Parker County Today April 2018 | Page 66

our professionals: HOME ENHANCEMENT HEROES Dale Nichols Marble — Family Owned Since 1975 D ale Nichols Marble has been in business in Parker County since 1975 and started with Dale and his son Mike working out of a garage in Aledo. Dale asked Jim and Debbie Marcum to come work for him in 1982. The company grew and relo- cated to a building in Aledo that they expanded six times as their business and Parker County expanded, finally landing west of the Sheriff’s Posse just off 180 at 2927 Greenlee Park Trail. It continues to be a family business headed by Dale’s son Mike, Debbie and her daughter Taryn Hard. The company designs, cuts and installs granite and quartz counter- tops for kitchens and baths, cultured sinks, vanity tops and bathtubs and showers for bathrooms. “Everything we do is custom and we do every- thing at our location and install with our own installers,” said Debbie. “We like making our customers happy,” she said. Mike takes the opportunity to educate their customers not just on the 15-17 product lines that they sell, but on the entire process. “To be honest with you there is so much going on out there. When customers come to us, they are usually frustrated to some degree. They get a straight answer from us and all of the techni- cal support they can get. We walk them all the way through it,” he said. “I have a wall of letters of how what we did benefitted them. I make sure they are happy and understand each phase of the job,” he continued. The process begins when a customer walks through the door. “Normally they already have their blueprints or plan, we measure the cabinets and go from there. We do have a good amount of slabs in the yard, they can handpick the slabs that they want,” said Debbie. There are so many slabs to choose from Debbie can’t choose a favorite. When the company started out they supplied mostly cultured prod- uct that was used in bathrooms. In fact, he still has the mold for the 1980s shell shaped sink, but doesn’t see much call for it these days. “It’s exploded with options in both bath- room and kitchen install. We have adapted and expanded our show- room. Granite is the biggest seller but quartz is really coming on,” said Mike. “I think quartz is probably going to surpass granite. All the home improvement magazines that we read promote quartz over granite because of the antibacterial quality of it. If you want something extraordinary the quartz manufacturers are starting to get some good looking colors,” said Mike. The company continues to be family owned and operated having added Debbie’s daughter Taryn to help customers make their dream kitchens and baths a reality. Taryn graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in interior design and spent several years following her dad, Jim, to worksites learning the nuts and bolts of the business. “Taryn has been a tremendous life saver. She trained for a couple of years with her dad. When her Jim away unexpectedly in 2015, she as able to step in,” said Debbie. “We’re in a great location. Not only new homes, but a large part of our business is remodels. It just grows and grows more each year,” said Debbie. The people at Dale Nichols marble are ready to help you with either a new home or a home remod- el. “Bring your sketch in and I can walk you through,” said Mike. Comfort Experts — ­ ­ ioneers In Providing Comfort P to Customers for 56 years 64 WEATHERFORD — Pioneers in the HVAC industry, Comfort Experts was founded 56 years ago by a couple of visionary, hardworking young marrieds, Phillip and Linda Hobson. “I would do the bookwork while my baby son was in a play pen next to my desk,” Linda Hobson recalls. That was 1962. Today, that son, Brett heads up the company with the help of all of his siblings, his sister Cindy Thomas and broth- ers Brian and Greg Hobson. Staff-members say their company “feels like a family.” Hobson family. Photo by David S. Irvin