Integrity, Reliability, Ethical, Peace of Mind…
Paramount Granite Company is in its 11th year of business. When Chris and Barb Rodgers started PGC in 1996, there were approximately 10 fabricators in Minnesota, now there are close to 100. Unfortunately, not all fabricators operate under the same standard of quality, service, and dependability as we do.
One indication of the integrity and reliability of a business its commitment to 
organizations such as the Better Business Buearu (BBB). The BBB can be used as a source for consumers in determining their ethics, committment to customer satisfaction, business history, and a non-biased third party when selecting a business for services.
PGC is a member of the BBB, and we stand behind the product that we deliver. When it comes to spending your hard earned money, you want to feel reassured that you are getting what you pay for. Keeping in mind that you get what you pay for, the lowest price does not always mean the best quality. Check out our Reliability Report on the BBB website for peace of mind.
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Angie
Posted in Business, Company on June 21st, 2007 by Angie | | 0 Comments
When Is Support Needed For My Granite?
A common question we hear from customers who visit our showroom is, “Will I need extra support for my granite countertops if I want an extended overhang?” This is a good question, that can have a couple different answers, depending on the desired length, design, stone selection, etc.
First of all, we would need to ask several questions to determine the answer such as:
- How much overhang do you want for your granite island, granite bar top, or peninsula top?
- Will this be a seating area where there will be chairs, or stools ?
- Does the area have any curve to it?
- What is the support system (cabinets, posts, corbels, etc.)?
In our experience, most cabinets can support granite countertops and weight is not an issue. There are circumstances however, when a customer wants to include an overhang and additional support may be required. At PGC, we typically do not recommend any additional support for overhangs up to 12″. When overhangs are 14″, or beyond, we make that determination at the time of measure. We have done some overhangs from 14″-16″ that have required no additional support, and others that have. It really does depend on the customer’s particular circumstances.
If you have questions pertaining to overhangs, please don’t hesitate to our ask our customer service staff, or measuring technician. They would be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on June 20th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
Cleaning With Good Old Soap & Water!
I am often amazed at some of the comments I hear, when it comes to granite countertops. It is sad that there are so many myths and misconceptions out there. A recent comment I heard, was from an acquantance of mine, at my health club. He was convinced that he needed to buy some special product, just to clean his granite countertops, and asked me what I would recommend. After asking him a few questions, about how he cleans his granite countertops, I responded with, “I would just use clean, hot soapy water and a dish cloth.” (Dirty water, can sometimes cause streaks.)
His jaw dropped in amazement, and he responded with, “You mean, I don’t need to purchase anything special?” That’s right, although there are products out there marketed just for cleaning granite countertops.
Cleaning and maintenance is one thing I never worry about for my granite countertops. That is one of the perks—they are easy to care for.
If you have questions regarding maintenance & care of your granite countertops, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. You can also print a maintenance & care form from our Forms page on our website.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Granite on June 19th, 2007 by Barb | | 0 Comments
New Source For Natural Stone Information
In my last blog, I talked about the importance of branding to stand out from the competition. Funny thing, because this morning as I was paging through the June 2007 issue of Stone World magazine, I came across the article, “Natural Stone Council Develops Web site,” which promotes their new branding message,—
“As Genuine, As You!”
The Natural Stone Council is made up of various businesses and trade organizations within the stone industry and was formed in 2003 to promote the use of natural stone. Their new website was designed specifically for the stone industry and related trades to provide information in regards to stone, and to provide real answers about the myths and misconceptions that are present in the current market.
The site is a great place to send your customers for answers to many of the their questions in regards to stone. It also provides a great branding message for the entire stone industry!
For more information, visit the site at http://www.genuinestone.org/home.php.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Company, Granite, Marketing on June 18th, 2007 by Barb | | 2 Comments
Recipe: “Fruit Smoothie” No-Bake Cheesecake
If you are like me, not turning the oven on in the summer time is always a good idea! I came across this recipe in a Kraft cookbook. I made it a couple of weeks ago for my family and they loved it. It is fresh, cool, and tasty!! 
“Fruit Smoothie” No-Bake Cheesecake
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 4 hr 15 min
Makes: 16 servings, one piece each
1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries), thawed, drained
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
CRUST: Mix graham crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
BEAT: Cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Smash drained berries with fork; stir into cheese mixture. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon over crust; cover.
REFRIGERATE: 4 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting into pieces to serve. Top with the remaining whipped topping. Store any leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
VARIATION:
Omit mixed frozen berries. Add 3 cups fresh mixed berries and additional 1/4 cup sugar to Neufchatel cheese mixture, mixing with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
Feel free to share…
Angie
Posted in Cooking in your kitchen on June 15th, 2007 by Angie | | 1 Comments
