Come back tomorrow wearing some work boots and you have a job.” This is what Buddy Ontra, now owner of Ontra Stone Concepts in Bridgeport, CT, was told in 1982 when getting a job working on high-rise buildings in Houston, TX. “I did high-rise buildings for a few years and became a brick layers union member,” said Ontra. “After doing that for a bit I would do small bits of fabrication here or there. You know how we would polish an edge back then? Take a belt sander and then sprayed some clear lacquer on it.”

Years later, a couple of the guys Ontra worked with started a tile company and he began working with them and eventually got into fabrication. “Back then, it was mostly marble,” said Ontra. “Granite was pretty tough to cut for the little guys. We would wet sand everything. Bring out the shine with oxalic acid and a piece of burlap. Really old fashion stuff. This was before diamond ceramic pads; before wet black sand paper was readily available.”