“I first met Gianni when he came to install a kitchen in a rental home my husband and I had purchased,†said Johanson, adding that Cafarelli, a native of Spain who has lived in the U.S. for the last five years, has more than 15 years of experience in fabrication, installation and operations management. “In his very European - a mixture of Italian and Spanish - accent, he explained how he avoided any seams and was able to cut a large u-shaped piece for the kitchen sink and bar area out of one slab. I have always loved granite and was so impressed with Gianni that I called and asked if the company he worked for needed a representative in Beaufort County. They said, 'yes,' and I became an independent sales representative for the same company. Since this company was owned and managed by a Spanish family whose goal was to build the business and return to Spain in a few years, I also saw this as an opportunity to manage and perhaps purchase the company in the future. Gianni and I became friends, and I tried to ensure that he was involved with most of my customers and used his skills and expertise as one of my main sales tools.â€
Johanson went on to explain that she has a background in administration, human resources, compensation and corporate planning for large corporations. “I left the corporate world and wanted to put my MBA degree into use by having my own business,†she said. “My husband and I decided to go into mortgage lending and had our own company for many years in San Diego before moving to South Carolina.†She believed that her business skills would help her excel in her new position in the stone industry.