Company History

San Diego Stone Care – Company History

Bio of the Owner and Founder: Tim Connelly

Hello my name is Tim Connelly, and as the subtitle states, I am owner and founder of San Diego Stone Care. There are many areas to consider when looking to choose a service professional; Knowledge, Qualifications, Craftsmanship, Professionalism, Quality, Communication, Referrals, Testimonials & Warranties. But as one of my good friends always says: “It all looks real good on paper but…”  This is why I believe the most important quality, along with all the basics I have mentioned above, is “how much do I really know about this person (company) and can I trust that they will do what they state is in their written proposal?”

Now, the truth be told, we are all a bit more cautious with an “acquaintance”… someone we have met  for the first time & who we have very little knowledge of… verses a “trusted friend”, someone we have taken the time to get to know and who has earned our trust. So, the purpose of this section is to try and give you some knowledge of me along with my background and experience. In itself will this information convince you to consider me a trusted friend, unlikely. But, in addition to all the information available on my website; galleries, testimonials, credentials, referrals…it is my objective here to hopefully provide additional reasons to consider San Diego Stone Care as the company to preserve your valuable investment.

Restaurant Experience:

Now I am sure you are asking yourself… “what does the restaurant business have to do with cleaning, sealing  & polishing marble, travertine and granite?” Well quite honestly a lot! First the experience: I have worked in every type of position you can imagine at a restaurant – dishwasher, busboy, janitor, window washer, waiter, bartender, butcher, prep cook, cook, assistant manager and general manager. In addition, I have always said that working at a restaurant is just like having good friends over to your home for dinner…except there are a lot more people to feed along with far more dishes to wash. You want everyone to have a great experience and you will do whatever it takes to assure they do. How? By treating each person as if they were kings and queens and providing the best food & service available. Well a large part of being an excellent stone care service company is providing the very best service you can while treating each customer as royalty! Clearly communicate with your customer from the first phone call  to walking out the door when the project is completed. Be on time, look and act professional, yes we have been hired to offer our services but we should never forget we are a “guest” in “their home!” Whatever you say you are going to do…do it &  do it the right way with no excuses,  and to make sure everyone is on the same page put everything in writing so they are not in confusion. Answer any and all questions before, during, and upon completion of services. Finally, provide an iron glad warranty for your services  to give each customer the confidence that they have made the right decision!

C-54 California Licensed State Contractor – Installation of  Tile & Stone:

I started learning the stone and tile installation trade in 1986 while working for Mike Mitchell of “Spectrum Tile” who, in my opinion, today, is still one of the premier gifted installers in San Diego. I started my own installation business, “Design Tile”…with my primary installations being performed on exclusive high end custom residential homes in San Diego. This is also when I invested extensive time & testing to become as educated as I possibly could to understand “Sealers” and their proper applications. The greatest benefit of the installation experience is that I have a complete understanding of how your stone, tile & grout has been installed. This not only gives you the added benefit of having a “free inspection” of the condition your installation is in, it also, assures you that minor repairs and touch ups will be preformed properly. 

Home Depot & Custom Building Products:

An opportunity was presented to me in 1991 to open a new Home Depot store in Escondido, Ca. as the tile department’s “Contractor Sales Associate” which, unknown to me at the time, served as a stepping stone of experience for the next experience presented to me – Custom Building Products. While at Home Depot I had my first taste of sharing knowledge of tile and stone installation with both DIY homeowner (taught the tile class on Saturday) , as well as, assisting other tile and stone installation companies. And as anyone who has ever worked in the retail business will tell you…this is definitely a place where one has to hone their customer service skills.

A year later a new door had opened up for me with the opportunity to join the ranks of Custom Building Products. This company is a manufacture of all products necessary for the installation of stone, tile and grout, except for the stone & tile itself. I spent the next several years getting an incredible education in a variety of areas related to the stone & tile industry: Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Technical, R&D, Teaching Seminars, Giving Presentations. This education along with the experience I brought as an installation contractor allowed me opportunities to work with an elite group of people to shape and present new products and technology to the stone & tile industry. The experience and knowledge gained during these years with Custom Building Products cannot be undervalued in how this has added to the quality of services and the knowledge that San Diego Stone Care can provide.

Additionally, while at CBP, I was one of  the lead individuals to network with several of the industries top associations: TCNA, NTCA, San Diego TCA, CTIO, Better Business Bureau (BBB), and of course the Marble Institute of America (MIA), of which, I am still a member and contributor to this leading association for the Stone Industry.  I am also a Certified Technical Consultant (CTC)  with many years of inspecting projects, offering solutions to incorrect installations and arbitrating unresolved projects.  

Conclusion:

I thoroughly enjoy being in the Stone, Tile and Grout Restoration and Maintenance Business. I feel we perform the most thorough and complete services for your Stone, Tile and Grout anywhere in the San Diego area. We do not market ourselves as the; “low price company” nor do we consider ourselves the most expensive. We price our services based solely on the value we are offering each individual client, no matter where they live. (We do not have geographic pricing). We work on each home as if it were our own, which means, you usually get more than what you pay for and… we back our services with a 100% no hassle guarantee!

We are not just a service company; we pride ourselves in being “The” Stone, Tile and Grout Service Company in San Diego. We are also not the biggest stone care company… by design. Also by design, I have developed my website with a large amount of detail. I know you will not have the time to view everything. However, I believe in a very short period of time it will become obvious to you we take great pride in our company as the best Stone, Tile, and Grout Restoration and Maintenance Company in San Diego.

Thank you and I hope the above information has caused a leaning from “acquaintance” to a “trusted” company to maintain your… Stone, Tile and Grout Investment.

Tim Connelly