The Natural Beauty of Granite…



There are literally hundreds and hundreds of granite colors available for countertops. Since some granites can be very consistent looking, and others having great variation in flow, and color, we encourage our customers to come to our showroom to narrow their choices down. Customers can make their selections from both our samples, and stock slabs, or we can direct them to a local supplier to select their slabs.

Some customers are also interested in laying out their material prior to fabrication. To accomodate them, we usually encourage them to make an appointment, after the field measure has been completed. We will do the best to accommodate a customer’s requests, however due to those natural variations, it may be difficult to get exactly what they want out of each slab.

Our fabricators take a lot of pride in making sure the seam matches and flow come together. Keep in mind, the more variance in the slab, the more obvious the seams will be. Fortunately, the beauty of granite is that it does have those natural variations, which make it unique and beautiful.

Granite is a natural product of nature, how much more beautiful can you get?!

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Granite, Company, Business on July 15th, 2008 by Angie | | 5 Comments



Unschedule Your Life!



Many peoples lives today are busy and over-scheduled. From the time we wake up, to the time we go to bed, our days are full with work, meetings, kids activities, chores, etc. Even our weekends have become over-planned. What many people don’t realize however, is that too much planning and scheduling has become routine and can have a negative effect.

According to the article, “Unplan Your Life,” found in the July/August 2008 issue of Body + Soul magazine, “Routines essentially allow the body to allocate resources  elsewhere and conserve energy. But while patterned thought and behavior keep things running smoothly, routine also has a dark side: rigidity. Some research has found that people who don’t make room for enjoyable “noninstrumental” activity (reading for pleasure, chatting with a friend) may experience more stress—and that, in turn, can contribute to problems like depression, anxiety, weakened immunity, and heart disease,” states Christine Caldwell, PhD of Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

While schedules and to-do lists help us to be organized, and are necessary for many of us, we all need to stray from them a bit and be open to some unscheduled time, where we can enjoy ourselves.

Following are a few ways to help unschedule your life from the article:

  • Pencil It In—See your schedule as a sketch of what you might like to do instead of a rigid to-do list with things that have to get done. Be open to situations, circumstances, or things that come up. If you just allow yourself to partake in a situation, you might just end up having a good time. (i.e. Spending a day with family, friends, meeting an old acquaintance, or visiting a location that you’ve never seen before, etc.)
  • Tweak a Habit–Instead of making some sort of drastic change in your life, just try and change a regular habit, or routine a bit. Subtle changes can make a big difference, and add a bit of variety, or opportunity to your life. (i.e. Try a different coffee shop, change your regular walking, or biking route, etc.)
  • Rejigger Your To-Do List—”We get stuck in what should happen, whether it’s this moment, or our whole lives, that we stop hearing what we authentically want to do.” It is common to confuse pre-made plans with priorities. While you may want to get some chores around the house done, there is nothing wrong with setting your to-do list aside to just enjoy a beautiful, sun-shining day. Why not go fishing, water skiing, boating, biking, etc.? The household chores, etc. can wait—maybe for the next rainy weekend.
  • Say Yes—It is easy to say “No” when our schedules are full, but “we often say no out of habit and fear because it keeps us from having to take a risk,” according to Patricia Ryan Madson author of Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up. It can be fun however, to say “Yes!” Try and Say Yes to the next halfway descent invitation you get. Why not see a movie, go to someone’s lake cabin. etc. You might just end up having a good time!
  • Wing It—Sometimes it is just nice to have a day that is totally unplanned. You could do this, or that, but why not just wing it and go with the flow? Vacations can also be an opportunity to just wing it. Sometimes vacations end up being too scheduled, where you have to be here, or there at a certain time and you end up feeling stressed. They don’t have to be though. Why not plan a vacation where you don’t have to be here, or there and have the opportunity to just make decisions, just as they come up?

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Uncategorized, Business on July 8th, 2008 by Barb | | 2 Comments



Building a Successful Team



I was paging though the May 2008 issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News and came across an article titled, Suggestions for Inspiring Motivated Teamwork. I found it very interesting and a good reminder. Whether you are in a corporate, non-profit, small business, or service environment, teamwork is essential to the success of the organization.

In the article, Hank Darlington, points out the many advantages to building a successful team within your organization:

  • Employees working together are generally more successful at solving problems.
  • Being a member of a team helps people to feel more energized.
  • Teams can make constructive use of differences in expertise, experience and personalities.
  • Team members can work together to improve processes and reduce mistakes, waste and costs.
  • Teams give employees a sense of belonging and security.
  • Since most work requires the cooperation of employees, teams simply make good sense.

