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Elegant Stone Products - About Us
| Have you ever heard the saying, “Practice makes perfect”? Or the one that says, “People are the most important asset to a business”? At Elegant Stone Products, we believe that it’s not just practice that makes the difference but perfect practice that drives great results. Additionally, it’s not just people that make the difference at Elegant Stone Products. We take special care to hire only the right people. As a result, Elegant Stone Products has developed a reputation in the tri-state area of delivering superior quality products on-time, competitively priced and wrapped up in a customer service experience you won’t find anywhere else. |
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Since 1999, when Elegant Stone Products began, we have been beautifying homes with natural stone counter tops, fireplace surrounds, outdoor kitchens, table tops and more. In the process, our customers have become our friends. Here are the thoughts of some of our friends.
“Thank you so much for creating our beautiful kitchen counter top! All of you do exceptional work…and we greatly appreciate that! Thank you again for ‘going the extra mile’!”
Kevin & Bonnie Mahoney
“Professionally handled from beginning to end. Complete, on time, and it looks PERFECT.”
Jim & Renie Schauf
“What can we say! Thank you!! We love what you have done for us, from the beginning visit through the installation. You wanted us to be satisfied and we are!! It is truly lovely. It has been a wonderful experience! Thanks Dian, Jean, Rob, Tom & Installers – we will be very proud to tell every one that our elegant counter tops came from Elegant Stone. Thank you!!!!
Betty & Orrel Broadbent
“Kirchner Custom Builders, Inc. has found an excellent partner in Elegant Stone Products. They do beautiful work. Their employees are responsive, courteous and pay attention to detail, and their prices are competitive. We purchase many counter top products from Elegant Stone because they do great work for a fair price. I highly recommend Elegant Stone Products.”
Marty Kirchner
Kirchner Custom Builders, Inc.
Employee Bio's
Click employee name for bio
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Management:
Dian Krause, President * Bert Jeske, V.P. Business Development * Rob Krause, Plant Manager
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Plant Operations:
Julie Kern, Floor Supervisor * Kerry Kazenske, Sawyer * Karen Levendoski, Fabrication * Dave Busche, Fabrication * Dave Grivois, Fabrication
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Templating & Installation:
Tom Murphy * Mike Kressig * Tom Parr * Jonathan Dregne * Gene Lybbert
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Front Office:
Jean Baty-Young, Sales * Ruth Zitzner, Bookkeeping * Sarah Niemyjski, Administrative Assistant |
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Department of General Affairs:
Template, Shop Cat

Favorite Quote: "Meow!"
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Dian Krause, President
Nickname:
Dee
What do you do @ ESP?
She's the President...she does what presidents do... and she's been doing it since 1999 when she started the business with her husband, Gary
Where do you live?
Viroqua, Wi
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
Three step shildren (now grown), two cats. Syncronicity has brought me to Viroqua and where I am in life.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
The wisest woman in Viroqua...if not the WORLD.
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Moving to Western Wisconsin
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Realizing that I don't have all the time in the world to do the things I want to do.
What do you do for fun?
Live life
What do you do because you have to?
Wash windows
Favorite Hero?
Jane Austin
Favorite Villain?
Jack Nicholson
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
My husband
Why?
I enjoy his company
Favorite Quote
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions"
~Wendell Holmes
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Bert Jeske, VP Business Development
Nickname:
Bertski
What do you do @ ESP?
Try and look busy and generally stick my nose in everything
Where do you live?
Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
A beautiful wife & three wonderful kids. We breed Austrailian Shepherds have a cat and recently deceased goldfish...well...we didn't keep the recently deceased goldfish but we still haven't emptied the tank.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I think most people that know me would just like to see me grow up! Who knows what I'd be if that ever happened!
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Who's asking? Really though, I've been blessed with lots of neat things in my life. Maybe the coolest thing was qualifying for the Triathlon National Championship race in Las Vegas in 1990
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
'thought I was Evil Knievel on my mountain bike once and realized that gravity and granite boulders are much stronger forces than I.
What do you do for fun?
I LOVE bicycling.
What do you do because you have to?
get old...
Favorite Hero?
My high school buddy, Robb McMullen. He opened for Rod Stewart once while wearing a skirt!
Favorite Villain?
Jabba the Hut. I mean the guy was a huge overgrown slug, yet everyone feared him.
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
My wife.
Why?
Since our first child 11 years ago, we don't get much time to ourselves!
Favorite Quote
I actually have two:
"Knowing is half the battle"
~GI Joe
"If you want something you've never had before, you have to do something you've never done before."
~Author Unknown
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Rob Krause, Plant Manager
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Julie Kern, Floor Supervisor
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Kerry Kazenske, Sawyer
Nickname:
Polock
What do you do @ ESP?
Sawyer, Odyssey/CNC, Proedge, Wizard, and some handwork
Where do you live?
