Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Mountain Tile and Stone—A Dozen Years of Fine Tile and Family Ties

Story by Sam Calhoun

In 1991, Gail Spicola’s husband passed away while she and her two boys, Joey and Jason, were living in Palm Beach, Fla. She was faced with decisions about the future. Where would she raise her two children? Should they stay in Florida? Should they go back to her home place in New Jersey?

She made the decision to move to the High Country—a place she describes as “truly God’s country,” and the place her brother Bob Keller called home.

In 1995, Keller began Mountain Tile and Stone, operating out of Heritage Court on Highway 105. He had a small showroom but a wealth of expertise. The business eventually expanded to Banner Elk.

Fast-forward eight years. In 2002, Joey and Jason had grown into adults and began looking for a career path. After talking to Keller, Jason decided to buy Mountain Tile and Stone from his uncle and hire his brother Joey and mother Gail as the sole employees.

The family who came to the mountains to live a life together were now working together as well.

Having no background in tile work, Jason and Joey soaked up all they could from their uncle, the expert on the subject who knew just as much about installation—a service that Mountain Tile and Stone does not offer—as he did about the products. As Keller, Joey and Jason saw it, they had to know how to install tile and granite if they wanted to understand the full spectrum of selling the product. Jason and Joey spent three weeks installing tile and close to a year learning the business.

By the end of 2003, Jason owned the business, Joey was the warehouse manager and Gail was the store manager.

Now in a larger showroom at 1852 Highway 105 South in Boone in 2003—the Banner Elk location closed in 2003—Mountain Tile and Stone is the largest tile showroom in Boone. The store and showroom contain a wide array of ceramic tile, porcelain, marble and granite for new homes and remodeling needs. Tile, porcelain, marble and granite in the showroom come from Italy, Spain, Mexico, Turkey and across the nation.

The store gives free estimates, will order special products from practically anywhere in the world and provides a list of recommended subcontractors for installing the products.

Gail specializes in helping customers design projects, Joey manages orders and helps with stocking and Jason does just about everything around the store.

The three employees of Mountain Tile and Stone go to trade shows to stay up on the latest trends and also receive many visits from product representatives.

According to Gail, the store’s clientele is evenly spilt between contractors and individual homeowners. Notable projects include the new Boone Sleep Inn, Country Inn and Suites and the soon-to-open La Quinta Inn.

“We do everything from backsplashes to huge projects,” said Gail.

Breaking down the store’s secrets to success, Gail thinks it comes down to knowledge and service. The three weeks that Joey and Jason spent learning how to install the products, educating themselves with the Tile Handbook and continually keeping up with the latest trends in the business are all notches of knowledge that Gail thinks help keep the customers satisfied that they are receiving the best possible service. Instead of having to deal with multiple people that often are not specialized in the products that customers are searching for—as at some big box stores—all the Spicolas are knowledgeable about everything that has to do with their products and can offer one-on-one service. The family can even create design schemes for clients.

After four years, Gail and Joey agree that the family works well together and “we’re never at each other’s throats,” said Gail.

The Spicolas plan to stay in the High Country for the foreseeable future.

“We just love it here,” said Gail.

Mountain Tile and Stone is located at 1852 Highway 105 South in Boone. The store and showroom are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday by appointment. For more information, call 828-265-0472 or click to www.mountaintileandstone.com.