The Desire to Help
Rock-Solid Customer Service from Imagine Stoneworks
By Cassidy Mantor
Imagine Stoneworks’ founder Rob Angelo is a helper with an explorative nature. His thoughtfulness spills over into all aspects of the customer experience at Imagine Stoneworks. When they say they’re a customer-oriented company, they mean it. Imagine Stoneworks provides the custom home market in Central Oregon with the highest level of stone fabrication. From design to fabrication to installation of countertops, floors, fireplace hearths, barbeques, and outdoor living spaces, they have secured their position as the authority on stone. They offer a unique understanding of a diverse range of stone, from granite, quartz, porcelain, and marble, to more exotic stone such as onyx, travertine, and limestone. Imagine Stoneworks is collaborative and relishes working with homeowners and trade professionals.
The New Showroom
Imagine Stoneworks’ showroom is in one of the first recent builds in the Bend Central District. Rob explains that the city was redeveloping the area: “We thought it was important to build there and help spur the project for our city.” They built it from the ground up, a process Rob confesses was stressful. It was supposed to be done three months ago, but COVID happened, lumber prices skyrocketed, and inflation hit. “We’ve persevered and we’re at the finish line now,” he says. “We are finally open!”
Imagine Stoneworks’ showroom, production office, and manufacturing facilities occupy 6,000 square feet on the building’s ground floor. Customers are welcome to visit the showroom and shop during regular business hours. “We always encourage homeowners and builders to come in and sit down and talk about their projects,” Rob says. “They can pick out materials on site and we can help answer questions that come up in the process.” Rob’s wife’s business—DVA, a public relations and advertising firm—is upstairs.
“We always encourage homeowners and builders to come in and sit down and talk about their projects.”
–Rob Angelo, Founder,
Imagine Stoneworks
“We just celebrated our 20th anniversary in July,” Rob says. While the majority of their work is still residential, Rob enjoys seeing Imagine Stoneworks’ commercial projects and craftsmanship when he’s out in Bend. His team did the countertops and workstations at Domaine Serene Wine Bar, Sen, Thump Coffee, and Nome Italiano.
“You never know when you start a business from scratch,” Rob reflects. “Our longevity is a testament to our invaluable employees and the community. Bend is an amazing place. There is no end to people wanting to move to town and build or remodel, start a new restaurant, or develop an apartment complex.” The materials that Imagine Stoneworks provides for those projects are necessary—they all need countertops—and Rob is grateful that he can provide that service.
Water Use in the High Desert
Imagine Stoneworks installed a water recycling system in their fabrication facility that has reduced wastewater use to virtually zero, a key environmental consideration. “I’m a geologist, and was one for 10 years out of college,” Rob says. “I knew something had to change from our old building, where every gallon of water went down the drain. When I started this business, I didn’t know how to fabricate. I was handy—or maybe crazy—enough at the time to purchase a state-of-the-art piece of machinery that did a lot of the work for me. I relied on the machines to initially do the gruntwork.”
“You never know when you start a business from scratch. Our longevity is a testament to our invaluable employees and the community. Bend is an amazing place.”
–Rob Angelo, Founder, Imagine Stoneworks
Rob’s education as an earth scientist provided a deeper awareness and desire to improve his company’s water use. “Fabrication relies on wet equipment and uses a lot of water,” Rob shares. The system they installed involves a giant pit built into the floor with sloping trench drains that divert water to the pit. Any water that comes out of the machines or hand-polishers hits the floor, runs into the trench drains, and goes into the pit. The system pushes sludgy graywater through a press that filters 99.8% of particles and pumps it back up to the freshwater tank for reuse. Other than naturally occurring evaporation loss, Imagine Stoneworks’ water is 100% recycled. “I’m still amazed at it,” Rob says. “The scientist in me responded to the system, and the Bendite in me appreciates the environmental impact. It feels good to utilize this sustainable solution in our shop.”
Customers can expect a full-service design process as part of the Imagine Stoneworks showroom experience. “A lot of times people have an idea of what they want to do and we’re there to help them through that,” Rob says. “Maybe they have a material in mind—a quartz or porcelain that they know they want to use. They might even have a sample. We help guide them on how each of their elements will work.” That might mean finding an alternate option to stay within budget or addressing other considerations that help realize the ultimate vision. The sample racks support that sentiment; the wide assortment of samples from a range of manufacturers makes for a cohesive experience. “The front office is excellent at problem-solving with clients,” Rob praises.
“A lot of times people have an idea of what they want to do and we’re there to help them through that. Maybe they have a material in mind—a quartz or porcelain that they know they want to use. They might even have a sample. We help guide them on how each of their elements will work.”
–Rob Angelo, Founder, Imagine Stoneworks
Imagine Stoneworks’ mission statement is to create a one-of-a-kind natural or quartz stone product for each and every customer. Their on-site design services, as well as their inventory, fabrication, and installation, make for a seamless process from idea to the moment the countertop is placed in the home. In addition to their solid technical and artistic skills, their devotion to customer service means that clients can expect beautiful stonework that fits their vision and will be enjoyed for many years to come.
