Exceeding all of our customers’ expectations is a daily objective at Progressive Countertop

• Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau
• London Home Builders Association
• Stone Fabricators Alliance

 

We haven’t forgotten our humble beginnings

1. What was your first year like? We were still doing glass (Strathroy Glass) so it was very exciting to enter into something completely different. We had a lot of existing infrastructure and amazing staff, but a much different product – every piece of glass looks the same and every piece of granite is unique. 2. How has your business changed and grown since then? We initially had one machine, one truck, one template, one processor and so forth. We had four staff total and a dozen different granite collections. Now we have two full time template staff, two processors, four installation crews, and including Cambria we have about 300 different colours and designs. Our staff has grown from four to nearly thirty. In the beginning we started out doing business to business sales with Home Hardware, construction companies, and others. Now we meet with every end user or homeowner at some point in the process – which is very rewarding to be part of the entire process. 3. What has been the most important change in your business? Change is constant and we must keep up with new trends and designs to make sure we stay current and offer what our customers want. Additionally, keeping up with manufacturing and installation technology as it develops and progresses is critical. Cambria has played a huge role in keeping the designs current and exciting for our customers. 4. What was the biggest challenge your business had to overcome? It’s a good problem to have, but we’ve been growing so quickly that it can sometimes be difficult to keep all departments well-staffed. It’s very important to us to provide high quality service and we want to hire excellent people – which means the hiring and training process is something we take very seriously. We have a lot of staff who have been with us for seven or eight years and we value their contribution to the business so much that we always want to make sure our staff are happy and well-trained. 5. If you could go back ten years and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? Don’t jump to conclusions on people’s decisions – no micro-managing, trust your staff and trust that they know what they’re doing – you trained them after all! Those are the people who deal with customers on the ground every single day and they learn a lot from that interaction. 6. What is different in today’s market vs ten years ago? Granite and Quartz are used a lot more commonly than they used to be – everywhere from entry level houses and condos to high end luxury homes. 7. How have consumer choices changed since your business began? Innovation in the quartz world has opened the door to a larger variety of designs. Granite designs have also changed in minor ways such as a wider variety of colour – which comes with the growth of the granite industry. People are becoming bolder and more adventurous and there is a wide variety of aesthetics that are constantly evolving. We want to have something for everyone. 8. What does it take to stay in business for 10 years? Good people. It would be impossible to achieve the growth we have without having good folks out there dealing with our customers on a daily basis. 9. What lessons for life can you take from your business? Mistakes are going to happen and not everyone does things the way that I think is right – and you have respect that. Most of the time with decisions there’s a reason that person made that decision and you have to trust their judgement. Things aren’t always going to be perfect, if we make a mistake we have to make sure we take the right steps to correct it. Be prepared for the unexpected and deal with problems as they arise. It does no good to procrastinate in order to move on to the next task – your problem will still be right there waiting for you later. 10. Where do you see Progressive Countertop ten years from now? I’d be happy to have another ten years like the last ten years – with good people around us and steady growth. Our main priority is delivering a quality service and product and if we can keep doing that for another ten years, the growth and all the rest will look after itself.

Community matters to Progressive Countertop

At Progressive Countertop we believe in supporting and participating in projects and organizations that help to shape a community into the kind of place where we all like to live. We believe in being a part for the communities we serve: Strathroy, London, Middlesex County and beyond. Below is a list of charities, sponsorships and community events that we are happy to be a part of!

The VON holds an annual Great Community Run, Walk ‘n’ Roll to support clients in the community who rely on VON programs and services like Home At Last, SMART Exercise & Falls Prevention, meal and dining programs, blood pressure clinics and more. Progressive Countertop was a Bronze Sponsor of this year’s 16th Annual fundraiser, contributing to the VON’s cumulative 16-year fundraising total of over $1 million to support these crucial community health services. Read the Thank-You Letter we received from the VON or visit their website at http://www.von.ca

The Ronald McDonald House is a ‘home-away-from-home’, a temporary residential facility where families of seriously ill children can reside while their children receive treatment. Families who use the Ronald McDonald House in London, Ontario have children mainly in the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario and St. Joseph’s Health Centre. http://www.rmhsouthwesternontario.ca/ May 28, 2011- Progressive Countertops installed Cambria quartz countertops for the Extreme Expansion—The Ronald McDonald House SWO Project.

The Women’s Rural Resource Centre in Strathroy is a community resource in education, prevention and support services for women and children impacted by abuse. Progressive Countertop is committed to supporting the WRRC’s vision to end abuse of women and children.www.wrrcsa.org“Your donation provides hope for a woman or child in our community who has experienced violence, and ensures that we have the resources at the Women’s Resource Centre to serve them.”

Progressive Countertop is proud to sponsor the Sarnia Sting, a junior hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).www.sarniasting.com/“Howard, thank you so much for being a sponsor to Kole’s team! As far as these sports teams go, we would not be able to do it without the investment of partners such as yourself and your commitment is very much appreciated.” Keith

The Salvation Army is the largest, non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. Progressive Countertops is happy to support the local Strathroy organization that supports individuals and families in need.www.salvationarmy.ca/“Thank you for thinking of others and providing for their needs. We appreciate your donation. The Salvation Army could not do all that we do without community support.”

Progressive Countertop is thrilled to be a continuous participant in the Dream Lottery supporting London’s hospitals.   This year we have the pleasure of working with Wastell Homes on their two-story Dream Home in Humberside Common. In 2015 we were honoured to work with Bridlewood Homes on their Dream Home in Meadowlands of Sunningdale. For both of these London, Ontario dream homes we helped by providing and installing Cambria® countertops throughout the homes. www.dreamitwinit.ca/“The Dream Lottery is a great way to help improve the health of families in our region who rely on the hospitals in London.” LL#7592

The Independent Living Centre London & Area is a resource centre for people with any kind of disability. Through their programs and services, ILCLA provides information and help to those learning how to advocate for themselves. During events hosted by ILCLA, people build peer support networks, and have a lot of fun in the process. Learn more by visiting their website: http://www.ilcla.ca/