Located in the region of Fortaleza, Brazil, with its many high-end projects along the beachfront and beyond, RL Mármore Granito has developed as a specialist for fabricating architectural stonework. In processing these works, the company relies on a carefully chosen range of machinery as well as the skill of its workers.

RL Mármore Granito almost exclusively processes stone for the Brazilian market, although much of the material it fabricates comes from overseas. Specifically, it imports a range of marble and travertine products, such as Roman travertine and Carrara White marble from Italy and Crema Marfil from Spain.

The shop has a broad range of sawing equipment, which ranges in terms of sizes and levels of automation and precision. The machinery used depends on the project type, and all work must be carefully coordinated within the shop to ensure smooth production flow. The bridge saws from Coch of Argentina have a higher level of automation and programmability, while some of the smaller-disc saws are more closely supervised for smaller workpieces. Additionally, any supplemental polishing or honing operations are completed using radial arm polishing equipment. These machines are also used to minimize the presence of seams in the assembled works.

Going beyond the machinery in place at RL Mármore Granito, the company employs a staff of skilled stoneworking professionals. The factory itself is broken down into two sections - the sawing and polishing area and a second area for handwork. Many of the company’s employees have been with RL Mármore Granito for many years, and they take a particular pride in their finished work - from architectural stonework to solid stone sinks.

At the time of Stone World’s visit to RL Mármore Granito, workers were busy processing slabs of Crema Marfil marble for a condominium project in Fortaleza. This project called for massive floor tiles measuring 1.34 x 1.4 meters (52.75 x 55.12 inches) each. The condominium will be using 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet) of cut stone floor panels in all, and each of the finished pieces had to be numbered by RL Mármore Granito prior to delivery to the jobsite. The project could be seen in all phases in the facility, from cutting to final polishing.

In all, the company has a total of 50 workers on staff. According to Wilson Fiuza Aragão of RL Mármore Granito, customer service and attention to detail is critical when working on the custom architectural stonework, and the company has made a name for itself in this area. “We don’t sell rocks, we sell service,” he said. “Our people work individually on each stone project, and that requires attention and follow-up right until the project is completed.”