Stone Magazine November, 2002 Stone Personalities Features Arnold Abatecola, President A-Stone, Inc.
How long have you been in the business?
I actually started working as a landscape contractor and mason in 1965 and opened A-Stone in 1989
Do you belong to any industry organizations?
The Building Stone Institute, The Marble Institute of America, The Rhode Island Builders Association and the Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association.
How did you first become involved in the stone industry?
As a landscape contractor and stone mason I found it very difficulty to find quality stone products in my area. There was no business that could meet the demand for outdoor stone such as pavers, wall stone and veneers. I met an importer in the late 1980s and decided to carry a line of stone products from Brazil in my yard. At that time, I basically used the products for my own jobs an also sold them to my colleagues. My daughter, Paula and her husband, David joined the company shortly thereafter and the business began to grow. We opened a showroom and started carrying many different stones, both domestic and imported and began selling to the general public. A few years later, my daughter Linda joined the company and together with Paula started selling indoor fabricated materials for kitchens, vanities, etc. At first we farmed out these projects but found that we could no longer rely on others so we opened a state of the art fabrication facility which now boasts some of the best fabrication in the area and two large bridge saws and various equipment. Most purchased through leads found in this magazine's advertising.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment in the stone industry?
I have been so proud of so many things our company has been able to do. If I had to pick our "my greatest accomplishment," I would have to say starting a company and being able to work with my family on a daily basis ranks as number one. The fact that we are selling stone is a bonus. I believe stone to be one of the best building materials on Earth. It's unsurpassed beauty and durability cannot be found with anything else. Our company believes strongly in the products we sell and because of this, we have been able to educate many consumers and professionals.
If there is one thing you could do to improve the industry, what would it be?
It seems as though we all want the some thing for the stone industry. It would be to develop a strong nationwide campaign to promote stone as the premier choice in building materials. There are far too many alternatives to natural stone that do not come close in quality, however, because of the way they are promoted, they are sometimes viewed as a better option. We, as an industry, must change this if we want to see long term growth.
What is the outlook for the stone industry?
As long as we can continue to keep the younger generation educated as to the benefits of natural stone, I feel as though the potential for this industry is unlimited. I feel as though it is very important to keep the younger generation informed as to what this industry can do. If we can keep our business going into the next generation, we will continue to be strong.