Our Team

As a 17-year-old carpenter, Laurent Bellavance set his sights on business ownership by his 30^th birthday. In 1986, he achieved that goal when he founded Marble Unlimited with two business partners. By 1995, he was the sole owner of the company and had big dreams to evolve what was then a cultured synthetic marble business into something much more ambitious.

Making the leap to natural stone fabrication in 2003, Laurent began investing in innovation, mastering state-of-the art machinery and technology such as digital templating (laser technology for taking super-accurate measurements), CNC machines for polishing natural stone, and water jet technology for precision cutting. This drive to stay on the cutting edge of the industry, along with the passion and expertise of our skilled team, has established Urban Quarry as an industry leader in today’s competitive market.

Thirty years after starting his first business, Laurent is thrilled to have his children behind the wheel of the company: “They’ve done a phenomenal job. The success we’re experiencing today would not have been possible without them. Each has their own talents and they’ve all played an important part in where Urban Quarry is today. I’m very proud of them.”

In November 2020, Laurent announced that he was officially taking his first step into retirement. Not entirely gone just yet, Laurent continues to guide the management team through this next chapter of Urban Quarry’s growth and to serve as an advisor to the ownership team in a part-time capacity.

“Urban Quarry will always be my home, but as I enter this next stage of life, I’m really looking forward to spending more quality time with my wife and exploring some of my other passions, like woodworking, the outdoors, and cruising around in my sports car is a great way to start things off. Freedom 65!”  Laurent says.

When he’s not working, Laurent also enjoys traveling and being a grandfather to his five grandchildren, with hopes of more to come.

According to Serge Bellavance, there are three keys to Urban Quarry’s long-standing success: superior quality products, expert workmanship and above-and-beyond customer service. As VP of Sales and Marketing, Serge makes sure the company’s commitment to exceeding client expectations is always top of mind. Tasked with overseeing a team of account managers and inside sales reps while cultivating new business, Serge has his hands full.

But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My father built this business from the ground up. It’s a family-owned and -operated business where each of my family members bring their own unique skill set to the table. We want the business to always be successful, and we’re all working toward the same goal. It’s a good feeling.”

Among other things, Serge and his siblings have been largely responsible for bringing Urban Quarry squarely into the 21^st century. Their investment in state-of-the art machinery, software and technology has enhanced communication, production and efficiency significantly for both employees and clients.

When Serge is away from the office, shop or jobsite, he loves spending time with his wife and three children. He’s also a big fan of winter sports and recreation, especially hockey. In his off time, he can often be found at a local rink or frozen pond teaching and coaching his kids in his favourite game.

Consistently finding ways to do things better, faster and more easily is Mireille’s special gift. As VP of Operations, she works closely with dealers, clients and employees to ensure smooth workflow, quality output and happy employees and customers.

As one of the three children of Urban Quarry founder and CEO, Laurent Bellavance, she and her brothers keep the company on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the industry, introducing modern new ways of doing business.

“The culture at Urban Quarry has definitely changed in the past few years,” says Mireille. “It’s more youthful and forward thinking. Innovation is always top of mind, and we have a lot of room to grow. The future is bright.”

This drive to continuous innovation and improvement is balanced by an equal commitment to the traditional values of craftsmanship and quality. These founding values continue to inspire the team in everything they do, and the presence of her father at Urban Quarry remains incredibly valuable to Mireille and her siblings.

“I don’t know what we’d do without our father’s knowledge and wisdom. He knows Urban Quarry inside out. And he still cares deeply about the business.”

Work-life balance is important to Mireille. She fills her spare time with the people and activities she loves. This means Sunday dinners with her family, a nice glass of wine with friends, cuddles with her two Bengal cats, Jaeger and Ozzy, and travelling the world. She also likes tapping into her creative side, celebrating women’s beauty as a makeup artist and expressing herself with painting large abstract paintings.

With over 25 years’ experience in the kitchen and bath industry to his role, including ten years with Deslaurier Custom Cabinets and eight years at West End Bath & Kitchen, Bob was originally tasked with managing the sales team and showroom, and with growing Urban Quarry through sales and project development. In 2020, the company proudly announced Bob’s appointment as Urban Quarry’s new President. In this new role, Bob will be providing strategic guidance and leadership in the execution of Urban Quarry’s mission, values and corporate goals. He will also be responsible for the financial sustainability and operational results of the company as well as building and maintaining Urban Quarry’s reputation while engaging and collaborating with our leadership teams. Bob will continue in his role as Director of Business Development.

