Brazilian stone supplier adjusts to increasing demands

Etna Granitos do Brasil Ltda. started in 2002 as a buying office for clients located throughout the northeast corridor. As demands increased, and to have better quality control over its materials, the company's principals invested in nearly 325,000 square feet of land in Serra, Brazil - near the port city of Vitoria - with the intention of building a factory.

When construction of the factory began in the summer of 2003, a block yard with a 50-ton overhead crane was added to the property, along with two gangsaws from Cimef Brasil, two three-headed polishing lines also from Cimef Brasil, a water filtration tower from Andritz and a complete resin line including a Rosh Industrial oven.

The property houses four buildings in all: one for administrative offices, one for polishing and resining slabs, one for handling finished goods - which has two loading docks for open top containers or other shipping methods - and one that is currently being used for rough slabs. In the future, the company plans to add another jumbo gangsaw and a 22-head automatic polishing line to its facility.

According to the company, Etna Granitos' philosophy from the beginning was to build enough infrastructure for future expansion. The company currently produces 20 containers a month, most of which is for the U.S. market. Etna Granitos' North American distribution structure is mainly distributors and large fabricators located throughout the Northeast, from Boston to Florida, with some clients located in the Midwest.

Along with traditional materials of Labrador Green, Peacock and Giallo Vicenza, Etna Granitos also has a wide range of exotic materials such as Pantano Green, Amerello Florentin, Golden, Sand, Bordeaux and Giallo River.

A total of 35 employees work for Etna Granitos, 25 of which are on the manufacturing end, producing materials 24 hours a day, six days a week. The remaining employees hold administrative positions and handle exporting of materials. Furthermore, the company has full-time employees residing in the U.S. to facilitate the ordering process. Etna Granitos participates in most of the major stone shows, including Coverings in Orlando, FL, Marmomacc in Verona, Italy, and ITSS New York.