A Visit to the Swenson Granite Works Shrewsbury Store is an Experience for the Whole Family
Friendly. Family and community oriented. Up and coming.
Those are just a few of the things that come to mind for John Proulx when he thinks of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where he manages one of Swenson Granite Works’ newest retail stores. “I didn’t realize how up-and-coming the area was until we opened the store here a little over two years ago,” he said. “We get lots of young families coming in on Saturdays to shop for new steps or a mailbox post.”
Assistant manager Tyler Lehigh agreed: “The community is really family oriented so it’s not just the husband or father coming in to get the project done. The whole family comes in to see what we have and ask questions.”
Assistant store manager Tyler Lehigh pulling an order for a customer.
Lehigh, 23, who helped open the store in May of 2018, said the close knit community reminds him of where he grew up in Maine, which is where he was living before joining the Shrewsbury team. He’d spent some time working on a tile crew for a flooring company, honing his craft, and mostly working with ceramic and porcelain products. But he was no stranger to Swenson Granite Works, who have been handcrafting stone products since 1883, as his father has worked for the company for 20 years.
Proulx has also been with Swenson Granite Works over two decades, working at the Medway, Massachusetts store, which he managed before making the move to Shrewsbury. “I still get lots of customers who recognize me from the Medway store,” he said. “They’re always happy to see a familiar face.”
Store manager John Proulx assists a customer looking to purchase granite products.
Although the store offers a variety of granite colors, Proulx — who lives in Westford with his family — said that customers tend to veer towards the more classic, Woodbury Gray granite for their steps and posts. “That is the best seller,” he said, adding that popular mailbox and lamp posts are time-honored, traditional styles.
The store offers a full display of products, said Lehigh, including granite steps, different post styles, Indiana Limestone, natural thin veneer, granite pavers for patios, wallstone material, and more. “It’s nice to have an in-use visual,” he said, “because it’s kind of hard to grasp that when material is stacked up on a pallet somewhere in our yard. People can walk around the display area, seeing products in natural exterior light, feeling the different finishes and experiencing our products.”
A DIY Woodbury Gray granite fire pit in the display area, with a Classic Tree Bench.
“A lot of people come in thinking that natural stone is going to break the bank,” said Proulx. “But once we explain how it lasts longer than man-made products and is much easier to maintain, they go from being on the fence to getting on board.”
The store offers delivery but for products like steps and posts, customers need to do the prep work before installation. “We make sure to communicate with the customer about what needs to be done and the best way to do so,” said Lehigh. With proper preparation, Swenson will set your steps as well as install your mailbox post upon delivery.
The team at Swenson Granite Works sees the community and the families they serve as part of their family. Offering guidance, education and resources is a big part of their job, and they welcome the opportunity to lend a hand and help families bring their ideas to life. “Some people come in and don’t know anything about the process and we educate them about what can be done and what we offer,” explained Proulx.
Due to COVID-19, our way of interacting with you at our nine retail locations may have altered, but Swenson Granite Works is ready to give you the same great customer service that you have come to expect from us. In order to ensure the health and welfare of our staff and customers, we’ve adopted some temporary measures. Read the current restrictions for our stores here.
Whenever you are ready to start thinking about your next project, the team at the Swenson Granite Works Shrewsbury store is here to help. Download the Price Guide to get the details on posts, steps, coping, walkways, curbing, patios, benches, fire pits and more.
