Remembering Andreas Sofikitis

Andreas Sofikitis, president of Sofikitis Decorative Stones, passed away on October 28, 2014, the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

I first met him at a trade show more than a dozen years ago and was immediately struck by what a nice guy he was as well as his level of enthusiasm and passion for his work. But I was even more impressed when I saw what he was producing in his fabrication shop and recognized that he was a game-changer in every sense of the term.

I’ve learned since his passing that he was born March 28, 1966, and was raised in the small town of Kranidi in the Peloponnese region of Greece. His father was a marble quarrier and stone fabricator, and Andreas grew up in the business. Their factory has long been known for producing large-format tiles with various finishes, along with stair treads and risers. In 1991, Andreas took control of what was then known as Sofikitis Marble Ltd.

Interested in expanding his company’s reach, Andreas invited his uncle, Tom Anton, and his colleague, Tim Harris, to visit from the United States. They took him up on his offer in 1994, and Tom and Tim traveled to Greece yearly thereafter – Tom for the next four years, Tim for the next 14. During these visits, they forged a tight partnership, but Andreas was also their tour guide, taking them to visit the company’s three quarries while also introducing them to local attractions, restaurants and taverns.

Andreas knew his region like the back of his hand, and his hospitality made his guests truly feel like family. I have been on the receiving end of Andreas’ friendship and generosity as well and am grateful for it – although it led to one unusual experience.

Early in our acquaintance, Andreas and Tim asked me to write a white paper that would help Andreas configure and market his grated coping stones in a way that would prove compatible with what I and other designers were trying to accomplish with some of our perimeter-overflow pools. Andreas wanted to pay me for my time, which wasn’t necessary, but I suggested that if he wanted to make one of his company’s pizza ovens appear on my doorstep, I’d be happy.

Eventually, the oven arrived – along with a large freight bill I had to pay to accept it. It was my own fault for being so direct, of course, and I know I did well in the exchange, but to this day I laugh when I think about the way things worked out. And by the way, the oven has been a fantastic addition to my outdoor kitchen.

In 1994, Tom Anton and Tim Harris began importing Sofikitis’ tiles, stair treads and risers to the United States. Their first U.S. project was at the renowned Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, Calif., in 1996. Tom Anton passed away in 1999, and Tim Harris continued the relationship with Sofikitis. With increasing numbers of overseas projects under his belt, Andreas went on the road himself, showcasing his products at trade fairs in France, Spain, Russia, Dubai, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and, of course, the United States.

His involvement with watershaping started in 2001, when Andreas began working with water-jet technology and began producing the grated stone copings that led to our acquaintance. These products originally were made from Kavala Marble (from Greece), Sunny Limestone (from Egypt) and Travertine (from Turkey) – all processed in Greece. Andreas’ pool copings were truly revolutionary, as he enhanced their functionality with unique finishes and non-slip surfaces and paired them with matching large-format tiles to integrate the coping seamlessly into surrounding decks. Before long, he was also buying stone blocks from sources in China, Italy and Spain.

Soon after I’d met Andreas, I was lucky enough to get involved with a project in Portugal in which a 14th-century monastery was being converted into a vacation home. My main task was devising a perimeter-overflow system for a 16th-century cistern the owner wanted to transform into a pool. Although it was a private residence, Portugal’s cultural heritage rules dictated that any improvements had to harmonize with their surroundings.

I was stumped when it came to the edge treatment for the old cistern. A razor-edge look would have been too contemporary, and none of the other conventional options were really suited to the purpose. I went back to my hotel and, truly at my feet, saw a grated drain head that immediately made me think of the Sofikitis approach to coping stones. I don’t know what product was finally used by the builder, but the look approved by the conservancy was directly inspired by what I knew about Sofikitis’ product line.

Andreas had a degree in geology to go along with an abiding love of stone, fully subscribing to the company’s mission to deliver products “synonymous with pool decoration, quality, luxury and innovation.” By the time of his death at the too-young age of 48, he was exporting finished products to 40 countries.

Not only was he a great leader, innovator and pioneer: He was also, in every sense of these words, a good man; a family man who enjoyed traveling with his daughter Angeliki and son Konstantinos along with his wife Vaso and their daughter Agape; and a warm man with an easy smile, an infectious laugh and a loving, generous spirit.

The world, not just the watershaping industry, could use more people like Andreas Sofikitis. To have him taken from us too soon is a great loss.

Giuliana Harris helped in compiling this tribute.

Skip Phillips is president of Questar Pools, a pool design/build firm based in Escondido, Calif. With decades of experience in the pool industry, he has worked tirelessly to elevate pool design to an art form while building an international reputation for excellence and innovation – particularly with respect to vanishing-edge pools. In 1998, he was a co-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group, a professional community dedicated to education and excellence in pool design, engineering and construction. He may be reached at [email protected].