The Journey

It is often said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For Vinny, Marco and Donald – the owners of Pacific Shore Stones – that single step began in 2001 when they set foot in a granite warehouse in Los Angeles, California. In looking at the myriad of finely polished stones, they sensed the joy and beauty in bringing these stones into people’s homes. After further research, they discovered that over 60% of the world’s granite comes from Brazil, their native country. And so they embarked on a journey to bring the beauty of the world’s natural stones – from faraway places such as Italy, India, China, Mexico, Turkey, and of course, Brazil – into homes across the U.S..

The true journey for a stone begins in its homeland. In Brazil, the virtual epicenter of the world’s granite industry, this homeland is the small town of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim in the southeast of Brazil and the quarries that surround it. At four hours from the nearest airport, it’s as close to the “middle of nowhere” as you can get. Dust spurred from under the wheels of the 4x4 as Vinny, Marco and Donald wound their way down twisty mountain roads into granite’s heartland. As they looked across the hilly landscape reminiscent of Tuscany, one question came to mind – “Where is all that granite?” The answer lies within the rolling hills. In fact, as they looked closely, they could see dotted in the landscape small areas that had been carved out of the hills where other explorers had searched for the most beautiful stones to bring to the marketplace.

Once granite has been carved out of the mountainside with explosives, earthmovers and cranes it is time for the finishing. Upon seeing this process they understood that it is in this processing and finishing that the true beauty of the stone comes alive. The group looked on as massive 10 ft wide by 10 ft high and 10 ft thick 30-ton blocks were brought into the manufacturing facility. It takes a team of gang saws over 48 hours to hone and slice the stones. Then, 13 different types of abrasives are applied to finish the stone and polish it to perfection. The most exotic, and most fragile, receive a fiberglass mesh for extra support in the next leg of their journey.

Vinny, Marco and Donald took this knowledge and awe at the labor required to tame nature and were determined to bring that beauty into individual homes across the U.S. After opening branches in their adopted home towns of Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX, they further expanded into San Antonio, TX and Bakersfield, CA. In 2006 they purchased their own manufacturing facility in Brazil to ensure the quality of their stones. They also began entering into joint ventures with quarries for exclusive rights to the most stunning stones. Today, they diligently scour the globe for the most exquisite pieces to bring back to the United States, to bring the journey through time and transformation to individual homeowners. That’s how, from a humble beginning brokering containers, Pacific Shore Stones has become one of the most important players in the natural stone industry. With four locations in the US, and a manufacturing facility in Brazil – where blocks are sliced into slabs, polished and resined - and representatives in China, Italy and India, Pacific Shore Stones is one of the few vertically integrated natural stone companies in the U.S.