busy schedules began to compete with their main priority – family time. As parents of two small children, they knew they’d have to find a creative way to reach their goals.
Wayne has been in the construction field since graduating from Westfield Vocational High School, working on new and remodeled homes as a licensed General Contractor for 30 years. With this experience, the couple decided to fabricate and install laminate countertops part-time. By helping a kitchen dealer who had more orders than they could meet, the couple began to receive enough work to start their own business.
In 2003, the couple quit their full-time jobs and opened New England Custom Countertops (NECC) at The Mill at Crane Pond. It was a life-changing decision. On one side it was nerve-racking, but on the other side, Lisa was able to schedule her own hours and be available for the kids and all their activities. “Our outlook was, and still is, to have a no-fail attitude and work hard at quality and customer service,” Wayne shares. “This is why our company has grown to be so successful.”
Once they had been in business for a bit, they started getting calls from contractors and wholesalers, asking if they could fabricate Corian (solid surface) Countertops and shower systems. They hadn't, but they took on the challenge. Wayne attended the classes needed to certify as a Corian fabricator.
Now, NECC offers all brands of solid surface countertops and bathroom shower walls/bases. The company also carries eight lines of kitchen cabinetry in a range of pricing to meet the needs of a wide customer base. Customers can choose from custom laminate, solid surface, granite and quartz countertops. The laminate line is custom-made in their Westfield location, with Wilsonart and Formica being their top requests. Corian and HI-MACS solid surfaces are also fabricated in-house. If it’s quartz or granite that interests you, NECC has an enormous selection including Cambria, Caesarstone, Viatera, HanStone and more. Slabs can be viewed and selected within an indoor location, and NECC offers multiple slabs of each color to ensure that large projects are all from the same batch.
When it comes to cabinetry, there are several lines from which to choose including Forevermark, Designers Choice, Wellborn Forest Cabinetry, Tedd Wood, U.S. Cabinet Depot, Bertch Vanities, Versiniti Vanities and JSI Cabinetry. All lines are of plywood and offer soft-close doors and drawers.
Wayne and Lisa strongly believe in treating customers the way they wish to be treated. With that said, potential customers are welcomed warmly and questions are encouraged. Appointments are a great way to make sure that all the possibilities are explored and options are discussed without interruption. “We are all about the quality of service and communication with the customers. The best feeling for us is when our customers call, email or send texts saying how happy they are with the final outcome of their project, and thanking us for the professionalism they received from our employees,” Lisa says. “That puts a huge smile on our faces!”
“We are a small, family-owned business still going strong after 20 years,” Wayne explains. “Now, our son, Josh, is training to manage the business once we retire. He has perfected his construction skills by installing everything from new kitchens to full remodels.”
What Wayne and Lisa love the most is setting the concerns and confusion aside for their customers, and making their remodel run as smoothly as possible. NECC treats the homes of their customers as if it were their own. By treating customers like family, and providing professional services, they have made long-lasting friendships over their time in business. "One of the favorite mottos at NECC is: Why buy your next kitchen from a salesman when you can buy it from a craftsman?!”
“Our customers have been so pleased with us over the years that they are now referring their adult children to us for remodels,” shares Lisa. “We are always the happiest when our customers love the spaces in which they live.”
New England Custom Countertops
7 South Maple Street,
Westfield, MA 01085
Just how does NECC make all of this come together? The first step is to meet customer expectations by providing an initial home visit and consultation to review ideas and to prepare a CAD layout/design that highlights how the remodel will appear once completed. One perk is NECC’s countertop replacement program offers removal and disposal of old countertops. Add to that a local plumbing and electrical team, sheetrock professionals and a local flooring team at the ready, and remodels run efficiently and within budget. "We are all about the quality of service and communication with the customers. All of our staff goes above and beyond to make sure that our customers are informed and comfortable with our performance, the process and completion of the job." NECC is a true one-stop-shop!
One of the favorite mottos at NECC is “Why buy your next kitchen from a salesman when you can buy it from a craftsman?!”