When 90 percent of your business comes from word of mouth and repeat clientele, you know you’re doing something right.
Longtime client Megghan St. Aubyn knows firsthand why people return to Planet Granite time and again and recommend it to others. She and her husband started working with this locally owned business about a decade ago, when they owned Saint Aubyn Homes.
“We had an idea to make granite a standard instead of an upgrade in our homes,” she said. “They agreed to work with us on a production level.”
Since then, Megghan and her husband also have personally built two homes for themselves and used this Colorado Springs mainstay for both. Their latest home has a waterfall and full-height backsplash in the kitchen. Some stoneworkers might have balked. Not the folks at Planet Granite.
“They definitely are up to the challenge of my crazy ideas,” St. Aubyn said.
The Early Days…
Adam Bauer was in high school when he learned the intricacies of stonework from his father, Tom. The pair worked together using hand tools, eventually moving from Aspen to Telluride.
“We had to learn how to do quality kitchens,” Bauer said. “We learned how to do high-end, quality jobs early on.”
His dad taught him everything about the industry and supported him when he decided to move back home and branch out on his own. Bauer and Bauer proudly launched Planet Granite in Colorado Springs in 1998.
“Dad was right beside me, helping me out,” Bauer said. “I think he got a kick out of watching his son go for it.”
One of his dad’s friends, Mike Hitchcock, owned a stone company in Denver and started selling Bauer slabs to help him get his business up and running. He started out by finishing slabs off the truck in the barn and it took days to install a kitchen.
How times have changed!
These Days…
What started as a father-and-son shop 23 years ago is now the largest fabricator in central Colorado with 150 employees. They work with clients up and down Colorado’s Front Range and even into Wyoming. And it takes hours rather than days to install a kitchen.
“We’ve invested a lot of money on technology,” Bauer said.
Huge digital machines now handle much of the simpler work more precisely and in a fraction of the time, freeing up accomplished stone craftsmen for more complicated custom projects, such as rope edgework.
And they no longer buy one slab at a time.
“We have a very large inventory here on site,” said Nonnie Salamon, chief operating officer. “It’s a one-stop shop.”
When the pandemic hit, Planet Granite quickly shifted to offer Facetime and Zoom meetings with clients. Salamon said it has worked well and they plan to keep offering that option for those who prefer it.
But, she added, “I think they prefer to come down here.”
That’s because they can walk down the many aisles personally to choose a specific slab of granite (or quartz or marble or whatever they choose). Gorgeous pieces from Brazil, Italy, India, Australia, Norway and other countries.
And the remnants? Well, you have to see those beauties to believe them. If you’re doing a smaller space like a vanity, make sure to at least take at this area—you might find the perfect exotic piece of stone.
Think Creatively…
Hey, if you can dream it, Planet Granite likely can make it happen. While the more traditional shiny, polished, black-and-brown-and-white granite is always in style, there are countless options these days.
Go for a splash of color. Try leather surfacing, which gives your stone a more matte look. Consider marble (Adam’s favorite) for a more Italian look or Nonnie’s top pick: quartzite. Onyx is the only stone formed under cold conditions and is translucent.
Planet Granite offers thousands of colors and types of stone.
It’s not just for kitchen countertops. Think walls, outdoor barbeques and other areas you’d never considered.
In other words, there’s no need to settle for what your neighbor has, as stunning as it is. Choose the slab that whispers to you. The one that will transform the house you live in into the home you love.
Website: https://planetgranite.us/
Facebook + Twitter: @PlanetGraniteCo