Bragg'in About Our 17-year Loyal Customer Rob Whitlow of Architectural Stone Works
We want to Bragg on our 17-year loyal customer Rob Whitlow of Architectural Stone Works in Olive Branch, MS. Whitlow opened up shop July 1, 2002, and has been working with Braxton-Bragg since day one!
“The main reason we stay with Braxton-Bragg, is our sales associate Lee Woodson" said Whitlow. "I love Lee’s honesty. We may cut up during my order phone calls, but then he gets down to business. He won’t just try to sell me something, he will sell me something that will work for me. I appreciate that fact, and the fact that Braxton-Bragg has always catered to my company’s needs, even if they are ever-changing with the industry.”
"Rob was one of the first customers I ever had here at Braxton Bragg when I started almost 16 years ago," said Woodson. "I have had the pleasure of visiting his shop, and am impressed with how he does business. Rob is a great customer for Braxton Bragg; but most of all, Rob is a great friend to me, and I really appreciate him.”
“When we first started, we were 100% natural stone shop, but now quartz is 50% of our business,” said Whitlow. “We also cut quartzite, Dekton and large formate tile. At first, the tooling we had didn’t work well with quartz. Braxton-Bragg worked with manufacturers to get the pads we needed, and made any changes necessary to keep up with popular materials. We have always stuck with the Viper brand.”
When it comes to Architectural Stone Works, Whitlow said his biggest accomplishment is that he has been able to provide for his employees as long as he has. He added, “We’ve created a great culture that is like a second family. I’ve tried to provide a good place to work, where employees feel appreciated, and we have a low turnover. The work environment has definitely improved over the years with new tooling, machines, and material handling equipment, making it faster and safer.
The work environment is also fun, with Whitlow being the practical joke ring leader. He has chased his employees with a werewolf mask and jumped out of sink boxes to scare the heck out of them. “I love a good practical joke, and to have fun with my staff, especially Kim (seen in the photo with Rob in the the werewolf mask). Right now, we are all trash talking each other about our Fantasy Football League. I also cook BBQ for them a few times per year to show them my appreciation.”
Speaking of BBQ, Whitlow is on a competitive BBQ team called Got Pig? that competes in events throughout the year. He has also donated and helped load Operation BBQ Relief trailers to help feed first responders, and those displaced by disasters.
As if the countertop fabrication business is not harrowing enough, Whitlow has gone cage diving with great whites off Guadalupe Island (off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula) and scuba diving with reef and nurse sharks in the Bahamas this past June.
We want to thank this shark diving, BBQing, practical joke playing, hard working, fun to deal with customer for helping us to celebrate 25 years in business! You rock Rob!
