Originally based in Phenix, MO, the Phenix Marble Co. first opened in the early 20th century. At the time, it was one of the largest producers of stone and marble in the country, employing 250 workers. The town of Phenix boasted two hotels, a church, a schoolhouse, a general store, a depot and a large community hall paid for by the Tompkins-Kiel distributors. Each family had a two- to three-room house provided by the company and were paid in script that could be used at the general store and elsewhere in the town.
Because of the town’s proximity to the KCCR line, the company had direct access to crucial rail distribution. The original owners of the company were based in Kansas City, MO, which provided a huge market for Phenix stone. For a time, there was even a second fabrication shop in Kansas City. From Kansas City, Phenix marble was shipped all over the country and the distributor, Tompkins-Kiel, was based in New York and sold it widely throughout New York City and the East Coast. One of the most notable historical Phenix examples is the use of Napoleon Gray on the floor of the original trading room of the New York Stock exchange.