How were you first introduced to Cambria?
Upon invitation, I went to Minnesota to visit Cambria’s facilities and learn about the brand in more depth. It was an amazing experience to see the product firsthand, meet everyone, and go through the training. I was pretty blown away. At the time, I had a home under construction that was already at the drywall stage, and we were about to order another surface product. While at the Cambria facility, I called an audible and switched everything to Cambria. I selected nine slabs of Swanbridge™ for the whole house. I sent an email to Cambria and, by Monday morning, their representatives were at my office with samples.
What led you down the path to continue using Cambria in your selections?
We are a luxury brand, where quality, reputation, and customer service are important. That’s in-line with what Cambria believes. When we install for clients, the product needs to perform, be high quality, be low maintenance, and look great as well. Cambria surfaces are made of pure, natural quartz and feature unparalleled strength and durability. They’re nonporous and nonabsorbent, scratch and stain resistant, and maintenance-free. You can literally just wash with warm water and mild soap. Plus, Cambria backs everything with a transferable Full Lifetime Warranty. It’s a win-win for us and has been a really amazing relationship.
Photograph accredited to Roehner + Ryan
Why do you believe in Cambria?
Their customer service is second to none. We use Cambria in about 90% of our projects, but we don’t always have the final decision. I sent an email to a Cambria competitor the other day and still haven’t heard back, whereas any time I text, call, or email Cambria, they respond immediately and usually provide product samples within a day. The white-glove service is the reason we keep going back, plus the quality and overall design-friendly selections.
How important is it to know a support team is in place to assist with the installation and after completion?
Everything. The only reason I’m in business and have a decent reputation is because of my vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors. If I don’t have a good team that communicates and performs, then I can’t be successful as a builder. It’s everything.
We are successful because of the powerhouse vendors and suppliers that back us.
What aspects of Cambria do you tout to your homeowners when helping them choose a surface?
We tell them Cambria is an industry partner of ours and then give them the bullet points of the pros: superior performance, unmatched beauty, world-class service, American craftsmanship, and sustainability. We tell our homeowners that Cambria’s service and transferable Full Lifetime Warranty will bring them peace of mind, because when a homeowner is investing this kind of money on a project—where they could spend $50,000 to $70,000 on countertops—hey want to know that we’re putting in a product that not only looks good but is also going to last and perform. Separately, a lot of clients have already seen our portfolio with Cambria, and they love the designs and want their home to look the same. Honestly, it’s a pretty easy sell because of the performance, warranty, and product itself.
Does Cambria’s wide palette of design innovation come into play with your homeowner’s selection process?
Design is everything. Cambria offers the most expansive design palette in the world, with designs in a wide variety of hues, depths, and movements, all of which can be easily mixed and matched together for a one-of-a-kind aesthetic. They’re always at the forefront of what’s new and now and of what styles are timeless. Plus, they have plenty of product inventory for us to select from.
What role does Cambria play in your business?
Cambria is an industry partner of ours, which allows us to provide a luxurious product for a very competitive price. Dollars stretch a little bit further for our clients. I consider Cambria a support arm. If my clients want to see samples, then we can get 12 samples to them within 24 hours. Clients and designers love that aspect of it.
Do you see an opportunity to use Cambria beyond the countertop?
We already do. We use Cambria for bathroom surrounds, accent walls, adjacent to the fireplace, for shower benches, and for a lot of different applications. We do this very often, pretty much in every home.
How important is it working with an American-made company?
Lots of our clients do prefer American made, so it’s super important. We’re very conscious about those decisions.
Do you plan to further your partnership with Cambria? If so, tell me more about that.
Yes, we are actually putting a Cambria showroom in my building. Cambria does not yet have a showroom presence in Phoenix—or in Scottsdale where I am—so I’m opening a pop-up at my office. It’s a product that performs and that our clients love, and the customer service is unparalleled.
To find out how to incorporate Cambria in your next project, click here.
Brad Leavitt, president, A Finer Touch Construction, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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