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Quality and Flair in Phoenix’s Multifamily Sector

Words: Dan KamysIncreasing demand among Millennials and Gen Y for upscale apartments with first-rate amenities has helped the construction industry recover from the 2008 economic downturn. And, with the added demand, multifamily builders and developers in mid-sized cities such as Phoenix, Ariz., are regaining the flexibility to specify more high-quality, durable building products.

Cultured Stone by Boral manufactured stone veneers, for example, have a reputation for creating an aesthetic specifically targeting this demographic. For its upscale multifamily projects, Phoenix-based builder Mark-Taylor Residential wanted to enhance its reputation for using high-quality building products and offering attention to detail. The opportunity to do so arose for its Scottsdale-area San Travesia project.

Mark-Taylor needed between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet of manufactured stone veneer to clad the exteriors of amenity centers and residential buildings. When the company met with local distributor Apache Stone to select products, the detail of Cultured Stone veneer became immediately evident. Apache’s exterior showroom offers visitors ten (10) 12-square-foot mock-ups of different products, offering customers with an up-close picture of textures, colors and shapes.

Apache Stone Outside Sales Representative Kirk Pogorzelski supplied sample boards and mock-ups of a variety of different manufactured stone veneer blends for evaluation at the jobsite.

Among the initial samples selected were Cultured Stone Bucks County Southern Ledgestone and Echo Ridge Southern Ledgestone. “The mica in the Bucks County color of the Cultured Stone veneer give it a reflective quality that really makes them stand out,” says Pogorzelski. “In addition to the aesthetic qualities, Cultured Stone is a well-recognized name because of Boral’s production processes that reduces air pockets in the mold and minimizes distress in the final product.”

Mark-Taylor accelerated the timeframe for the decision-making process, and Boral responded to the challenge, leveraging the strength of its outstanding service team. Boral ensured product for the onsite mock‐up arrived intact and in time for the on-site mason to build a mock-up to compare side-by-side to others.

It’s a quality that continues to benefit many Boral partners, including Apache Stone. “Their attention to detail speaks volumes,” says Pogorzelski. “We know Boral’s service team will respond quickly with pricing, special orders and whatever else we need.”

Ultimately, Cultured Stone Bucks County Southern Ledgestone and Echo Ridge Southern Ledgestone were chosen for the project. The combination of Cultured Stone’s look, quality, durability and fit with Mark-Taylor’s vision for San Travesia made specifying an easy decision.

“As a destination location for a demographic that puts a lot of emphasis on aesthetics, great-looking stone was a must for this project,” says Brendan Judge, territory sales manager for west region. “We’re proud to offer an outstanding product that meets the demands of top level builders like Mark-Taylor, and to be able to work with Apache Stone who understands the true value of the product.”

San Travesia was completed in the fall of 2015. Given the success of the project and the response to the beautiful exteriors, the developer has specified Cultured Stone for two additional multifamily projects in the Phoenix area: The Princess is nearing completion; and San Posada is an open-space apartment community in nearby Mesa, which began construction in early-2015. In addition to San Travesia, both have the potential to attract Millennial and Gen Y tenants in the area for many years to come.
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