For All Your Kitchen and
Bathroom Refinishing Needs!
Sonshine Countertop Repair
interview & article by david scheller
“I started Sonshine 33 years ago because I appreciated how badly property managers need fast countertop refinishing,” said Gary. “I know property managers want renovations done yesterday if they’re going to avoid vacancy costs, so fast turnaround has always been important to me. I also know how overworked and underappreciated they are, so I do my best to bring a smile to their faces".
If you ask Gary Nester to summarize his approach to business, he might recite Proverbs 20:7 for you: The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
Gary couldn’t lay down his values any more plainly. Not only does his Sonshine Countertop Repair offer the state of Virginia’s most honest multi-family kitchen and bathroom refinishing service – he has also built up a business that his family will be proud to take over once he has repaired his last countertop.
Soon after starting Sonshine, our clients began asking if we could also refinish their bathtubs and ceramic tiles. That was an opportunity to make their lives even easier, so my team and I learned those two new trades. Now Sonshine combines all three services in one, making it that much easier to flip a unit quickly.
“We’re the biggest team in Virginia solely dedicated to countertops, bathtubs and ceramic tiles. In addition to our full-time technicians we also have several qualified part-time guys to help out when we get really busy. We’re always ready, and we stay focused on multifamily properties. I’m sure there’s good money to be made at private residences, but doing that could make us unavailable to property managers who need us more.
“We certainly emphasize fast work, but we’ll never compromise the integrity of our service by taking shortcuts. We follow a motto here at Sonshine:
“The bitterness of poor quality lasts longer than the sweetness of low price."
That means we only use the best techniques at our disposal. We spend more time on prep work than most of our competitors, making sure to sand down surfaces so their new finishes will last as long as possible. Our motto also means we test out every new material as it becomes available and use the ones that we’ve proven work best.
“One product for countertops that consistently impresses our clients is Stone-Fleck. It creates a long-lasting finish that looks just like granite – but with nowhere near the same material cost or installation time. We can custom tint durable Stone-Fleck to match any style, so it’s far more versatile than other finishes which only come in white or almond!
“Once in a while a client asks us to refinish a tub that in our expert opinion just isn’t salvageable. In that case we’ll recommend someone to them who can replace it – but we won’t take their money. We’re in it for the long haul. When doing the job right means not doing it at all, that’s the call we’re going to make.
“My son has worked with me ever since he graduated high school 28 years ago. My daughter Tammy has been our office administrator for 17 years. My son-in-law and daughter-in-law both work with us. My two grandsons have recently joined us as well, putting three generations of Nesters here at Sonshine. I’m looking forward to handing down an honest, successful business to all of them one day.
"And the fact that almost every one of our new clients are referred to us by other satisfied customers? Well, I think that puts Sonshine right on track to stay a family business for a long, long time."
Sonshine Countertop Repair serves all of Central Virginia as well as the Northern and Tidewater regions. If you need fast, honest and high quality work on your apartment community’s countertops, bathtubs and ceramic tiles, then you need only visit sonshinecountertop.com.
