Although Sud Marmi of Custonaci, Trapani, has a complete facility for slab production, it has also established itself as a supplier of specialty architectural items such as thresholds, sills, door jambs, shower seats and shelves, which it ships to a range of international markets, including the U.S.
Sud Marmi was founded 25 years ago by Gaspare and Mario Pellegrino, and it first operated simply as a stonecutter, often working on a contract basis for other firms. It gradually developed a client base in the local market, followed by sales on a national scale. Then, in the late '80s, the company began exporting to the Far East, and now the bulk of the company's production is exported.
The company focuses a great deal on the U.S. market with distributors in locations such as Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Orlando. It exports 30 containers per month, and fireplace surrounds and mantles comprise another large sector of the operation, as the company exports 1,000 of these items per month.
In the fabrication plant, Sud Marmi has three blockcutters for cutting material to size, and a range of equipment for secondary sawing and edging, including a Marmo Meccanica LCV 711M straight edging machine. It also has a machine specifically designed for processing thresholds. For slab production, the company has 80-blade BM gangsaws and a complete slab polishing line. Between all of the operations, Sud Marmi has a total of 50 workers.
Raw material comes in part from the company's two quarries, both of which are in the Custonaci area. These quarries provide Perlato di Sicilia as well as colored marbles such as Libeccio. The company also brings in blocks from other regions, particularly White Carrara marble.
