New gantry saw

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - The Olive family worked hard to make their business a wonderful success story. There is the father, Hunter; mother, Mary Erwin; and two brothers, Sed and Bert. Their advertising, graphic design and Web design is done by Bert's wife, Shelby. The business started primarily as a glass works almost two decades ago by Hunter and Mary Erwin, and since has grown to a full-service custom glass and stone manufacturing and installation facility that offers virtually all applications of glass stone.

The stone division began in the mid-'90s, when Hunter's brother, Winston Olive, looked for a source for thresholds and windowsills for his wholesale ceramic tile business. The Olives started fabricating stone in the parking lot of a glass shop, and soon one thing led to another. While installing 3â„8-inch custom shower doors, they began adding countertops for kitchens and baths as well as fireplace surrounds.

â€œYou name it, and we have probably done it,â€ stated Bert Olive. â€œWe like to talk to the homeowner personally and have them tell us their ideas as well as needs. When they visit our 3,500-square-foot showroom that features six full slabs and samples of all the custom stone and glass, one could imagine the ideas begin to flow. We help take care of all aspects of the job - from picking a natural stone or glass, to fabrication, installation, scheduling and everything in between.

â€œWe do a fair amount of commercial work as well as designing storefronts where our stone and glasswork integrate very well together to exact architectural specifications,â€ stated Olive. â€œFor example, we have fabricated a granite baptismal font and supplied about 8,000 square feet of slate for a local church. Our business mix is approximately 70% residential and 30% commercial.â€

â€œOlive Glass & Stone has been serving Cumberland County's glass and stone needs for almost two decades. Our business territory now encompasses virtually all of NC, including the area's rapidly growing golf resorts and beach communities. We employ a total of 15 people and we are sticklers for not only every exacting detail but with the area we cover and precisely scheduling our time.â€

Because the company relies heavily on its fabricating facility, machinery is an important investment. â€œWe make certain we run only the most dependable machinery built,â€ said Olive. â€œWhen the time came to invest in a large new gantry saw, I did a great deal of research. I wanted only the best, and found the Matrix Sebring gantry saw. It is by far the best on the market at a price I really could not believe. It's extremely fast, powerful and with an amazingly accurate laser, and the best part is that it is simple to operate. My workers say it's the best they have ever operated. The best part is that the Matrix folks are always there when we need them. I already know my next purchase will be a Matrix Daytona XL Edge Profiling System.â€