Longtime contractor’s career switch means he can now help other contractors

Derby native Joe Warren grew up in the construction industry, but he was pretty sure he didn’t want to do it for a career. That is, until he joined the Army while in college and then was deployed to Iraq in 2007.

“It was sitting in the dessert realizing, you know, contracting is not that bad of a gig,” he said.

Warren watched the collapse of the contracting industry during that turbulent economic time.

“It’s almost like being on a foreign planet,” he said of watching from afar.

Warren said he saw how he might be able to do it differently, and he returned to Kansas to start Warren Homes with his father, Curt.

As some contractors they used began retiring — notably a longtime flooring contractor — Warren said he looked into starting his own flooring business.

His friend Matt Pommier at Quality Granite and Marble said that company happened to be for sale.

The two purchased it and are changing the name to Quality Granite & Interiors.

“We are still a premier counter top fabricator and installer, but we’re now offering a little bit more comprehensive services,” Warren said.

That includes flooring, cabinets, backsplashes and some fixtures.

“Kind of the whole solution,” Warren said. “Essentially, we offer all the solid surfaces that are required to finish a home after sheetrock.”

He said they’re looking into hardware for cabinets and doors, too.

The business, which is at 1123 S. West St., will have a new showroom by June 1.

“We are in the middle of a pretty significant remodel,” Warren said.

He said he wants to focus on a commitment to the builder community, which he said is something that the founders of the business had years ago but an investment company that has owned Quality Granite in recent years didn’t have.

“Their model was different.”

Warren may still help coordinate larger projects for Warren Homes, but he said Quality Granite will be his main focus now.

“My number one goal coming into this was to take all of my expertise as a builder and to translate that . . . into service and consistency for the builder community.”