FAQ - List Page Viewer

Question: Why fabricate blocks in Carrara, Italy, when it can be done locally?
Answer:

Although significant time is spent and many expenses are incurred, there are two main reasons for shipping marble blocks to Carrara, Italy for fabrication: operational expertise and market exposure.

First, Italians are the pioneers, champions, and experts of the international marble industry. Centuries of quarrying knowledge, evolving techniques, experimentation and innovation are centred in Carrara. Therefore, and since every marble deposit is different, the best way to develop a quarry and learn about the deposit's composition and texture is to expose it to the world's best technologies and processes.

Second, the Italians are largely responsible for the trends in colour, style, and design with respect to the fashion and home dÈcor industries. So, attracting the attention of a well-respected Italian distributor typically evolves into a long-term relationship, often accounting for a quarry's full production capacity. Much like the diamond industry, it is virtually impossible to gain access to the European market without gaining aesthetic approval from the Italians. Regardless of the development of new centres for marble in Turkey and Spain, and regardless of the emergence of Asia as both a massive consumer and fabricator of stone in general, the Italians are still the gatekeepers to true market penetration and international product placement.