In recent conversations with Boston Granite Exchange’s VP of Sales, John Byrne and General Manager, Bill Thomas, we’ve been reflecting on the last 25 years in business as they celebrate this significant milestone. After discussing their top two challenges (read that blog), we asked, “Who helped you along the way?”
The immediate answer was threefold: our customers, our suppliers and most importantly, our team.
Our Customers
“We’ve got great partners on the customer side who’ve supported us through thick and thin,” Bill said. “For us,” John adds, “those relationships all started with customer service. Years ago, we would do things that other stone distributors never did. I think we changed customer service a lot. Sure we have beautiful materials, but materials come and go; it’s all about the customer service we offer as a company. We still go above and beyond.”
Our Suppliers
“We have some of the best suppliers in the industry that we’ve partnered with,” said Bill, “and they’ve helped and guided us along the way as well as providing us with some of the most beautiful stones available.”
“Some of them,” John added, “we’ve done business with for 25 years, right from the very beginning.”
Our Team
“Our team – we don’t call them employees – they’re family,” John said. “We really do feel that way. Some of them have been here with us from the beginning. This core group of employees who work so well with our partners; we couldn’t have done it without them.”
“I can’t tell you how many times I’m on the road,” he continued, “and customers refer to our team members by name and tell me what a great job they do making sure our customers are well served. We receive a lot of compliments about our team and that makes a difference. It says who we are.”
Twenty-five years is a significant milestone for any business. According to Forbes, 20% of businesses fail within the first year and 50% by year five. Only 25% make it to 15 years or more. We are incredibly grateful for our customers, suppliers and our team for being with us throughout the journey to make this achievement possible. For homeowners planning a kitchen renovation or other project , the team at BGE invites you to visit one of our showrooms in West Bridgewater or Haverhill, MA to see in person the large inventory of natural stones including granite, marble and quartzite, porcelain and The BGE Quartz Collection. Our team would love to help you find the right stone for your project.