Unity Marble & Granite, Pittsburgh

   Carlino’s grandfather and father both worked in the trade for the majority of their working lives, and John himself had been involved in the industry in one form or another since he graduated from high school.
   Given that background, it should’ve been a natural when the opportunity came around 10 years ago for Carlino to go into business for himself by opening Unity Marble & Granite.
   But plenty of things changed in the stone business since his grandfather and father worked stone – and even more so during the time that Carlino’s operated Unity – and keeping pace is a tale of adaptation and evolution.
   “I’ve been in the marble and granite trade for over 30 years, really since I started working out of high school,” says Carlino. “About ten years ago, I was working for a company that was getting more and more projects with granite countertops, and I was working out of a truck for side-work. I saw that there were opportunities in the business and when I saw this place for sale, I decided that it was the right time to get into the business for myself.”
   And the changes started almost immediately, he says.
   The facility – with only 1,000 ft² of workable space and another 1,000 ft² of yard space – previously worked primarily limestone and sandstone, and some flagstone projects.
   “Over the years, we’ve tripled the space at our facility to about 3,000 ft² and it’s still an evolving project,” he says.
   Part of the renovated space houses newer equipment, including a Park Industries Jaguar, Master 3500 and Master 3000 contouring machines from Marmo Elettromeccanica, and Alpha Professional Tools® polishers.
   And Carlino is continuing his renovation to accommodate a CNC machine in the very near future, something he believes will aid in the transformation of his company to meet the current nature of the industry as a whole.
   While he looks forward to the addition of such a machine, he says that won’t take away the importance of having trustworthy, skilled employees – of which he currently employs six. 
   “What I’ve found is that with CNC machines, you still need quality handwork to touch up,” he notes. “A CNC machine only allows you to get into the radius corner, but we can get in there with some solid handwork to detail that at a sharp 90°.
   “When people really want to see some detail on an ogee or bullnose, you have to create a crease or detail in that corner. Where the CNC won’t allow you to do that, a trained employee can get it done.”
  
A CHANGING CUSTOMER
   Carlino believes that not only is the way stone is worked changing, but also the way people shop for stone. That reality is forcing businesses like Unity Marble & Granite to alter the retail experience they provide, he says.
   The company’s primary customers are kitchen and bath dealers and some designers, as well as private homeowners undertaking a remodel themselves, Carlino says. Each of those types has changing preferences in shopping for stone and countertops.
   “Before, people used to be as concerned with seeing the stone slabs as with finished projects, but that has been changing over the years,” he says. “Now, people want to see finished kitchens for ideas for their own, so we’re currently renovating an old section of the facility that includes about 800 ft² of showroom space.
   “What I’ve learned in the last 10 years is that people want to purchase the material they’re looking for by seeing completed projects in a nice showroom, with a nice display, in the shop that is going to supply their stone,” he says. “The industry itself is moving towards a more-professional way of doing business.
   “Just going to the old stone yard doesn’t always appeal to the average customer anymore. It still does to the more artsy people and people who do a lot of work with their hands. But, it doesn’t interest the customers that come in with fancy cars and fancy clothes, and those customers are very important to businesses like ours. That’s a big part of our market.”
   Unity has also changed by growing the number of products it offers, he says.
   While the company, as always, focuses primarily on marble and granite, it is now getting into some limestone work as well. Carlino has seen increased interest on the part of his customers in patina – or antique finish – limestone and granite projects.
   Unity doesn’t currently import its own stone, choosing instead to work with local distributors dealing in primarily Brazilian and Indian natural stone. And while he will source it if customers ask about it, Carlino says Unity does very little work in quartz-surface or solid-surface materials.
   “Every once in a while we get asked about it, and certainly, if people are adamant about a quartz, I’ll source it and cut it,” he says. “But, it’s pretty rare that our customers ask for it, to be honest. Once they see the real thing, they know the difference and want the real deal.”
   In addition to new materials, the company is also growing by offering more complete bathroom projects.
   “Our target market is primarily in countertops, fireplace facings, vanity tops,” he says. “That’s been pretty steady for the entire time we’ve been in business. What’s different is that I’ve gotten more into full bathroom projects, where we’ll do the floor areas, along with the walls and the countertops in the natural stone.
   “I think that as far as income is concerned, it helps us to fill in the blanks a little bit,” he adds. “And it’s really more about prestige and the perception of your company in the mind of the customers. You get a little more respect from your customers when you’re more of a full-service shop.
   “Whether they use you for everything you can do or not, they want to consult with you first, which gives you the opportunity to provide them with information and possibly sell them on something else.”
  
NEW CHALLENGES, NEW OPPORTUNITIES
   In addition to offering more options for its residential customers, Carlino has determined that to stay competitive and reach Unity Marble & Granite’s full potential, the company should also have the capability to handle larger, more-consistent commercial projects as well. In order to do so, Carlino now runs a union shop.
   “I’ve been a union marble mason for many years; they approached me to get this shop signed up, and I did so with the intent to go after a little more commercial work,” he says. “We haven’t really pursued [more commercial jobs] aggressively yet, but that’s the next step for us. It’s certainly coming up down the line, and we’re laying the groundwork for that work as we speak.”
   Part of the inspiration for Unity’s move into commercial projects has come from the increased competition for retail and residential work that began during the economic slowdown during the early years of this decade.
   “Around 2002, work was tight and you had people from outside Pittsburgh deciding to come into town and become a part of the competition, so to speak,” says Carlino. “Amongst that, you had the people who used to sell more Formica® and Corian® who started to incorporate machines that could cut granite and marble. That spread the available work around to more companies.”
   Unity currently does between $600,000 and $700,000 in sales annually, even in a market where part of his competition is large home centers like Home Depot. While this competition has affected some smaller stone businesses heavily, Carlino believes his shop hasn’t suffered as much because his customers still desire the more personal approach that a small shop can offer.
   And, fortunately, he’s found that his customers are willing to pay a slightly higher price for that personal touch.
   “It used to be that people would shop on price more, and they would go to Home Depot and try to get you to come down to that price,” he says. “Some people still do that, but what I’ve noticed is that Home Depot can’t get people to fabricate the volume that they want. The lead time just isn’t that good at Home Depot anymore, so it’s not as much of a competition anymore.”
   And part of what draws people to stone-specific shops is the increased product knowledge in smaller shops, says Carlino.
   “People don’t mind spending a little more money to be able to see the guy who will be doing the template, and the guy who’s going to fabricate,” he says. “You go to Home Depot and even the salesperson doesn’t know who’s cutting it sometimes, or much else about the process. Here, customers can really put a face on the name of the company, and people will pay a bit more for that more personal touch. Not only that, but they have more trust that the money they’re spending is worth it.”
   And while there is plenty of change in today’s stone industry, certain aspects—like gaining the trust of your most valued customers—won’t ever change.
   Jake Rishavy is a Denver-based writer covering industrial design and production topics.

 This article first appeared in the November 2006 print edition of Stone Business. ©2006 Western Business Media Inc.