Women In the Industry Spotlight: Stephanie Hannah, Cadenza Granite & Marble
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Hannah
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Hannah
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Hannah
Before she was going to school, Stephanie Hannah was going to her father’s fabrication shop, Cadenza Granite & Marble in Concord, NC. It sparked an interest that continued to grow into her young adulthood. Today, Hannah works alongside her father, Ron Hannah, and the Cadenza team in sales. She shares more of her story and industry experiences in the following interview.
SW: Tell us a little about yourself, including how you got into the stone industry?
SH: I was introduced to the stone industry at age four when my father, Ron Hannah, started Cadenza Granite & Marble. My sister and I would tag along when he would go to the shop on the weekends. For entertainment, we would pretend to sell each other countertops and learn how to use the new machines. Some girls played with Barbies growing up, we played with granite samples and CNC routers. I even attended my first Stone Fabricator’s Alliance (SFA) workshop at age 12. After I graduated from college, I officially joined the Cadenza team, and it was amazing to see how much I had picked up during all those weekends at the shop.
SW: What is your position at Cadenza Granite and Marble?
SH: I oversee the sales team, specifically with commercial and high-end custom residential projects. I also partner with the fabrication team to bring in new technology and equipment that will improve our productivity and help us to deliver the best possible product to our customers.
SW: What do you like most about your job?
SH: I love the combination of analytical and creative thinking required by this job and this industry. Some projects require creativity with design choices, while others require myself and the team to be creative in how to fabricate to achieve a desired effect. Seeing the final product and the happiness of the customer on a challenging project is the most rewarding part of the process.
SW: Did you always want to follow in your dad’s footsteps and join his company?
SH: If you had asked me as a teenager if I was going to follow in my dad’s footsteps, I would have said absolutely not. No teenage girl thinks what their dad does is cool. Though after interning one summer at Cadenza, my appreciation and love of this industry grew to where I couldn’t see myself starting my career anywhere else after college. I have the team at Cadenza to thank for that. They welcomed me with open arms, and their enthusiasm for this industry was infectious.
SW: I understand you will be joining the SFA on their trip to Italy this spring. What are you hoping to gain from attending?
SH: It is such an honor being selected to join the SFA Italy tour this year. I have been lucky enough to have a front-row seat watching this industry grow and change over the last 26 years with the constantly evolving equipment and techniques. I am looking forward to the chance to learn about the new technologies, machinery, and materials coming from Italy. They will, without a doubt, continue to shape our work, and I am excited to bring this knowledge back to my team at Cadenza. In addition, the opportunity to cultivate connections within the SFA and within the Italian stone industry is priceless.
SW: What is something that many people might not know about you?
SH: I am a coffee addict. I got hooked on espresso the first time I visited Italy, and my life was forever changed. The Cadenza team jokes that you never see me without a coffee cup in my hand.
SW: When you aren’t working, how do you like to spend your free time?
SH: I am a huge bookworm so I am always in the middle of a book or probably more accurately, a few books. No genre is out of my comfort zone; I will read everything recommended to me. I am a bit of foodie as well, so I am constantly trying new restaurants in my neighborhood.
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