Building a Stone Fabrication Business
Vincenzo Oliviero worked his way up in the stone industry to establish a fabrication shop in hopes of passing it on to his daughter
Vincenzo Oliviero came to this country from Italy without much knowledge of the English language and joined a small fabrication shop cutting granite in 1987. He eventually moved up to a larger company in 1992, where after a while he graduated to a managerial position for five or six years. With some experience under his belt, Oliviero soon decided he wanted to go out on his own, and found a partner with whom to open their own fabrication shop that would service New Brunswick and surrounding areas for 17 years. Then in 2012, he finally decided to go solo, working with a few other fabricators before opening up Stone by Vincenzo in 2014 in Lake Hopatcong, NJ.
Oliviero prides himself on offering his customers top-of-the-line stones and customer service. “We don’t lower our prices to compete with companies going after the lowest price,” he said. “We serve a very special clientele that want a professional look, want professional service and want to work with professionals. We offer all of that, and in a three-to-five-day turnaround time. In the industry customers can easily find a cheaper price, but not better quality.”
Being located in Northern New Jersey, the company does business all over the state, including down the shore, while also traveling to New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Stone by Vincenzo currently has 24 employees running one shift, as well as two installation crews consisting of three men — sometimes bumping it up to three crews during the busy season. All measuring is performed with stick templating.
As for machinery, the shop is equipped with a FMS CR Easy bridge saw and a Shengoa bridge saw, and tooling is supplied by Stone Boss, located in Fair Lawn, NJ. “I buy only from Stone Boss because they are the highest quality tools in this industry, which allows us to produce quality work,” said Oliviero.
The company produces approximately 25 to 30 kitchens a week, without counting fireplaces and vanities, with the average size being 50 to 60 square feet. Residential walk-ins comprise a high volume of Stone by Vincenzo’s business because of its location, being right off the highway, and the amount of word-of-mouth referrals it receives. One of the reasons that their word-of-mouth referral is so high is because of how the company treats its customers from the time they come in to after installation. “If a customer has any question, we will always answer it, and if for some reason an employee of mine doesn’t know the answer right away, I am always available for them to ask me and I will be able to get them their answer,” said Oliviero. “Also, mistakes unfortunately happen, and if for some reason we make a mistake and the customer tells us, we put that job right on top of the pile and fix it immediately. We will do what it takes to make it right. I also have an impeccable and skilled office staff that always works by my side to make the company successful.”
While the business has primarily focused on natural stone, in recent months it has shifted to selling more quartz surfacing products than granite, which Oliviero attributes to homeowners watching more HGTV shows that heavily promote the use of quartz.
Eventually, Oliviero intends to pass on his company to his family. “Down the road, I want to pass this business to my daughter and son-in-law,” said Oliviero. “I hope to be able to give them a nice established company that serves all of Morris, Essex and Sussex County, all the way out to PA. If I can give that to them, I would consider that a success.”
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Stone by Vincenzo Lake Hopatcong, NJType of Work: Residential |
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
