In the world of high-end properties, stone rules. When it comes to timeless beauty, marble, quartz, granite and quartzite are the stones of choice in both residential and commercial properties and for surfaces both inside and outside. Lowcountry industry leader Universal Marble & Granite provides the full range of stone possibilities, including new options like porcelain, the latest innovations in top-quality stone workmanship, and the expertise to guide clients through the wide variety of choices. Winner of the Charleston Choice Award for the last nine consecutive years, the Universal team transforms the heart of the home into a place of beauty and functionality.

“I was always fascinated with marble and granite,” says Greg Hoffman, Universal’s president and owner. A native of Essex, Connecticut, he’s applied his degree in business administration to numerous entrepreneurial endeavors over the years. In 2000, he purchased and undertook a major restoration of the historic E.E. Dickinson mansion, known for its imposing row of classic Greek columns supporting the facade. Built in 1850, the property had been expanded over the years with the help of Dickinson’s fortune, made from his company’s witch hazel brand.

“It looks like the White House; it’s unbelievable,” muses Hoffman. “It took about 17 years to renovate that large old home. We’d done a lot of stonework there, matching what had been there originally. I just love the beauty of natural stone.”

The 23-room, 10,000-square-foot mansion boasts 10 fireplaces—all faced in stone and marble with handcrafted moldings and mantels.

For Hoffman, who’s done everything from building kitchen cabinets to tiling, installing skylights and remodeling, the Dickinson project was a labor of love. He brings that care and expertise to Universal, which he purchased in 2017, shortly after relocating to Charleston.

The company has a hands-on approach that has earned it 172 five-star Google ratings and a region-wide reputation for high-quality workmanship performed in-house to ensure control over every phase of the process.

Universal vice president Kay Hoffman assists with sales and administration, working closely with customers and guiding them to ensure the process is seamless and that they achieve their unique vision. She says that the client’s initial meeting involves quite a bit of educating to help acquaint them with the different types of stone, their qualities and functionality.

Another facet that sets Universal apart is the large quantity of stone bundles in the company’s inventory—high-grade marble, granite, quartzite—acquired from top vendors and available by the square foot. Quartz, an engineered stone, is also in high demand. Universal’s team of highly trained experts manages both the fabrication of the surfaces and installation.

“We have a lot of experience doing complicated work,” explains Greg Hoffman. “We do a lot of mitering, a process by which you take 1 1/4-inch-thick stone and miter the edges so it looks as if it’s 3 inches thick. When done well, it adds a luxurious detail to the countertops and especially to islands.” The company offers multiple edges to choose from, including a soft eased edge—by far the most popular.

Universal is a small, competitive custom shop, working mainly through referrals. The company manages a variety of projects, small and large—from vanities, fireplaces and kitchens to architecturally designed custom homes.

“We’re cutting a large mitered kitchen island for a 311-square-foot job we’re installing on Friday out on a 36-acre property in Moncks Corner,” notes Hoffman. “We also did all the surfaces for a $14 million oceanfront home on Isle of Palms owned by a builder out of the Hamptons in New York.”

Builder Dan Messina of Messina Homes relocated to Charleston with his wife, Carla, in 2022 after “falling in love” with the city’s coastal landscape and old-world charm. They connected with Hoffman through a referral from one of their contractors, Bob Smith of Artistic Cabinetry and Millworks. “Bob has done quite a bit of cabinetry in luxury homes on Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms,” says Carla Messina. “He raved about Greg.”

“We demoed the house and rebuilt,” explains Dan Messina, who also deals in high-end real estate sales in the Hamptons. “The new construction is 6,200 square feet. We have stone throughout the house—all the bathrooms, the kitchen, a scullery. Outside, we have a stone fireplace that has a floating hearth; our barbecue has a marble surround. Greg does beautiful work.”

“The marble we selected for the barbecue picks up the colors of the ocean—different hues of blues and greens,” adds Carla Messina, who participates in the couple’s spec home projects, choosing various finishes.

Coastal conditions and outdoor cooking are taken into consideration to preserve the beauty of the stone and avoid staining, and Universal is in a unique position to offer one of the industry’s top products for protection. “We’re a StoneTech representative in the Charleston area,” notes Hoffman. “It’s the best sealer on the market, and we’re able to put it on these hard marbles and dolomites and give clients outstanding protection for many years.”

Universal is also among the few companies in the Charleston area involved in large-format porcelain. “Instead of working with a 1-by-2-foot porcelain tile, we can order a 10-foot sheet,” explains Hoffman. “So, if you’re planning to surface a fireplace and vein-match it, or a shower, with no grout lines, we can do that with these large slabs. People love it.”

Universal Marble & Granite combines topflight expertise and craftsmanship with one-on-one customer care to provide clients with the knowledge they need to make important decisions about their homes, and the top-quality stone that they will love. *

Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).