“I simply could not be more thrilled to step into this executive role at Urban Quarry. I have known the Bellavance family and the Urban Quarry team for a very long time, I respect the amount of hard work that’s been done to date and look forward to steering us into an even brighter future,” said Bob.

When he’s not focused on the strategic direction and expansion of Urban Quarry, Bob loves spending time with his wife, Cathy, and their two boys, Chase and Brady. He’s also a hockey lover who plays and coaches the sport.

In his 20 years with Urban Quarry, Brian Gray has become part of the family. He started at the company right after graduating from high school and remains a loyal employee to this day.

“Working at Urban Quarry has given me the opportunity to learn new skills and grow over the years.”

And grown he has. Brian started as a grinder/polisher back in 2001 and was progressively promoted to the role of production manager, with stints as a saw operator and template technician in between. On any given day, Brian oversees five install crews and four template technicians, who are themselves installing and templating upwards of 20 projects a day. He also manages the finishing and service department. Brian is on hand to troubleshoot and ensure quality precision at every job.

When Brian isn’t in the shop or on the jobsite, you’ll find him working on a project at home or out on the slopes with his ladies — his wife, Jen, and their daughter, Ashley.

To say Peter is well versed in the business would be an understatement. As one of Urban Quarry’s longest-standing employees — he was one of the first three — he knows the company’s product line like no one else. In fact, he knows it so well, he’s taken on a teacher role of sorts in recent years.

“When I visit our kitchen and bathroom store clients, I drive home the fact that they’re not so much customers as they are partners,” says Peter. “We’re in this together and I want to arm them with the best possible knowledge of the products they’re selling. I go deep, explaining what differentiates our products from the others and why they’re simply better.”

Peter is so passionate about his work that he volunteers his time and expertise as a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association committee. Having known several of the members for 20-plus years, Peter is in good company and relishes the opportunity to play a part in bolstering the industry. In 2020, Peter was the recipient of the  Doris Lacroix Award.

When Peter is able to step away from his role as an account manager, he enjoys playing golf, camping, and riding his motorcycle.

Formally trained as a mechanical engineering technician, Shawn found his way to Urban Quarry after working for a company that produced thermally formed glass countertops. While he’ll always be interested in the industrial aspects of his training, he’s discovered that his true passion is customer service — making him a perfect fit for the role of account manager with Urban Quarry.

Based in Montreal, Shawn does everything from visiting current and prospective clients to representing Urban Quarry at industry events and building on the company’s presence in Western Quebec. The common thread in all he does is his commitment to customer success.

“If someone needs something, you tweak your schedule to make sure they have all the answers they need,” says Shawn. “In the end, you do everything you have to do to make people happy.”

When Shawn’s not working, he loves camping and spending time with his two daughters.

Gina’s career has taken her down a few different paths over the years, giving her a unique combination of skills. Her background in child and social work, years of experience in sales for stone manufacturing companies, love of interior design, and effortless ability to make the right connections between clients and dealers make her a powerhouse account manager who goes above and beyond to make our clients’ visions come to life. “It’s all about finding the right fit,” she says.

Gina is committed to continuous learning and is always staying proactively up to date on new processes, designs and brands to offer the very best experience for our clients. She’s often riding around town meeting with clients, exploring showrooms and giving product demonstrations.

In her spare time, Gina loves to travel and spend time with her husband and young daughter. She’s also part of our internal social committee, where she volunteers time to help with our initiatives to give back.

Originally from and still living in Montreal, Vincent travels every week to maintain relationships with Urban Quarry clients in the Ottawa area and extending out to Kingston and Montreal as our client base continues to grow across Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

A natural sales leader, Vincent has extensive knowledge and experience working in luxury products. He was a lead sales manager for Harry Rosen, a high-end men’s fashion company, and the district sales manager for a granite company — a role that ultimately led him to Urban Quarry as an account manager. His customer service skills, incredible product knowledge and eye for luxury and detail make Vincent the perfect partner to our high-end clients.

Vincent loves that his role gives him the opportunity to continuously grow his skills and build relationships in a strong team atmosphere that allows him to thrive independently and within the group.

With a love for fine wine and good food, Vincent loves spending time with his adult children and their families, entertaining and cooking with close friends.