WHO WE ARE

Premier Granite & Stone is not your typical countertop company. We are a multi-award-winning team of designers, fabricators, and craftsmen based in Carnegie, Pa. We work as a close-knit group, and although we’ve completed countless major projects in some of the region’s most spectacular locations, we’ve always maintained a boutique atmosphere at our showroom and fabrication facility. You can see it in the way we work with our clients — we even invite them into the drafting room when we template their stone — and in the way we treat every surface as a unique work of art.

We are known for and are proud of these personal touches, but what most people don’t know is our company background comes straight from the world of heavy industry. Since our inception, we have been a member of the H&K Equipment Group, a network of material handling and industrial cleaning equipment manufacturers and distributors with locations throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and New England.

A History Forged in Steel

How a material handling equipment supplier ended up starting Pittsburgh’s most sought-after granite company is a testament to the way our founders, H&K Equipment co-owners George Koch and Peter Cicero, have always taken a broad view of strategic expansion. After the manufacturing downturn of the early 1980s prompted H&K Equipment to diversify its services, the company gained a reputation for seeking out new and sometimes unexpected ways to grow.

As George puts it, “After the steel mills closed, we vowed to never be in a position where we were dependent on a single industry.”

This philosophy, which the company still follows today, was what enabled Pete and George to sense an opportunity in 2003 when Pete was approached by Mike Piskurich, a friend with a background in stone fabrication. Mike, as Pete recalls, had an idea for starting a high-end granite business and was looking for investors. Although stone fabrication had nothing to do with industrial equipment, Pete realized that it did have everything to do with customer service, an area where H&K Equipment had excelled for decades.

Seeing the potential in Pittsburgh’s growing housing market, George and Pete began putting together a business plan, but they soon realized that they needed an additional associate with wood crafting, design, and floor management skills. Relying on contacts they had made from their years in business to locate someone with the right skillset, Pete and George found who they needed in Carmine Trenga, who was soon brought onboard as the company’s fourth partner. And so, in 2003, Premier Granite & Stone was launched as a wholly-owned subsidiary of H&K Equipment. The forklift dealer was now also a granite company.

An Award-Winning Legacy

Today, Premier Granite & Stone is recognized for superior crafting of countertops and surfaces in granite, marble, quartz, and glass for residential and commercial applications. Although our fabrication facility features some of the most advanced stone cutting equipment in the industry, we still pride ourselves on our artisanal, hand-finished workmanship. Our client list includes many of the area’s most prominent businesses, iconic landmarks, and famous residents, but we treat every job, large and small, as if our reputation depends on it.

A Pittsburgh Tradition

In 2022, Premier Granite & Stone brought its local spirit to WQED Pittsburgh, the nation’s first community-supported television station and home to Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, by donating, fabricating, and installing the stone surfaces for the studio kitchen of QED Cooks.

The personalized, white glove treatment we give each customer will always be central to our identity, which was forged in the spirit of Pittsburgh’s manufacturing legacy. Thanks to our expert staff, Premier Granite & Stone has won numerous service awards and has repeatedly appeared in many annual “best of” lists for the Pittsburgh area.

Pete, a lifelong Pittsburgh native, now spends part of the year in the Lakewood Ranch community of Sarasota, Florida, but remains closely involved with Premier Granite & Stone and says he is excited about the company’s future.

“What makes a company like Premier Granite special,” Pete says, “are a lot of the same qualities I love about Pittsburgh. You can find a level of commitment and passion here that you don’t find anywhere else.”

To work with our design team, please call 412.429.9324 or send us a request for consultation.