Brandon Miller had plenty of good reasons to open his own company, Solid Rock Creations: He had four years of experience cutting fine stones, enjoyed interacting with customers and had a natural feel for design.
At the end of the day, though, he launched the business for a different reason.
“I like the challenge of it,” he said, noting the complexity of cutting curved edges on a granite countertop. “Plus, the fact you’re dealing with a natural stone instead of a manufactured something, your finished product is a lot more amazing when it’s done.”
Miller, 29, plans to display some samples of the stones he cuts and installs during his second trip to the Everett Home &Garden Show, running Friday through Sunday at Comcast Arena.
Miller opened Solid Rock Creations in Arlington 2 ½ years ago, after spending the previous four years working in the field.
Now, Solid Rock Creations is small but growing. His wife, Angel Miller, has been office manager, but may step down soon, making way for a new position. Miller himself works with one other employee, cutting and installing the slabs.
He stays busy, with about seven orders now in the pipeline, he said in a phone interview from the site of a Snoqualmie job.
“We do jobs in Wenatchee,” he said. “We’re pretty much all over within three hours of Arlington, I’d have to say.”
Most jobs take one to two weeks to turn around, from the time a customer buys the stone to its final installation.
The company’s primary focus is granite, which starts about $65 per square foot. The fee includes the cost of the stone, along with the labor to cut and install it.
Miller doesn’t limit himself to granite, of course. He works with slate, marble and onyx. He also offers manufactured alternatives, such as Ice Stone, a recycled compound that is billed as being a green alternative.
Most of the time, though, customers pick a genuine stone.
“If they want to go with a manufactured stone, we’ll do it,” he said, “but nine times out of 10, after I’ve talked with them, they’ve gone the more natural route.”
Ultimately, Miller is a champion for stones such as granite, which his wife said he installed in their own home.
“I think he definitely has a love for natural stone and its natural beauty,” she said. “It’s just incredible how many colors there are to choose from. … I always call it God’s abstract art.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
Solid Rock Creations
Arlington, by appointment 425-330-2935 www.luxurygranite.com
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