From slab to showpiece: design and teamwork

"South of the Mountain", a project by Lagois using surfaces by Urban Quarry

What goes on behind the scenes of your magnificent new kitchen designed by Lagois?

You might ask Gina Childers, one of four Urban Quarry account managers.

Urban Quarry specializes in the custom fabrication and installation of quartz, natural stone and ultra compact surfaces used in the creation of kitchen and other beautiful projects by Lagois Design∙Build∙Renovate.

Gina is involved with your Lagois project from moment one. She’s there in discussions during the preliminary stages, long before renovation actually begins. She’s there in the middle, making sure everything goes smoothly. And she’s there at the end, ensuring your satisfaction with every detail.

A long-standing friendship

The relationship between Urban Quarry and Lagois Design∙Build∙Renovate goes back decades. Urban Quarry began two years after Lagois was started by Herb Lagois in 1984. In 1986, Laurent Bellavance co-founded Marble Unlimited. Eventually his children joined him, and the company became Urban Quarry.

Laurent retired (after more than 35 years in the business) and the company is now owned by President Bob Gould and General Manager Brian Gray, along with Serge Bellavance VP, Sales and Marketing, and Mireille Bellavance VP, Operations.

Since 1997 the company has undergone major expansions, including the addition of a state-of-the-art, 45,000-square-foot fabrication shop and product showroom.

Kitchen, bathroom and living room

Gina is a combination of client advocate, educator and overseer. She works with her team and Urban Quarry departments in quoting, orders, scheduling and production. She discusses the best options and approaches for your project. She knows the materials, how your kitchen is fabricated and installed. She is also a showroom resource person who has worked in the industry for more than 11 years ‒ six of them with Urban Quarry.

She enjoys showing you the beautiful showroom as a regular part of the process in a Lagois renovation. There are several samples: full slabs, and kitchen, bathroom and living room examples of different stone applications such as integrated sinks, fireplaces and shower bases. When you schedule an appointment at the showroom with Gina, she meets you to answer any questions about material or fabrication.

The showroom is a good place to see and touch all the products used by Urban Quarry from high-end companies they have partnered with for years ‒ for example, Cambria, HanStone, Silestone by Cosentino, Dekton by Cosentino, Vicostone, Caesarstone, Masterpiece, Interstone, Laminam, and Caribou.

Once Lagois submits your project to Urban Quarry, Gina’s team confirms the material, makes sure it’s available with the suppliers and creates the order. If you want to see the full slab beforehand, she makes that happen, too. This is called the “slab view” before it goes to fabrication. Urban Quarry’s departments allow for a smooth transition from quoting to installation.

Precise measurements and details

Next is the scheduling at your home for precise measurements. Once they have that, the production team reviews the entire project to make sure nothing's missing. If there are any questions about things like sinks or faucets, or any little details at all, the production team reviews them.

At that point you are given the opportunity to see what your project will look like in digital form. Gina explains this is a unique option not offered by everyone. In the high-resolution digital image, you see the seams and “vein flow” matching up and exactly how it will look in your home. This is called a “layout approval.”

Once you and your Lagois designer approve this layout, it goes into fabrication at the Urban Quarry shop with expert fabricators.

Only the very best

Urban Quarry is “very selective”, says Gina, in its choice of partners. This applies not only to product companies but to first-class renovators and builders such as Lagois.

“Lagois is such a wonderful company to work with,” she says. “They go above and beyond and really care about the whole process. They make sure their clients get what they want and that they’re happy with the result.”

She says that’s the reason why Lagois and Urban Quarry work so well together. Their values are the same.

“It’s so important to find companies that you really align with ‒ how you approach business and customer service,” she says. “It makes the process and the experience for homeowners truly top-notch.”