Heartland Granite And Quartz | BUILDING THE MCVICAR HOUSE
Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ
Heartland Granite and Quartz will be providing all the countertops for the McVicar House. The company has more than 2,000 slabs of granite, quartz and marble in more than 100 colors to provide the finishing touch for kitchens and bathrooms.
PARTNERING FOR QUALITY
Following a lengthy career with Food 4 Less, John Rolfe was trying to decide what to do next when he had a granite countertop installed in his home.
“I thought I could do that work and do it better,” he said. He launched Granite Guys soon after.
In 2013, Rolfe joined forces with Andre Zandevakili, owner of Simply Granite. Together they formed Heartland Granite and Quartz.
About six years ago, Rory Tonniges, who had worked in construction and in EMS as an EMT-Intermediate, came to Rolfe’s company as a customer. By the end of the week, he was working for Rolfe and Zandevakili as their stone/sales specialist, today he is the project manager and partner.
The company now employs 21 people with Rolfe, Zandevakili and Tonniges serving as partners. Their clientele extends throughout Northeast Kansas and into Nebraska.
“Many of our customers only come to us once because the quality is such that they don’t need to replace what they have,” Rolfe said. “We also have clients who move frequently and come back to us for their remodeling or new construction needs.”
GUIDING CUSTOMERS THROUGH THE PROCESS
During the selection process, a staff member will accompany customers through the company’s spacious warehouse and ask questions about their projects.
“We like to know as much as we can about their paint and wallpaper colors and their plans for the space so we can make recommendations,” Tonniges said. “Customers enjoy the experience and we’re able to point out remnants that might work for smaller spaces too.”
Popular colors include gray and white, but Tonniges said brown, gold and beige varieties are coming back.
“Brass is big in lamps and accessories so now we’re seeing brass, steel and platinum embedded into slabs to complement the trend,” Tonniges said.
“Every stone we have is better for a certain use and responds differently to conditions,” Rolfe said. “If you’re a serious cook, you stay away from marble because it’s more apt to get injured. You go with granite or quartz instead. I hate surprises so we strive to avoid those for customers by teaching them as much as we can before they buy.”
HELPING EMPLOYEES GROW
Rolfe said the most gratifying part of running the business is watching employees grow in their careers and ensuring customers are pleased with their purchase.
“When you make customers happy and employees happy, there’s a good chance you’ll be successful,” he said. “Our employees may move on and do other things, but we’ve given them a foundation that will make them better at their next job. The industry is always changing, and we’re determined to keep up.”
