Chatting with Paul Miller
We talk to Paul Miller from Stone Zone & Landscaping Supplies to learn about the company’s origins, its customer-first approach, and the exciting future of landscaping supplies.
Can you tell us a bit about the origins of Stone Zone & Landscaping Supplies? What inspired the founding of the company?
As an adult seeking some shingle for my own driveway, I quickly discovered a huge gap in the market for Aggregate deliveries. I started the business in 1998 with just a tipper delivering small loads to local trades and DIY customers.
Coming from a service background myself, I quickly realised that nobody in the industry on a local level made any concerted effort to establish business relationships or to offer continuous customer service.
This inspired me to set a high standard of customer service; prioritising customer satisfaction as the main ethos of the company’s values.
How has the company evolved since its inception?
The company has evolved hugely since its beginning; adopting the names Dorset Soils and Aggregates and Stone Zone & Landscaping Supplies to appeal to a nationwide customer base that includes both domestic and commercial customers. We operate across four Stone Zone depots across Dorset, including our original Ferndown depot, Dorchester depot, Bournemouth depot and Christchurch showroom. The company carry out hundreds of deliveries a month all across the UK. Our product base has expanded massively; supplying hundreds of Garden Paving ranges, Decorative Stones, bespoke Soil blends, Decking and much more! We now have a diverse team of 31 staff members that all pull together to meet the same, original objective; great customer service.
Are there any standout milestones or growth points that you’re particularly proud of?
Around 2005 was the year we opened our first ever physical depot in Ferndown which created huge opportunities for us to sell to the Trade and public, as well as create inspiring displays and speak to customers face to face. In 2019, we were awarded the BALI Award for Exceptional Service. This prestigious award recognises exactly what my company has always stood for; great service.
Congratulations on the new Christchurch showroom! What inspired the decision to open this new location, and why Christchurch specifically?
Thank you! It feels like a long time coming but I’m so pleased it’s finally set up exactly as I’d pictured it. As our customer base is constantly expanding, we have seen a huge intake of customers towards Hampshire, particularly in the Christchurch and surrounding areas. Christchurch is a highly affluent area with many house-proud homeowners looking to renovate their garden, and with our Christchurch showroom being in the Christchurch Trade Park, it makes it the ideal location for customers who are already looking at carrying our home improvements
How does having a physical showroom impact the customer’s buying journey? What advantages do you feel the showroom brings to people shopping for landscaping supplies?
Despite the impact of COVID-19 pushing customers towards buying online, we still see a huge demand for customers to ‘look and feel’ what they are buying; especially when it comes to a home investment. Having a showroom where all of our products are on display not only inspires customers with garden ideas, but cements in their mind what they are really looking for out of their garden. Being able to walk across the Porcelain Paving they’ve been looking at, or seeing how stunning our Decorative Aggregates really are in person is a huge advantage to those that are shopping around for landscaping supplies.
Could you walk us through the range of products and services Stone Zone currently offers? What are some of your most popular offerings?
We offer all kinds of garden Paving; including our best-selling Porcelain Paving, Natural Sandstone and Limestone Paving and Block Pavers. Our Decorative Stones consist of Driveway Shingle and coloured Chippings, Pebbles, Slate Chippings and many other varieties in an array of colours and sizes. Our bespoke blends of Soils are also hugely popular and well-reviewed; including ranges such as Wessex™ British Standard BS3882 Soil, Multi-Purpose Compost and then Woodland Mulches and Wood Chippings too. We also supply high quality Wessex™ Turf, Decking, Resin Bound Aggregates, Sleepers and more; if it goes in a garden or landscape – we sell it! We can also provide garden waste removal services too.
Who would you say is your primary customer base? Do you cater more to individual homeowners, landscaping professionals, or a mix of both?
We really cater to everyone and anyone! Homeowners come to us to buy as little as one small bag of Stones to a whole new garden with a new patio, flower beds, driveway etc. Landscaping Trade regularly buy products for their customers where they will carry out the work and develop the most beautiful landscaped gardens.
We also supply to huge clients that might be developing large gardens or landscapes for the public. We supplied the Wessex™ Dutch Tree Sand for the famous Poundbury Dorchester project run by the (now) King Charles and have supplied many aggregates to National Trust parks.
Sustainability and eco-friendly practices are top of mind today. How does Stone Zone integrate these values into its operations and product offerings?
Absolutely, as a landscaping supplier, the environment is always at the forefront of my mind. All of our Soils and Composts are completely peat-free. Many of our products, such as Woodland Mulch, Wessex™ Composts, and Wessex™ Coffee Soil are also made with recycled material such as decomposed, certified green waste and used coffee grounds from local sites. This keeps carbon emissions low and encourages green waste recycling. Our Railway Sleepers are either recycled or made from 100% FSC Certified wood; our Composite Decking is also made up of FSC Certified wood and recycled plastics. We are looking at a way to be completely Carbon Neutral very soon as we recognise the transportation of our products.
In your experience, what sets Stone Zone apart from other suppliers in the market?
It has to be our level of customer service; we aim to go above and beyond expectations from the moment you step foot into our depot to the moment you receive your delivery from our friendly delivery drivers. We receive great feedback in relation to our customer service. In-store you will be greeted by a friendly and experienced Customer Advisor who will be more than happy to assist you. Over the phone you will speak to a member of the Sales Team, who can also give you product advice, assist you with any delivery queries and places an order for you. Lastly, online we have a Live Chat with the same dedicated Sales Team waiting to answer any queries you may have. We are 100% committed to providing the best customer service experience at every step of the customer journey.
What are some trends in landscaping and garden design that you’ve seen recently?
Beige is the new grey in terms of colours people are going for. Customers are opting for rectangular paving slabs as opposed to mixed size paving slabs too. There is more of an emphasis on natural greenery which is great to see; with many people looking to plant their own fruits and vegetables, as well as bee and butterfly friendly flowers.
Looking ahead, what are some of your goals for the future? Are there any exciting plans or upcoming products that customers should look forward to?
I’d love to open up a new showroom in the Hampshire area following the popularity of Christchurch showroom. We have recently introduced Pergolas and Indoor/Outdoor Paving which we have seen some interest in. We are always adding new Porcelain Paving to the range to include new patterns and colours, as well as new Soils to meet ever-changing planting requirements.
Lastly, how do you envision the landscape industry evolving over the next few years, and what role do you see Stone Zone playing in that future?
With the rise of housing developments across the country, we are anticipating a growth in purchases for smaller gardens with Porcelain Paving remaining a best-selling garden paving option. There is also an emphasis on Urban areas going Green. There will be a demand for Soil which has a great drainage capability in urban areas for trees that are planted within pavements; Wessex™ Dutch Tree Sand would be ideal for this. As well as the growing trend of ‘Rooftop Planting;’ creating beautiful gardens on rooftops of offices and shops; This is what our Rooftop LECA Soil has been designed for. Lots of exciting evolution in the landscaping industry to look forward to!
CONTACT
Tel. 01202 874207
Email. [email protected]
