Collette Monuments: Craftsmanship and compassion

By Marie Rossiter
Freelance Writer

Family has many meanings for the people of Collette Monuments in Lewiston. The success of Collette Monuments is a combination of how one family has taken the passion, skill and dedication from one generation to another and applied that to personal, compassionate service for families looking to memorialize a loved one, occasion or location.
The secret to Collette’s success is simply following the golden rule: they treat their customers the way they would want to be treated-with courteous, patient service combined with a talented, loyal and ambitious staff.
The entire company is based on the values and skills of its founder, Roland Collette. From his start in the monument business in 1946, when he worked for other area monument companies, through the time when he and his wife, Jeanne, opened their own company in 1971, Roland took great pride in making the business about people, as well as product.
Personal service has always been the cornerstone to Collette Monuments’ practice. All work is done in-house to ensure a top-quality product, from carving the stone to placing the monument when it is completed. Families return to Collette Monuments time and time again because the staff takes the time to really work with their customers, both on a personal and professional level.
Keeping these family values going is now in the hands of Roland and Jeanne’s sons: Marc, Donald and Bruce, and their grandsons Luc and John. And, while times have changed in the monument business-from technology to big business-type companies entering the market-the Collette sons stay faithful to their father’s vision of craftsmanship and compassion.
Marc and his wife, Judy, do computer and special project design, and Marc also does fine hand work and sales. Donald is the stone shop foreman who also works in computer design and in-house sales. Bruce tackles office administration, scheduling, human resources and a large portion of special project sales and designs. The Collette brothers work closely with many municipalities and veterans groups, as well as doing a significant portion of the work in Maine’s veteran cemeteries.
Although their values are grounded firmly in tradition, Collette Monuments knows how to use technology to better serve their customers. The Collettes recently acquired a state-of-the-art laser-powered etching machine that creates memorial masterpieces.
Anything from landscapes to portraits can be etched on granite, marble and a number of other materials. As a result, Collette Monuments can now create custom designs that could only be imagined before-and now last forever.
Each member of the Collette Monuments team is an integral part of the business’ success. Adding information to existing stones in the cemetery is completed by John Sheehy, who is a second-generation stone cutter.
Memorialists Steve Grover, Tom Simpson, Eric Goden, William Soucy, Nate Maillet, and Ammon Smith bring their expertise to complete in-cemetery work with engraving, installation of monuments, cleaning of markers and monuments, and foundation work. Their meticulous attention to detail is demonstrated in the finished product, which definitely outshines all the rest.
Lee Flowers, Collette’s resident artist, is a master with computer design. In charge of in-house sales are Carolyn Burke, who has been in the monument business since 1955, and Hugh LeMaster, who uses his experience as a funeral director to help families with the many decisions that come with a monument design and purchase. Janet Beaulieu is the office associate who brings a wealth of administrative experience to the daily operations.
From their start almost 35 years ago through today, Collette Monuments has embraced “old-fashioned values” and cutting-edge technology to become what many see as the predominant monument company within the state.
Everyone in the business knows that there reputation is a key element to their success and continue to focus on providing the best service possible to their customers. Collette Monuments has carved a solid and respected reputation from their artistic work with stone and their ability to relate to the people who walk through their door.
Collette Monuments Inc. guarantees all their work with a quality product and competitive pricing.
Some of our specialties include:
? On-Site engraving (cemetery or home)
?Cleaning and restoration of existing memorials
?Monuments and markers
?Benches
?Mausoleums
?Corporate or municipal signs
?State of the Art Laser designs
?Veteran Memorials
?Statues
?Cenotaphs
?Fundraiser pavers/bricks
?Plaques and Awards
?Pet Markers

Collette Monuments

1053 Sabattus Street
Lewiston, Maine
207-783-2118

www.collettemonuments.com