Ground broken for marble plant

[Huligar]

By Al Krombach

RICE CREEK � George Hill had to pause to wipe away a tear during Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for his Marble Today Inc. plant.
With a Bible open to Deuteronomy, Hill was reading from the portion that says in essence, “remember where you came from and who brought you.�
“The reason we’re here is really only through the grace of God,� he said. “It was tough getting here. I wouldn’t want to go through it again, but I’m glad we did.�
Hill expects land-clearing to begin next week at the three-acre site a short distance north of Rice Creek on U.S. 17. Work is starting a bit later than planned because of efforts to preserve more of the large oak trees on the site.
The football field-sized building will house about 20 workers and a state-of-the-art machine that will turn slabs of marble, granite and quartz into custom countertops.
Hill said he opened for business � “with a forklift and a table saw� � a little more than five years ago in St. Johns County.
“We signed the lease for the warehouse space on Sept. 1, 2001,� he said. “The first day I came to work in a white shirt, and we were officially in business, was Sept. 11, 2001.�
From that inauspicious start, Hill said, the company has grown to where it operates at capacity today. His wife, Angela, handles the business and accounting end and a small, dedicated staff keeps things running.
“We have no real sales force,� he said. “It’s all been by word of mouth.�
The L-shaped building will house the manufacturing facility and a showroom. The heart of the operation will be technically sophisticated, computer-guided machinery that will cut, shape and finish the natural stone countertops � a fixture in many new, upscale homes.
“It will be the only one of its kind in the Southeast,� Hill said. “If I want to see one in operation, I have to go to Switzerland.�
Hill said he expects to expand his market to meet builders’ needs in several surrounding counties. “Putnam County is at the center of our market,� he said. “We’re really excited to be moving here.�
Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Chairman Fred Pilgrim and county Commissioner Brad Purcell were on hand to welcome the firm to the county.
“The board is passionate about small business job creation,� Purcell said. “The strength of our business community is the diversity of our small business workforce.�

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where is Rice Creek?