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Inside Universal Stone in Ballantyne and Beyond

Hemant Patel started Universal Stone in February 2003 with two employees. Twenty-three years later, the company runs a 35,000-square-foot slab warehouse plus a Ballantyne design center, holds 4,000-5,000 imported slabs in inventory, and supplies countertops to most of the south Charlotte market.

Ashley Grimm· Contributing Editor, Strolling Firethorne
||2 min read
A kitchen featuring a white-and-gold marble waterfall island countertop with matching backsplash from Universal Stone
A kitchen featuring a white-and-gold marble waterfall island countertop with matching backsplash from Universal Stone

Hemant Patel started Universal Stone in February 2003 with two employees and a 4,000-square-foot shop. Twenty-three years later, the company occupies a 35,000-square-foot slab warehouse on Rozzelles Ferry Road and a full-service stone and tile design center at 16615 Riverstone Way in Ballantyne. Most of the kitchen and bathroom countertops in the south Charlotte market have either come from his shop or competed with one that did.

Universal Stone serves both residential and commercial clients — homeowners doing one-room renovations, custom builders running multi-home projects, and designers sourcing the right stone for a specific job. The materials list is wide: granite, marble, quartz, quartzite, and large-format porcelain slabs. The selection is the kind of thing you can't really gauge online. Universal Stone keeps 4,000 to 5,000 slabs in inventory at any given time — the company imports a large portion directly, and that direct-import model is what lets them move fast on scheduling and material availability.

"We're noticing mitered edges, waterfall islands, wall cladding, and full-slab backsplashes," Hemant says of the trends his showroom is currently moving. "Homeowners and designers are also using large-format porcelain slabs for floors and walls, creating seamless, modern spaces with a clean and timeless aesthetic."

The process Universal Stone runs is structured but personal. An initial consultation locks in style, timeline, and budget. Material selection happens once cabinets and fixtures are finalized in the kitchen or bath. A digital template appointment captures exact dimensions. The client reviews and approves detailed cut layouts before fabrication begins. The stone is fabricated in-house. Installation is done by experienced professionals — and the company stays involved on maintenance afterward.

A recent project worth knowing about: a custom builder in the SouthPark area used Universal Stone for porcelain countertops, mitered edges, wall cladding, and large-format porcelain slabs for the flooring. "It required tight coordination, precision fabrication and careful installation, showcasing Universal Stone's technical expertise and collaborative approach," Hemant says.

What sets the company apart, more than the materials or the showroom, is the supply chain. Most of their competitors source through middlemen. Universal Stone imports directly, holds inventory, and matches that with hands-on ownership and clear communication. Builders and designers who've worked with them tend to come back for the next house.

Hemant's recommended order of operations for anyone planning a stone project: start early, finalize cabinets and appliances first, then visit Universal Stone to find the centerpiece. The right stone is what makes the room.

Universal Stone. Design Center: 16615 Riverstone Way, Charlotte, NC 28277 (980-417-9119). Slab Warehouse: 4806 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216 (704-394-1221). universalstonenc.com.

Universal Stone is featured as a Partner Spotlight in the May 2026 issue of Stroll Firethorne.

Ashley Grimm

Contributing Editor, Strolling Firethorne

Ashley Grimm is the editor of Stroll Firethorne magazine and a contributing editor for Strolling Firethorne. She and Nathan Grimm produce the monthly print edition that lands in Firethorne mailboxes, and her publisher's notes and community features bring the warmth and familiarity of the print magazine to the web. She knows the residents, the businesses, and the rhythms of life in this community.

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