Viroqua
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
Wife, 3 kids, 1 dog, 3 cats, 1 lizard, and 1 hampster
Too many scars to name them all
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I don't want to grow up
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
My wife and 3 kids
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Got hurt my first week working here
What do you do for fun?
Woodworking, working on my truck and house
What do you do because you have to?
Work
Favorite Hero?
Dale Earnhardt and Jonny Cash
Favorite Villain?
Rob Krause :)
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Dale Earnhardt and Johnny Cash
Why?
They were awsome!
Favorite Quote
Wide open till you see God, then brake!
Second place is just the first loser - Dale Earnhardt
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Karen Levendoski, Fabrication
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Dave Busche, Fabrication
Nickname:
Mr. Bush
What do you do @ ESP?
Fabricator
Where do you live?
Viroqua, Wisconsin
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
Wife & 6 children
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Rich, so I can give things away
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Getting married and having children
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Having the car die on a highway when it was -20 out with a baby in the car.
What do you do for fun?
Read, work, go visiting
What do you do because you have to?
Eat and sleep
Favorite Hero?
Jesus- He shows me mercy
Favorite Villain?
Devil- He gives it to me when I mess up
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Holy Spirit
Why?
His fruit is love, joy,peace, and I might become like him
Favorite Quote
It's more blest to give than recieve
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Dave Grivois, Fabrication
Nickname:
None
What do you do @ ESP?
Hand Finishing (Fabrication)
Where do you live?
In the valley
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
1 Rat terrier (Windsor), 2 cats (Cuddles & Cloe) and several dead deer.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Rob...
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Got married
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Dad died three days before the start of 7th grade.
What do you do for fun?
Deer hunt, demo derbies, Rabbit hunt, smoke
What do you do because you have to?
...work...
Favorite Hero?
Hiro Nakumura (Heroes TV Drama)
Favorite Villain?
Sylar (Heroes TV Drama)
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Brett Favre, John Elway & Ronald Reagan
Why?
Because they're awesome!
Favorite Quote
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Tom Murphy, Templating & Installation
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Mike K., Templating & Installation
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Tom Parr, Installation
Nickname:
Shooter
What do you do @ ESP?
Installer since 2005
Where do you live?
Romance, Wi
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
Lots of scars
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
Play pool, watch movies
What do you do because you have to?
Work
Favorite Hero?
Hatori Hanzo
Favorite Villain?
Pai Mei
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Bob Barker
Why?
Because he's the coolest
Favorite Quote
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Jonathan Dregne, Installation
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Gene Lybbert, Installation
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Where do you live?
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
What do you do because you have to?
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
Why?
Favorite Quote
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Jean Baty-Young, Sales
Nickname:
Jean Baby or Jean Jean the Dancing Machine
What do you do @ ESP?
Quotes, Sales, Ace Troubleshooter
Where do you live?
Westby, Wisconsin
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
Husband Sean, kids Tim & Katie, Sparky the dog,
cats Spotty & Tigs, Snap the Turtle, Louie the Cockatiel,
Samantha the Guinea Pig, and three Chickens.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
...won't grow up -- just older with grace and gratitude
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Became a mom
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Falling into the Mississippi River in late October...brrrrrrrr!
What do you do for fun?
Play on the river
What do you do because you have to?
Pay bills and, er, um....shave
Favorite Hero?
Babe the Pig or Template our shop cat, AKA Mouser Extraordinaire
Favorite Villain?
Boris & Natasha
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
My mom
Why?
It would just be nice to sit with her a while longer
Favorite Quote
"Life is so sacred -- it is good to be a part of all this"
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Ruth Zitzner, Bookkeeping
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Bookkeeper
Where do you live?
Liberty Pole, WI - Just past the Monument Rock
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
3 sons Logan-17 Levi-16 & Matthew-5. My husband Joe. 2 dogs Charlie & Bandit.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
... (Still trying to decide)
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Becoming a Mom!
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Finding out that my dad has cancer.
What do you do for fun?
Ride motorcycle, 4-wheeler & snowmobile
What do you do because you have to?
Cook & grocery shop
Favorite Hero?
My dad - He's been so courageous, positive and strong through his battle with cancer.
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
My husband, Joe
Why?
We rarely get the chance to just hang out by ourselves, we are so busy working and raising our children.
Favorite Quote
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Sarah Niemyjski, Administrative Assistant
Nickname:
What do you do @ ESP?
Answer phones, file & type these things up
Where do you live?
Viroqua, WI.
Family, pets, scars, stories, etc.
My Husband Keith & 2 dachshunds Kujo & Angel
(Don't let the names fool you!)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
Getting married
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you do for fun?
Spend time with Keith and play with our dogs.
What do you do because you have to?
Wash dishes
Favorite Hero?
Favorite Villain?
If you could hang out with anyone past or present, who?
My Great-Grandfather Fred
Why?
I never had the chance to really get to know him
Favorite Quote
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