Having been a supplier of cultured marble since 1993, Southern Marble & Design of Orlando, FL, made the move into stone fabrication in 2004, opening a branch called Designer Surfaces, Inc. And to ensure a high level of quality and efficiency, the company has invested in the latest generation of stoneworking machinery, including CNC technology.

When Marty Marra decided to open Capitol Granite Co., Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, as a supplier and installer of granite countertops, his investments were not the typical roster of a bridge saw, edging machine and hand tools. Instead, he invested in electronic templating technology to digitally measure jobs for area contractors and kitchen and bath dealers.

Since entering the kitchen trade 12 years ago, Viking Kitchen Cabinets, LLC of New Britain, CT, has seen steady growth. It began in cabinets and laminate countertops, and expanded into DuPont Corian six years ago. It has also been supplying stone countertops for several years, but decided to open its own stoneworking facility last year.

Over the years, companies in the stone industry have developed a reputation as a bunch of “good old boys.” This has been particularly true of stone fabricators. Given this assessment, one might get the impression that the typical stone fabricator in North America sets about his daily business with a hammer and chisel - and perhaps a hat made of folded newspaper.

After four decades as an importer of stone from around the world, CCS Stone of Moonachie, NJ, entered the fabrication arena five years ago, and it has continually upgraded its operation

The inaugural edition of the Stone World Stone Fabrication Workshops took place in three California cities, and they were well received by attendees as well as sponsors

After being inspired by a trip to Italy over 20 years ago, Charlie Zgonis founded Olympia Marble and Granite in Needham, MA

Brasil Quarries Imp. e Exp. Ltda. of Vitoria, Brazil, started 13 years ago with one quarry in Espirito Santo, and it now has numerous sites that produce a wide variety of materials

The U.S. imported $1.95 billion worth of stone last year, a significant increase over 2003's total of $1.51 billion, and it is using more sources than ever before

Granito Zucchi of Vitoria, Brazil, has continued to grow over the years, and it has recently added a second warehouse to better serve its customers