1. What is the difference between Elberton granite and other well-known domestic gray granites?
The 2004 scientific analysis blind study tests, approved by the EGA
Board of Trustees and conducted by Mineralogy, Inc., and SGS United
States Testing Company, Inc., Tulsa, OK, confirm the quality of
Elberton Granite to be equal to any produced in the world. When
comparing the chemical analysis in the 2004 study to the 1969 study,
the quality of Elberton Granite was consistent. Other tests provided in
the report prove the Elberton Granite’s structural properties exceed
all American Standards Testing Material standards for dimension granite
making it one of the finest granites available for monumental purposes.
Elberton Granite has once again proven to stand the test of time and
quality, yesterday, today and tomorrow. For further information
regarding this study, visit: www.egaonline.com.
2. How do I know what my cost will be on a memorial?
We encourage you to call our offices with the memorial
specifications and we will be glad to provide you with a quote. We must
have all of the information regarding the memorial before we can assure
you receive an accurate quotation. In most cases we are able to quote
your special needs very quickly. For those unusual shapes and
intricate designs we may need more time to determine your correct cost.
Our prices do not include freight costs. Remember to add your freight
charges per memorial.
For your convenience, we have priced
several popular design presentations. For D-Mart design presentations
“Ties That Bind” and “Precious Memories” each design is priced with (2)
two different sizes, (5) five colors, applicable finishes and the
carving and lettering is priced, as shown, on each design. To purchase
these design books or software, contact: www.designmart.com.
3. Do I have to use your order forms?
We recommend that you do. We provide easy to follow order forms for
all major types of memorials. Take the time to make sure your order
form is completed, filling in all of the blanks. These forms include
space for all the information that we will need to produce your
customers’ memorial exactly to their specifications. Completed order
forms will greatly reduce delays.
4. Will I get an acknowledgement of my order and what should I do with it?
Once we have received your order, we will issue an acknowledgement
to you. You should receive it about 7-10 business days from the day we
receive it. If you do not get an acknowledgement for an order that you
have sent to us, something has gone wrong and you must contact us
quickly.
We issue acknowledgements for two (2) reasons. This
paperwork acknowledges our receipt of your order. And it will have all
of the information regarding your memorial color, size, finish, design
and lettering as well as product cost as we have interpreted it from
your original order.
Should there be an error that needs to be
changed, please call or fax our offices immediately with the correct
information so we may take appropriate action. We must be notified
immediately of any corrections or changes that need to be made. Some
orders will go into production in 7-10 days and it may be too late to
make changes.
We encourage you to designate someone in your
office the responsibility of checking all acknowledgments on your
orders to insure their accuracy. Only with your help are we sure to
complete your memorial order to your customer’s total
satisfaction.
5. How long will it take to get my memorial?
We do not carry an in-stock inventory on upright monuments.
Each memorial is cut to order. Also, the granite color and the shipment
method have a lot to do with the length of time it takes to receive
your memorial. If your memorial is a standard domestic color like Star
Blue, you can expect it in about 4-6 weeks. For imported or exotic
colored granite it will take longer. Depending on the color, it could
be as long as 12 weeks, or more.
Granite bases for bronze
memorials that are produced in a domestic color (Pink Pearl) only take
about 4-6 weeks to produce and ship. However, upright memorials with
carving and lettering, that require drawings for approval, will take
longer.
If you are receiving your shipments on a common
carrier, we can schedule your memorial as soon as we have your approved
drawing in house. Normally we run on a 4-6 week schedule. But it all
depends on you getting the drawing back to us, approved.
Should
you require crane truck deliveries, once you’ve accumulated orders of
4000 lbs or more, we can schedule your orders on one of our
crane-equipped pool trucks. Our trucks generally run about every 4-6
weeks in most all large cities east of the Mississippi River. We
combine all of our customer’s orders by geographical area to complete a
load on our trucks. Once the assigned weight on the truck has reached
maximum capacity, we then schedule the truck for delivery in your area.
6. What should I do if my customer wants to match someone else’s memorial?
If you must match an existing memorial, you will need to measure
the memorial. It is also imperative that you make note of the finish.
Also, you must provide a clear rubbing of the carving and lettering
designs so we can match it exactly. If possible take a picture of the
memorial to match.
7. How do I measure a memorial?
All memorial measurements are taken length x (by) width x (by) height and are made in feet and inches. You write or type the measurements in feet and inches. (For example: 5-0 x 0-8 x 2-2) Your objective is to get the overall measurement of each memorial. With slant and upright memorials you must always measure from the bottom joint to the top of the highest point. With upright monuments you must measure the die and the base separately.
8. May I get a drawing of what my memorial will look like?
For those orders where you want a drawing for approval prior to production of the memorial, you must indicate with a yes or no on the order form. Our drafting department will interpret how your memorial will be produced from the order form that you complete.
