Twenty-five years ago, Guy Baptiste, president of Tabernacle Granite & Marble, Inc., ventured into the stone fabrication business with only $300. Although production was slow at first, today his company has grown to not only include a facility in Tabernacle, NJ, where he initially opened a shop, but also a second location in Harbinger, NC.
Established three and a half years ago, Universal Stone of Charlotte, NC, has seen its sales rise steadily each year - mostly by word of mouth as it has placed an emphasis on quality and customer service. Today, the shop has grown to a production rate of 25 to 30 kitchens per week.
Although a quick glance at the facilities of Globe Marble & Granite Stone Fabrication, Inc. in Wood-Ridge, NJ, reveals a traditional fabrication shop, a more in-depth look details the level of calculation that goes into the operation. By focusing on factors such as workflow, cost analysis and value-added services, the company operates on the principles of organization, practicality and efficiency.
In 1971, Granite Importers Inc. of Barre, VT, was established as an importer of granite from South America for the monument industry. Through the years, the company evolved into a full-scale plant for architectural stonework operation - specializing in cubic work, customized moldings, columns, steps, coping, paving and veneer. Today, Granite Importers’ portfolio includes a range of large-scale projects, including prestigious government, university and hospitality buildings as well as residential work - primarily on the East Coast.
Construction of a new Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) in Waycross, GA, was recently completed, and the building was designed to be a “sister” facility to the main Public Health Laboratory in Decatur, GA. As a result, the new structure is similar in both physical appearance and internal design so that if the Decatur facility were to become non-functional, staff and equipment could be transported into comparable space at this alternate location, and resume research with minimal retraining time. And to mimic the architecture of the original building, Rubble Stone - comprised of granite pieces that included scrap material and byproducts from other stoneworking processes - was employed for the exterior facade of the 23,840-square-foot Waycross facility.
Originally designed by McKim, Mead & White, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, ME, recently underwent an extensive $20.8 millon renovation that involved both historic restoration and new construction. While the initial project goal was to improve storage facilites and HVAC systems and adapt the historic structure to be better suited to the teaching mission of the college art museum, the project quickly grew to include a 12,600-square-foot addition with interior and exterior stone elements, as well as renovation and stone restoration work to help preserve and protect the 120-year-old building. Other updates included lowering the building’s foundation by 4 feet and upgrading the building’s heating and cooling systems, which did not meet the museum’s strict climate control requirements.
To merge with the historic context of the King Williams District in San Antonio, TX, there was no question that Old Yellow limestone would be chosen for the exterior of a new private residence. And when it came time to extend the home some years later, stone once again would be the first and final decision for the exterior. Yet perfectly matching the existing structure would be a goal only achieved by the assistance of a skilled masonry team, according to Heather McKinney, AIA, LEED® AP, of McKinney Architects Inc in Austin, TX, who served as the lead architect for the project.
Over the past few years, U.S. importers and fabricators have dramatically increased their purchasing of stone from Brazil. In fact, this trend has been so significant that Brazil’s 2006 granite export value to the U.S. reached more than $538 million - nearly 75% greater than the second largest granite exporter, Italy. And despite somewhat of an industry slowdown, Brazil’s export totals to the U.S. in 2007 look like they will come close to the previous year’s figures - thus underscoring the importance of Brazilian suppliers to the U.S. market.
For U.S. importers, Latin American stone producers are certainly not a new resource. Stone from countries such as Mexico has been around for ages, and Brazilian granite has been a staple of the U.S. countertop sector since the early to mid-1990s. But over the last five years, the growth of U.S. stone imports from Latin America has seen remarkable growth, and even though the industry has leveled to some extent, leading stone exporters from the region are still reaching extremely high, near-record levels of trade.
Located in the heart of the stoneworking region of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espirito Santo, Brazil, Gramil Granitos e Mármores Itapemirim Ltda. has been a leading company in the industry for almost 30 years. Today, the company - which is owned by Attila Vieira Secchin and Marcos Vieira Secchin - has continued its track record of success by offering quality materials processed by the latest generation of stoneworking technology.
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