AN ARISTA STONES STORY
“Our foundation is grit and integrity, shaped by my parents, who came to this country with nothing and built a life through hard work and perseverance. That spirit drives how we care for our team, who we see as family, and how we serve our clients.”
Arista Stones, now embarking on its 25th year in business, is a family-owned operation dedicated to globally sourcing marble, quartzite, granite, and other natural stones. The stone company, with locations in Tempe and Salt Lake City, serves a client base including homeowners, designers, and builders seeking premium natural stone products.
Arista CEO Vidya Walia says while she always had great admiration for her parents, who built the business from scratch, she had no intention of joining the family operation, instead pursuing a career in fitness and marketing.
But much like the beautiful stones in the Arista showroom have been transformed by their environment, Vidya too was changed by her gradual immersion in the business. Her love affair with stone began when she saw an opportunity to use her marketing skills to help her parents drive growth. That soon led to her successful integration of modern technology, and the implementation of a best-in-class customer experience.
“It wasn’t long before I knew this is where I was meant to be,” she says.
Today Vidya leads the company as CEO, her husband Sai is the procurement manager, and her sister Jo runs the marketing side of the business.
“We have earned a reputation for our service, and our clients count on us being there every step of the way. Natural stone is an investment, and we want to empower our clients to make the right choice. When someone visits our showroom, they leave with a solid understanding of the materials, how to care for them, and all the nuances of each stone. Whether you buy one or 10 slabs, we are able to handle any size order, and you get the same service no matter what.”
Jaydin Nielsen, principal designer at Nita and Hearth, a longtime customer of Arista Stones, says she often has her clients visit the Arista showroom to find their dream slabs. “My clients always comment on how beautiful the stone is,” says Jaydin, “but just as often they talk about how cared for they felt throughout the process. They appreciate being guided and educated when making an investment like natural stone so they can feel confident in their decisions. That experience matters, and it is one of the reasons I truly would not purchase natural stone anywhere else.”
Arista takes great pride in bringing in product collections that nobody else has. And while Vidya laughingly says it’s the earth who decides what the latest collection will include, she adds that global sourcing trips are critical.
“We go overseas a few times a year, depending on what we’re looking for, to Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, and Portugal. It’s truly like a global treasure hunt!”
Custom sourcing and global design voyages are another unique service offered by Arista. Depending upon the project, Arista will either go on demand to select a large number of slabs of a certain color for a project or take a designer on a global sourcing trip. “We’re working to see how we can make this more accessible, as there is truly nothing like being there in person to see and select natural stone products in the country where they are sourced,” says Vidya.
And what’s on the horizon? Vidya says she is charged up for growth. “When I took over as CEO in 2024, I told the team now is the time to chase after our wildest dreams.” She recruited her husband from his tech career to take over the purchasing role, and when a leading member of the sales team said he was moving to Salt Lake City last year, she worked with him to open the new Utah location.
“There is so much passion behind what we do, and our team is incredible. We are a 15-person company, not a big private equity operation, and we take pride in being hands-on every day. Our foundation is grit and integrity, shaped by my parents, who came to this country with nothing and built a life through hard work and perseverance. That spirit drives how we care for our team, who we see as family, and how we serve our clients. Integrity is at the heart of our customer service. We want to prove you can be a real force in this industry while still doing things the right way. That is what drives our team. We are honest, accountable, and committed.”
For more info visit AristaStones.com
