(This picture and the next) Members of the Artisan Group of stone fabricators have made regular donations to Habitat ReStore, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity that accepts donations of new and used building materials, making them available to the public at deeply discounted prices. Among these contributions, Rocky Mountain Stone of Albuquerque, NM, has made a number of large donations of remnant granite countertops.
Artisan Group premium countertop fabricators have donated several hundred tons of granite and solid surface countertop remnants to Habitat for Humanity ReStore over the past year. With the help of companies such as the fabricator members of the Artisan Group, ReStore accepts donations of new and used building materials, making them available to the public at deeply discounted prices.
ReStore operates on a “Triple Bottom Line” philosophy -- “People, Planet and Profit.” People seeking building supplies can find what they need at ReStore, which seeks to be a steward of natural resources and energy provided by the Earth. Thousands of tons of useable building materials are diverted from landfills each year by ReStore. Finally, ReStore profits are transferred to Habitat for Humanity to further its mission. Through this Triple Bottom Line philosophy, Habitat ReStore has experienced phenomenal success and serves as a model of sustainability.
“Habitat ReStore participation is one of the many ways that Artisan Group members elevate our community participation and business ethics in the industry,” said Chad Seiders, Artisan Group Executive Director. “I am very proud of our member contributions to this organization.”
The following is a look at some specific efforts taken by Artisan Group members:
Artisan Group member FloForm Countertops has donated $25,000 in countertops in the last year. “It is rewarding to know that we are helping homeowners to purchase low-cost materials for home improvement as well as reusing products that might otherwise end up in landfills,” said Ted Sherritt, Owner of FloForm.
Top Master, Kansas City, KS
Top Master Inc. has been recognized by Habitat ReStore of Kansas City as one of its largest contributors. Since 2008, Top Master has partnered with Habitat ReStore to coordinate picking up its leftover granite pieces and select remnants. Customers can then purchase the pieces that are best suited for vanity tops, small bar tops or table tops. To date, these donations have kept in excess of 91,000 tons of scrap material out of the dump, and they generated more than $50,000 in revenue for Habitat ReStore.
Hoffman Fixtures, Tulsa, OK
Hoffman Fixtures recently made a large donation of granite and quartz to the Oklahoma City, OK, branch of Habitat ReStore. “After purchasing Phoenix Fabrication in Oklahoma City, we were organizing and cleaning up the operation and could not think of a better way to make use of the large amount of remnants that Phoenix had accumulated,” said Joe Hoffman, Owner of Hoffman Fixtures. “When it was all done, the ReStore truck had made four trips to pick up two A-frames full of usable remnants.”
Countertop donations by Rocky Mountain Stone include cancelled orders and a few tops with minor fabrication errors that are re-fabricated for ReStore customers.
Over the past year, Quality Surfaces Inc. (QSI) has donated recycled tops to Habitat’s ReStore program. In addition, QSI was involved in Habitat for Humanity Builder’s Blitz, donating new countertops for two Habitat houses in the community. Mike Job, President and Owner of QSI, believes involvement with Habitat for Humanity supplies a much-needed service to the community. “Working with Kerry Tomson [Executive Director of Monroe County’s Habitat for Humanity] and ReStore has been a win-win situation for us,” he said. “They provide us an opportunity to give back, and we now have a use for perfectly suitable used materials that would otherwise be waste material. It just makes sense.”
Surface Products, Cornelius, NC
“ReStore is very involved in our NARI [National Association of the Remodeling Industry] chapter,” said Jon Lancto, Owner of Surface Products in Cornelius, NC. “Once a year, the chapter has a sale in the parking lot of the store to benefit NARI -- with all the remaining goods being donated to Habitat. We have worked the sale and donated sinks, faucets, Artisan Stone Collection granite and quartz vanity tops. They also have been the beneficiary of one of our yard sales.”
Blume’s Solid Surface, Freeport, PA
Blume’s Solid Surface provides space to Habitat Restore. “The building materials we donate are resold in the ReStore,” said Gus Blume, Owner of Blume’s Solid Surface. “We donate sinks, countertops that were cancelled or made incorrectly, or discontinued items and used building materials left from remodeling projects.”
Rocky Mountain Stone, Albuquerque, NM
Rocky Mountain Stone has made a number of large donations of remnant granite countertops to Habitat for Humanity. These countertops include cancelled orders and a few tops with minor fabrication errors that are re-fabricated for ReStore customers.
“Habitat for Humanity is a great organization, and we’re happy that ReStore is able to use our donations to support their cause,” said Scott Lardner, President of Rocky Mountain Stone.
(This picture and the next) Blume’s Solid Surface of Freeport, PA, provides space to Habitat ReStore, and it donates sinks, countertops and other materials.
