Baker Marble + Granite, Oakland, Calif.

     By the time Woodward and Baker – both California-licensed stone masons with backgrounds in the building, remodeling and stone industries – became the sole owners and proprietors of Baker Marble + Granite in 1993, both saw plenty of room for improvement in what they perceived as an often less-than-professional, bottom-line-driven industry.
     “We wanted to do things differently,” says Woodward, now the company's vice president. “And that started with the core philosophy on which we started the company”
     That philosophy, eloquently stated on the company's Website (www.bakermarble.com) is centered on the “firmly held belief that individuals who contribute to the greater good of society earn the right to health and happiness in their and their families' lives.”
     To that end, Baker Marble + Granite has, over the years, consistently strived to find ways to create a working environment based on that philosophy. At times, that refers to the world at large. At other times it's focused internally, resulting in a strong dedication to creating jobs that strengthen and enrich its employees’ lives, not just their pocketbooks.
     Workers at the company earn far above a “living wage,” says Latham, and receive paid sick days and vacations, health insurance and family leave. The company also recently started a company 401(k) retirement plan.
     This foundation is helping to cultivate a happier, healthier staff, which in turn leads to, in the company’s philosophy, “increased quality and dedication from our personnel, and this attitude transfers from their hands into (our customers’) finished product.”
     “Our families,” Woodward says, “have strong ties to the architecture community – Les’ father was an architect, my grandfather was an architect, my wife is a commercial interior designer. In that business, people spend long hours together and become like family.
     "We wanted to create that kind of family in our business, and that's a crucial part of the equation,” he adds. "It's an unseen thing, but it helps our employees to be happy, which helps them work better, and it helps their job be less stressful.”
     This company-wide commitment to creating a healthy workplace has had at least one predictable result: more employee retention.
     Woodward says that many of the company's 17 employees have been with the company from 5-10 years. Foreman Pedro Suarez, for example, has been with the company since 1991; Pedro's brother, Vicente, and Tim Pfalzter, the company's lead installer, for nine years; Robert Van Norman, the lead draftsman, for 11 years; Paige Medina, the office manager, for 12 years; and Jesus Ruiz for seven.
     While any company, including this one, will have some turnover, its rate of retention is certainly not the norm industry-wide.
     Woodward readily admits that this loyalty on the part of his employees is a main factor in the company's growth over the years. And what starts with those happy employees, says Woodward, spills over into the type and quality of work the company proudly refers to as its specialty: high-end residential bathroom and kitchen remodels.
    
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, MEASURED GROWTH
     Like most companies, regardless of their specialty, Baker Marble + Granite didn't come out of the gates operating at today’s high level. In fact, the company's beginnings were decidedly more-humble.
     The first physical incarnation, in fact, was located in an old truck depot not far from where the company maintains its current facility. While a very different company then, it still created high-quality work, especially considering the fact they were working with little more than a basic stone saw and a surface polisher.
     It wasn't too long, however, before the growing company paid its initial dues and was starting to grow.
     “Initially, like any company, we would take really any job just out of necessity, but very soon after getting started we shot for high-end, high-expectation customers and then delivered on our promises,” says Woodward. “The types of clients we pursue are very common in our area: hard working, Bay-area professionals. We cater to those that excel in their own lives, and require the same level of dedication and professionalism in any work they buy.”
     After just a few years in the truck depot, the company moved a mile away into a leased, 26,000 ft² complex shared with a local woodworker. Baker Marble + Granite stayed for the next seven years, further cultivating its reputation as one of the area's premier suppliers of high-end kitchens and baths.
     In 2003, the company bought and moved into their current 12,500 ft² facility – replete with a Co.b.a.l.m. D13 saw, Coch C34 saw, Tiger 200N small saw, Z. Bavelloni EGAR 320-4 CNC machine, and Co.b.a.l.m. dust benches and water system – just a few more miles up the road.
     A crucial part of cultivating the company’s growth, says Woodward, was focusing on improving the company's internal operations in a measured, methodical way. Woodward says the company learned a good deal about how to grow a business responsibly, and how not to.
     “Overall, we just wanted to grow our business responsibly and be aware of our reputation,” he says. “In this business, word-of-mouth is crucial, so you need to pay attention to how you go about things.
     “When times were tough, we kept all our promises to our vendors and customers, and we always did our best to assure our money lenders,” he adds. “We purchased new equipment and machines only when we absolutely needed it. We really kept our equipment until it had fulfilled its useful life.”
     While many stone fabricators would love to specialize in this high-end work, many don't have the expertise or professionalism of staff to do so. Oftentimes, that's because they can't attract or keep the type of workers that Baker Marble + Granite retains.
     But, when trying to complete a job for a discerning customer like Larry Ellison, billionaire founder/CEO of Redwood City, Calif.-based database software firm Oracle Corp. (which Baker Marble + Granite recently did) it just isn’t possible without a high-caliber staff.
     That, says Woodward, is where the core philosophy on which their business is centered, truly pays dividends.
     Woodward’s suggestion to other shops: Cultivate a competent team. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, he says, nor should it.
     To be fiscally responsible in doing so, he suggests shops begin with the smaller items—things like paid sick days and vacations. Then, over time, continue to add perks and benefits that improve the quality of life for the company’s staff.
    
