Established in 1950 as a producer of White Carrara marble, Incomarbo of Massa, Italy, now processes a range of traditional and exotic materials with advanced machinery

Located in Massa, Italy, Incomarbo was established in 1950 as a quarrier and processor of the Carrara region's famed white marble. Today, the company still processes several varieties of White Carrara marble, and it also uses state-of-the-art equipment to work with granite and exotic materials such as onyx, which it exports to markets around the world.

Incomarbo's factory is located in a region of Massa that has been designated specifically for stoneworking operations. The new factory, which was established in December of 2004, offers optimum automation and efficient material handling, and it is equipped by Breton of Italy.

After blocks are processed into raw slabs, automated machinery from Breton is used to move the stone through the various processes, and the finished slabs are squared on all four sides. A double-headed saw is used to simultaneously cut both sides of the slab laterally, and then a single-head saw executes two cross cuts to complete the trimming process.

After the sawing process, slabs move on to a Levibreton KG 3000 polishing machine, which has 18 polishing heads. When polishing is complete, a layer of wax is automatically applied, along with a plastic film to protect the slabs during shipment. Additionally, resin is applied to the material as needed or requested, thus allowing the company to offer a range of onyx materials. In all, Incomarbo employs 15 workers at the new facility.

The same processing line is used for granite, marble, onyx and other materials, and Incomarbo processes approximately 6,500 square feet of material per day. Breaking down the company's production by material, granite comprises 60% of material processed, followed by marble, onyx and other materials. Of all the materials processed, it is the White Carrara marble that is closest to the company's roots, and it remains a significant component of overall production.

Material is exported to markets around the world, including the U.S., which imports over 50,000 square feet of stone from Incomarbo each month. Marketing to an international audience, Incomarbo maintains a multi-lingual Web site at www.incomarbo.com, and it also particates at international trade exhibitions such as Marmomacc in Verona, Italy.

The company has also supplied stone for architectural projects in Europe and abroad. Completed works in Europe include the Amsterdam Opera House in Holland, the Berliner Bank in Germany and the Pistoia Carabinieri (Police) Headquarters in Italy. In the U.S., Incomarbo supplied stone for Gateway Plaza in Pasadena, CA, and Courthouse Plaza in Arlington, VA, among others.