Coastal Stone Group: From Local Shop to National Player
Fewer than four years ago, Glenn Kross was running a 10,000-square-foot shop called That Granite Place. Today, he oversees Coastal Stone Group, an umbrella for two fast-growing operations that now ship custom and stock countertops nationwide – operating out of an 85,000-square-foot facility in Greenwood, DE.
Two brands under one roof
Coastal Countertops focuses on high-end residential and light commercial work, while Coastal Quartz Solutions (CQS) mass produces stock vanities and cut-to-size tops for builders, hospitality chains, and multifamily projects.
“We built CQS so a builder in Phoenix gets the same precision a designer expects in Rehoboth,” said Kross. “Keeping both divisions in one plant lets us share people, tools, and data without slowing either side down.”
Four Northwood CNC saws feed three finishing centers, all driven by digital templating and bar-code tracking, in the CQS production area. A dual-table waterjet arrives later this summer to relieve cutting bottlenecks. Machinery from Park Industries is used on the Coastal Countertops side of production.
“Automation is our edge,” said Kross. “Machines don’t get tired or guess at measurements, and that keeps our margins healthy.”
A patented twist on stock countertops
CQS vanities ship with faucet holes drilled 90 percent of the way through; installers tap out the last millimeter on site to convert from single-hole to four- or eight-inch spreads and fasten a drop-in sink with pre-installed clips. The entire install takes minutes, eliminating the need for a separate stone crew.
Showroom built to sell
The Greenwood gallery features full baths, book-matched fireplaces, an outdoor kitchen vignette, and a 20-foot boutique slab wall under studio lighting. QR codes on each display pull up specs and pricing. The space has driven three consecutive record sales months since opening this spring.
“When customers step inside, they should feel like they’re already standing in their finished kitchen,” said Kross. “If they can picture it here, they’re usually ready to sign before they leave.”
Digital-first marketing on a shoestring
A two-person in-house team feeds YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok with high-production walk-throughs and how-to clips. Total marketing spend remains under one percent of revenue.
“We started with an iPhone on a gimbal,” said Kross. “Consistent, useful content beats flashy gear every day.”
Culture measured in metrics -- and trophies
ActionFlow software tracks yield, remake rates, closing percentages, and profit by department; the data powers bonus plans and spotlights training gaps. Coastal also names an employee of the quarter, awarding a $500 card and a trophy -- part of the culture that helped the company earn Stone World’s 2023 Fabricator of the Year honor.
“You can buy the best equipment in the world, but it won’t matter if you don’t have people who care,” said Kross. “We celebrate performance because our clients feel it in every countertop.”
Looking ahead
Next steps include bringing the waterjet online, expanding CQS distribution, and eventually opening satellite slab galleries modeled on the Greenwood flagship.
“We want to build something bigger than our zip code,” said Kross. “Stone lasts forever; the challenge is creating a business that can do the same.”
With an 85,000-square-foot plant, seven CNCs, and a culture built on metrics and media, Coastal Stone Group looks ready to give permanence a run for its money.
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
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