For 10 years, Mineração Pemagran has been extracting Iberê Crema Bordeaux from its quarry in Afonso Claudio, Espírito Santo, Brazil. During this time, the material has gained international appeal for its aesthetic value and its ability to be used in a variety of design styles.

Currently, Pemagran is extracting more than 500 cubic meters of first-choice blocks per month, and the average block size is approximately 10 cubic meters. It is then processed at the company’s state-of-the-art facilities in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo, into a range of finish products, particularly slabs.

During extraction, vertical holes are made into the quarry face using hydraulic hammers. Diamond wire saws are then used to cut into large walls of stone, which are then freed using hydraulic extractors. These large blocks are then further worked into smaller, gangsaw-sized blocks using drills.

Among the importers of Iberê Crema Bordeaux, Architectural Granite & Marble, Inc. (AG&M) of Austin, TX, has been distributing the material for the past eight years. “AG&M considers Crema Bordeaux to be a high-demand exotic,” said Luke Spiller of AG&M. “Turnover is reasonable, considering the [economic] environment.

Spiller also said that the material’s flexibility to be fabricated into a range of edge details - square polished, ogee, half bullnose, full bullnose, etc. - helps its appeal to designers and fabricators. “It has a beautiful array of coloring, consistent supply, few quality issues and a reasonable price,” he said.

According to Pemagran, the Iberê Crema Bordeaux quarry has reserves that will allow it to last another 50 years at the current production rate. Over the past decade, the company has worked to ensure the long-term success of the operation by investing millions of dollars in professional training, acquisition of equipment, infrastructure, environmental maintenance and preservation of quarries.

Moreover, Pemagram has served as a benefactor to local communities as well as its nation as a whole. “In interviews with people from the local community, we noticed the importance of Iberê Crema Bordeaux for the environmental preservation of the region as well as employment and a positive impact for the local economy,” stated the company.

During this past year, the Pemagran Group contributed directly to an entity that supports abandoned children and victims of family violence. These children are between 0 and 16 years old, and all are still waiting to be adopted. “In 2011, our goal is to expand projects in this regard, encouraging professional training of these children while they are still young,” stated the company.