Successful managers set the tone for the success of a team through their actions and attitudes. Following are 10 ways to prepare your team for success:

  1. Give them a clearly defined set of goals and purposes.
  2. Let the team make its own rules.
  3. Encourage fun and a sense of humor on the job.
  4. Give employees the authority to make decisions and act on them.
  5. Be supportive. Do what you say you’ll do!
  6. Let the team find solutions to its problems without intervening.
  7. Allow team members to make financial decisions and create their own budgets.
  8. Expect ups and downs. Some projects will run more smoothly than others.
  9. Let the team set up a rewards and recognition system.
  10. Create and nourish team spirit and pride.

Building a successful team will take time and open communication. The longer teams work together, the more effective and comfortable they will become. Print off the lists above and use them as daily reminders of the importance of, and the goals to promoting a healthy team in your workplace.

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Company, Business on June 24th, 2008 by Angie | | 4 Comments



The two Seasons….of Minnesota!



detourAnyone who is from Minnesota and is reading this has heard the expression that there are two seasons in Minnesota, one being Winter and the other being Road Construction. Well, at PGC ,we have been feeling the effects of the latter quite a bit the past couple of months!

Today the tides are changing. Not only are the skies a clear, sunny, beautiful blue color, but Barb left the office and a few minutes later called to inform us that the County Rd 36 ramp to Hwy 101 South is FINALLY OPEN! Can you sense my excitement?  End Road Const.

Thankfully, we will not longer have to detour our customers around the road construction and mess that comes with it. Now it will be much easier and convenient for them to visit our showroom Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Smiley

Now lets just hope the other dreaded season doesn’t come too soon!  

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Company, Business on June 13th, 2008 by Angie | | 0 Comments



New Season, New Colors…



Spring flowersWell, I think it is officially Spring…or that is what the calender says anyway. With the changing seasons, we thought it would be a great time to bring in some new exclusive colors to display in our slab yard.

Five of the six new colors offer a lot of flow, movement, and natural veining. These colors include Creme De Oro, Hurricane, Mascarello, Sanguine, and Sucuri. The sixth color, Cafe Brown, is a more consistent looking color with a satin finish. Please feel free to come and visit our showroom to view the new colors along with our Top-13 stock colors. You are bound to find something that suites your tastes.

Feel free to share…

Angie

For a sneak peek, see the photos below:

Creme De Ouro

Hurricane

Mascarello

Sanguine

Sucuri

Cafe Brown (Satin Finish)

Posted in Granite, Company, Business on May 13th, 2008 by Angie | | 2 Comments



It’s a Small World…



I happened to be doing some research for my upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. in May the other day to put together a list of sites we would like to visit. While I have been there numerous times (I love it there!), others that are traveling with me have not. As I was searching online, I came across some information on one of the few monuments I have not visited, including the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in West Potomac Park.

While brainstorming on what to write my blog about, I decided that I wanted to do some research on the granite quarries operated by Cold Spring Granite Company. I came across an article, Continuing to build a successful quarrying operation, in Stone World magazine online. Low and behold, I began to read about all of the prestigious projects nationwide that use Cold Spring quarried granite, such as Carnelian, which is quarried in Milbank, SD. It turns out that 6,000 tons of Carnelian granite quarried from that very location were used in the FDR memorial.

Many of our national monuments and historical architectural buildings are constructed of granite for its durability and natural beauty. I have to admit, I may look at the beautiful city of Washington D.C. though different eyes this time around. I hope that I am able to share some of the sites with you on one of my upcoming blogs.

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Granite, Company, Business on April 16th, 2008 by Angie | | 8 Comments



PGC Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary Of Blog Site!



It is hard to believe, but this month marks the one year anniversary of our blog site. Wow, time sure does fly by! While blog sites have gained popularity over the last several years, many people are still unfamiliar with them, or just learning more about their value and purpose.

So what is a blog you might ask? According to Wikipedia, “a blog (a web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.  Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and an area for readers to leave comments in an interactive format.”

I have enjoyed blogging over the last year, and have to admit that is has been a great way to provide valueable information to our customers. If you’re looking for a particular topic of interest, our blog site contains various Categories such as: Business, Company, Cooking in your Kitchen, Granite, Industry News, Learning Links, etc., that make it easy to navigate and find what you’re looking for. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out our blog site yet, please do. The site contains industry information, tips, opinions, links, and…a few good recipes you might want to try.