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
     Beyond simply doing what’s right internally, Baker Marble + Granite further applies its philosophy in its relationship to the world outside its doors as well. That often translates into using progressive, sustainable materials when possible.
     While the company utilizes a great deal of natural stone—including granite, marble and limestone—it’s also the top fabricator by volume of Vetrazzo®, a man-made product that incorporates post-consumer recycled glass in a range of colors.
     Woodward says that while his company has the benefit of serving a customer base that’s progressive in its views on the environment issues, especially in relation to the rest of the country, there’s a growing and very profitable niche related to sustainably produced building materials nation-wide.
     “In our market, we’d be fools to not have something along those (environmental) lines in our quiver,” says Woodward. “Vetrazzo is a challenging material to work with; there’s a learning curve, and it takes a fair bit of artisanship and finesse.
     “But, to be able to offer a very individual product that also supports the model of sustainability is great. It’s what our customers want.”
     Those customers also want other products, including CaesarStone®, DuPont Zodiaq® and Pietra Cucina quartz.
     The company’s ethical focus also applies to the natural stone it uses, which it acquires from a local distribution network of 13 stone yards.
     Whenever possible—and Woodward readily admits that it isn’t always—Baker Marble + Granite utilizes stone that comes from countries that quarry it responsibly and have a strong record on human rights.
     While the reality of the global stone industry is such that shops can’t always guarantee that the men and women who extract the stone are treated well, Woodward says that steps can be taken to ensure that the jobs created by foreign quarries provide a quality of life that isn’t readily available in those communities.
     This underlying commitment to doing what’s right in regards to the people it employs, and the products it utilizes, is also turning into quite a boon for the business’ bottom line.
     The company’s stature as a Vetrazzo fabricator, for instance, just garnered the company some high-profile publicity: An installation spot on HGTV’s Living with Ed, an eco-focused show starring Ed Begley Jr. and his spouse Rachelle; and two Vetrazzo countertop-fabrication projects in the two Idea Houses conceived by Sunset magazine.
     “We don’t advertise at all, so word-of-mouth is very important to us,” says Woodward. “Exposure like that is priceless. Sunset is something of an icon in California, and it also happens to be a perfect demographic fit. To have people see our work in the Idea House, or see a mention in Sunset, is definitely flattering.” 
     Who says that doing right by the world can’t also mean doing right by your bottom line?
     Jake Rishavy is a Denver-based freelance writer on industrial-design and -fabrication topics.

This article first appeared in the January 2008 print edition of Stone Business. ©Western Business Media Inc.