After arriving from India with just $60 in cash, Peter Pental now has more than $20 million in inventory
POSTED: 04:00 AM PDT Wednesday, July 2, 2008
BY SAM BENNETT
Though he hasn’t lived in his homeland for more than a decade, Peter Pental always finds time to get back to India.
These days, it’s usually business that takes him home.
As the owner of Pental Granite & Marble, Pental regularly travels to India, Brazil, China and Italy in search of granite and tile.
Pental has a showroom and a warehouse in Portland, Seattle and Tacoma. Together, the warehouses comprise more than 200,000 square feet. His Portland location is 3551 N.W. Yeon Ave.
Pental works with developers, architects and builders while managing a $20 million inventory.
Pental got into the granite and marble business after dropping out of Dehli University in India in the late 1980s and coming to the United States. He arrived in the United States with just $60, and saved until he had enough money to purchase a franchise convenience store. But a chance meeting with a former classmate from Dehli University in 1998 changed Pental’s future. “I met with him and he told me how good (granite and marble) business was and how it was growing,” he said. “I got interested in the idea and at that time made a trip to India.”
He soon realized that granite and marble from India alone “would not be enough,” he said, so Pental expanded into the Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian and Italian markets.
“As an entrepreneur I’ve never been afraid to go to other countries and introduce myself,” he said. By going to trade shows, researching and networking, Pental said he developed a greater understanding of the business. He said he has not encountered problems with export restrictions; in fact, countries are eager to do business.
Pental caters his business to commercial projects such as condos, hospitality and medical buildings. “Our business is very diversified,” he said. Lately, popular products have been porcelain tile and ceramic tile, with most of the ceramic tile coming from Italy. Pental said clients are foregoing wall-to-wall carpeting for porcelain and ceramic tile, because the tiles are hypo-allergenic, easy to clean and low maintenance. “And they last forever,” he said.
While the single-family home sector has been hurting, Pental said he still does a good business with high-end home developers. “I feel that our company has been very fortunate,” he said. “Housing has slowed down in the Northwest, but we haven’t slowed down as much as California and Arizona.” Sales this year, he said, are up 12 percent since last year.
Commercial remodeling remains strong and he said architects have responded well to his up-to-date collections. “Architects and designers who specify the materials are very educated and know the difference,” said Pental. “A good quality product lasts a long time.”
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