Once you have looked over your drawing and approved all spellings, carvings and layout designs, you are required to send it back to our offices with an approval signature. Let me stress how important these drawings are. This drawing is exactly how your memorial will be produced, so it extremely important that you check the drawing carefully. It’s much easier to make any needed changes or modifications on paper prior to the production of the memorial.
Any changes that need to be made on your drawings must be made on the drawing. If needed, attach a separate page with the changes that are required. At your request, we can either return your drawing for your final approval or we can go ahead with the drawing approved with changes.
You should receive your drawing in about 5-7 business days, sometimes sooner. We do not schedule an order for production until the drawing is approved and returned to our office.
9. Why is one stone, of the same color, lighter (darker) than another one I got on the same shipment?
All granite blocks are pulled from different areas of the quarry. Because we are at the
mercy of Mother Nature there may be shade variations, however, the grain of the granite will be the same.
10. Does Star Granite Company offer a warranty with the memorials they manufacture?
Star Granite Company stands behind all memorials that we manufacture. We will guarantee our memorial to be free from defect in granite and the craftsmanship. As an extra added benefit, because we are a member of the Elberton Granite Association you are able to purchase an additional lifetime warranty, for a nominal fee, through the association. Take a moment to view the certified memorials warranty information at: www.egaonline.com.
11. What is Star Granite’s shipping procedures?
We schedule and ship all memorials by two (2) different methods, less than a truckload (LTL) and Star Granite crane-equipped pool trucks. We will first discuss our common carrier ship method, and then our company crane-equipped pool truck method. If you are unclear about any of these procedures, we encourage you to call our offices for clarification.
Common carrier or (LTL) shipments are made on outside trucking carriers other than Star Granite. Most of these trucks are not equipped with cranes therefore you would be responsible for unloading the granite deliveries. We use many different carriers for all areas of the country. However, if you have an account set-up and are accustomed to working with a particular carrier company we will do our best to accommodate you.
As orders are entered, that have been requested to ship (LTL) common carrier ship method, they are automatically put on a four (4) schedule. In the event an order is unable to ship at that schedule, it will roll-over to the next weeks shipping schedule. There are many factors to be considered in shipping any order.
If you have requested a drawing for approval, we must have the approved drawing in our offices prior to shipping. Also, if your memorial is imported colored granite, it will probably take more than four (4) weeks to manufacture and therefore cannot be held to the normal scheduling procedures. Once your order/shipment has been moved to the common carrier location, it will then await shipment from there. When your granite order leaves Star Granite Company, and is in the possession of the carrier company, it then becomes their responsibility. Should you have any concerns or difficulties regarding your delivery or shipment you should contact the carrier directly, as they are your carrier vendor.
Star Granite Company has a trucking fleet of crane-equipped trucks. We employ our own drivers therefore we are able to give you the highest level of service. Crane-equipped pool truck shipment method deliveries are scheduled a little differently. If you choose to take delivery by pool truck, it is imperative that you understand this method.
We “pool” or combine our customers orders within geographical areas, and it may take four (4) to six (6) weeks to build a load and schedule for our pool truck. We do our best to keep all of our customers on about the same ordering schedule, so as to ensure a timely delivery.
Any orders that have been requested to ship pool truck are not scheduled until the truck has been completed with the appropriate amount of weight. Since we cut every memorial to order, we do not start production on those memorials until they are scheduled. Our schedules are set several weeks in advance on our internal pool truck shipments.
All of our trucking schedules run Wednesday to Wednesday. For LTL shipments our acknowledgements will show an estimated schedule date with a Wednesday date. That does not mean that your order will ship on that day. What that means to you is, those orders will come out of production on that day and will be put in the staging area awaiting shipment. Once in the staging area, the orders will then be placed on the assigned truck and given a date to deliver.
Larger than usual memorials may require special equipment for setting. And it is the customer’s responsibility to arrange and pay for that equipment. Please discuss with your representative in our office, whether or not you will need a crane or forklift for unloading and setting your memorial.
12. What if I receive a damaged piece of granite on a delivery?
In the event you receive a granite memorial damaged, you must take immediate action. Please
instruct your personnel to check all deliveries that are made to your company. Any damage should be noted on your delivery receipt or bill of lading. For common carrier (LTL) deliveries, you will need to contact the carrier company directly and file a claim with them. They are your trucking vendor, not Star Granite Company.
For damage incurred on a Star Granite truck, you should contact your representative at our office. Again, it is very important that you that you take immediate action and note any damage on your delivery receipt. In most instances, we will want you to put the damaged memorial back on our truck to return to our plant. We will then issue a replacement or re-work order, whichever is applicable.
13. Does Star Granite Company set memorials at the cemetery?
As a wholesale manufacturer, we simply are not in a position to set memorials in
cemeteries. You should contact a monument company in your area and arrange with
them to set your memorials. In most cases, your maintenance crew should be able to
set your memorials, on your prepared foundation.
14. What is the industry terminology for each product?
We have available a “Monumental Terminology” handbook for your use. Please contact your representative at our offices and we will be happy to send you one. |
