For slab production, Proton has a line for resin-treating slabs with Tenax products. The line includes automatic equipment for applying the resin as well as a drier to speed curing. Final polishing is not done with a typical slab polishing line, however, but with a bed polisher. This is necessary because materials such as Sea Foam Green granite need extra attention to detail during polishing, and a bed polisher allows the operator to oversee the process and monitor which sections of a particular slab need more attention.

For cut-to-size work, the company relies on a bridge saw from Bombieri and Venturi of Italy, but it also depends a great deal on the individual skills of its workers, as much of the work is done by hand. All of the stone processing is done wet to eliminate dust, and water is treated with machinery from Water Filtration System of Italy.

Overall, the factory polishes 12 containers of slabs per month, totaling 40,000 square feet. In the near future, other equipment to be added includes multi-wire saws for processing blocks into slabs of various thicknesses. It is also adding CNC technology.

Proton's quarries include Sea Foam Green, Tunas Classico, Verniz Tropical and Tropical White, and a new material is Verde Versace marble. According to Lacombe, the goal is to add value through exclusive stones as well as exclusive design ideas and concepts. The company has two designers on staff, and it works directly with architects. At the time of Stone World's visit to the facility, the company was completing work on sandblasted White Itaunas countertops for a condominium project in Sao Paulo by a renowned architect.

In the kitchen countertop sector, Proton works with SCA, a leading manufacturer of cabinets in Brazil, with 150 stores. The sales process essentially works the same as cabinet distribution, where Proton fills individual custom orders from its plant.