Following are some blogs I’ve highlighted from the year:

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite, Company, Industry News, Business on April 3rd, 2008 by Barb | | 11 Comments



Beat Stress Naturally



We all have stress in our lives, although some people tend to have more than others. While some stress is good, too much stress can be bad and harmful to your health, unless you find some way to release it and get through it. I recently read, “10 Best Stress Busters,” an article found in the April 2008 issue of Body + Soul magazine that contained some valueable information that I wanted to share. According to the article, “Stress may start in your head, but it’s often your body that bears the brunt of chronic stress. A likely risk factor for heart disease, cancer, etc.” In todays society, reducing stress in our lives is an absolute must for good health.

Following are some ideas to help deal with stress naturally from the article:

  1. Grab the iPod and go—Studies show that physical activity helps people feel less anxious and depressed. Make it a habit to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Walking is a great habit to start.
  2. Eat fewer cookies, sip more tea—Try to cut back on refined carbs and sugar. They can raise your cortisol levels. Try and cut back on caffeine found in coffee and soda pop. Instead try and substitute green tea, which is healthier.
  3. Get out of your head—Try some mind body work like yoga, meditation, or tai chi. It can help to clear your head of the days activities, work, and worries.
  4. Fine tune your juggling act—Try to avoid multi-tasking while doing normally pleasureable things. Avoid working through your lunch, or writing a grocery list while taking a bath, etc. Try and pick 1 day only to stay late at work to get through your to do list. You can also work really intensely for a few weeks and then allow yourself to take a break.
  5. Just say no—Find time for a little rest and relaxation and time for yourself. Never say yes immediately when someone asks you to do something. Allow time to think about it and contemplate if it will take away from your needed personal time.
  6. Know thyself—Socializing can leave some people feeling drained, while for others hanging out with friends can be a good way to de-stress. If you need time to be alone, then take it.
  7. Score some herbs—Try taking some herbal supplements that strengthen the immune system such as Siberian ginseng, rhodiola, ashwangandha, or schizandra. They can help keep your immune system function well, while under stress.
  8. Play hide the laptop—Try to avoid constantly checking your e-mail, especially when you’ve been in front of it all day long. Eliminate checking it before bed, or first thing when you wake up.
  9. Seek out sound therapy—Studies show that listening to music, especially classical may help you unwind. Add soothing melodies to your music library to listen to when you are feeling stressed.
  10. Paint a picture, or go bowling—Try and do something you really like when you are feeling stressed. Doing something creative, or physical is a great way to take your mind off your daily problems, or activities.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Uncategorized, Business on March 28th, 2008 by Barb | | 0 Comments



Spring Break—A Great Way To Regenerize!



Last week, we were blessed to be able to enjoy a little rest, relaxation, family time, and some much needed warm weather! I don’t know about you, but after a long winter, I think a spring break is always a great way to regenerize yourself and improve your outlook on life.

Before I left, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with life contemplating the preparations for another upcoming graduation party, moving sometime this summer, etc. It is funny how taking a short break from work, some Mexican sun, margaritas, and having the opportunity to read a good book can change your outlook.

Now that we are back, I feel I can move ahead full force, and am full of energy to do so. I recommend a vacation get away to everyone, even if it is a place close by and only for a few days. I guarantee you will feel re-energized.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Following are some photos from Playa Del Carmen Mexico:

Posted in Company, Business on March 24th, 2008 by Barb | | 2 Comments



The Master Bath: An Oasis…



I don’t know about you, but having a quiet, relaxing space to finish the day off is a dream come true. Think of it, a hot bath, candles and soft music or a good book…how relaxing! Unlike the other baths in your home, the master bath is often times a component of a master suite, which can also have a walk-in closet and/or a sitting room.

With all of the different design elements that go into a master bath space the possibilities are endless. From the lighting and fixtures to paint color and granite/marble countertops you can create a space that is just right for you. Please check out some of the bath projects we have installed over the years.

With an abundance of different colors of granite and marble remnants in our stock you are bound to find something that works for the look you are trying to achieve. Stop into our showroom and we can show you the wide variety of choices you have to select from.

Feel free to share…

Angie

Posted in Granite, Company, Industry News, Business on March 18th, 2008 by Angie | | 4 Comments



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Paramount Granite Company - The Natural Choice

The Paramount Blog

Paramount Granite Company specializes in the fabrication and installation of natural stone countertops, islands, bathrooms, bar tops, fireplaces, furniture, tub surrounds, tile, and more.

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