March 28, 2018

Artisan Group welcomes new members Summit Stone Works in Buda, Texas, and True Blue in San Antonio and Austin, as well as welcoming back previous member Lakeside Surfaces Inc., which is based in Western Michigan, making the group of independent countertop fabricators nearly 35 strong.

“We are strategically growing the group with premier fabricators in cities where we were lacking in representation,” said Executive Director Sunil Palakodati.

The group offers its own brands of premium countertops including: Metro Quartz, Artisan Stone Collection granite and marble, Saratoga Soapstone and Heritage Wood.

“The Artisan Group brands of stone and wood countertops span the United States and two Canadian provinces,” said Jon Lancto, Artisan Group president. “We were the first group of our kind to unite the best countertop fabricators in the business and we have not wavered on our requirements to join the group, so that homeowners get the best product possible with Artisan Group.”

Summit Stoneworks was formed in 2006 by two entrepreneur brothers building high-end custom homes in the Austin area and is now owned by Sam Roberts and Brandon Self. With the acquisition of Designer Showroom and Summit’s rapid growth, it has 60 employees and 13 installation crews that serve the builder, commercial and residential sectors.

True Blue has been in business in San Antonio since 2007 and Austin since September 2017.  Principals Tom Callahan and Eric Cole are focused on the business-to-business market with their customer base being predominantly designers and builders.

“We believe that every installation deserves to be the highest quality irrespective of price level or material utilized, custom or production builder,” said Callahan. “Eric and I arrived in the stone world from industries that demand high quality and exemplary service, and we are driving True Blue to be a stone solution and customer service leader to the builder and designer communities. We are tremendously grateful to be a part of this group of fabricators who share our values.”

Established in 1992, Lakeside Surfaces Inc. is one of the largest fabricators of surfacing products in the Midwest. The company was founded by current president, Rob Riegler, who began as a certified Corian fabricator. By listening carefully to customers and business partners, Lakeside has been able to steadily increase service area and fabrication capabilities as the surfacing market has evolved.

Today, the company employs more than 130 artisans in five locations whose focus on quality, craftsmanship, commitment to unparalleled customer service.

“Joining the Artisan Group is a great way for us to differentiate ourselves from our competition with the exclusive MetroQuartz line,” said Riegler. “We know that our dealers will appreciate Lakeside bringing a comprehensive stone surfacing package into western Michigan, northwest Ohio and northern Indiana.”