By Jason Crotty / Staff Writer
Wed Jul 09, 2008, 12:11 PM EDT
Lancaster -
Two years ago, 19-year-old Saymon Silva was nearly broke and looking for a job. Now he is married, has a child and runs a successful granite business.
In 2006, Silva thought he had hit rock bottom while exclusively financing a
marble and granite job, only to discover later the man hired to do the job with him had returned to Brazil, taking approximately $38,000 from Silva. Silva also had his car and tools stolen.
“I did all the work and he went back to Brazil and he took all my money,” said the young entrepreneur. “I lost everything I had, I lost my car, my tools, my car was stolen, I had no insurance … I had days where I didn’t have anything to eat and didn’t have anyplace to stay.”
Silva soon discovered his wife, Tyzza, was pregnant. Nearly broke and faced with the challenge of providing for Tyzza and his son, Pedro Henrique, Silva had to start new.
Prior to losing his wealth and possession, he worked on various construction jobs and also worked as a carpenter and painter, while doing stonework on the side. He worked as a waiter at Fire and Ice Restaurant in Boston in December 2006, but by February 2007 took the advice of his friend Mario Candido, who had experience in the granite business, and started his own company, Pro Stone
Marble & Granite on Allen Street. Silva is currently sales manager of the company, which polishes, cuts, delivers and installs
marble and granite countertops, bathroom vanity tops, fireplaces moldings, floors and walls.
As business continues to improve and his marriage and family life remain strong a year and a half later, Silva has got back what he had lost and more.
“I had to start from the beginning again,” he said. “I got a very nice house, two nice cars. God has been blessing me a lot the last couple of years.”
The 21-year-old Silva was born and raised in Brazil before moving to Boston in 2001. He lived there until 2005, later moving to Florida before coming back to Boston in 2007. He now makes the daily commute from his Boston home to the Clinton-based Pro Stone to serve eastern and central Massachusetts customers.
“My name is kind of popular around the Boston area. I have a lot of contractors,” he said, adding of his move to Clinton, “I’m trying to expand my job. I have all the Boston area, I’m trying to do over here — Clinton, Worcester, Lancaster, Bolton, Leominster.”
According to Silva, the shop receives polished stones slabs from around the world, including Brazil, India, China, Italy and New Hampshire. Two workers further polish and cut the slabs, which weigh over 1,000 pounds apiece when they arrive at Pro Stone.
Silva said suppliers in locations such as Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey deliver particular stone colors and varieties to the shop.
More than $200,000 is currently invested in the company, according to Silva. Besides his partner, Ladislau Filho, there are six other Pro Stone employees, including a secretary and two workers who polish and cut stones in the shop, two installation men and a sales person.
With Silva working over 70 hours a week and his employees working in excess of 50 hours, the sales manager said more hours means higher quality. He feels business has been going well.
“I think that’s the only way you know something is getting done right,” said Silva. “The way I see it, I don’t think we’re slow at all. We never stop, we’re always working … I can definitely work with what I have now.”
Silva attended Revere High School for a year and a half before leaving school for good in 2002 to work and support his family. Silva had support his mother Maria and younger brother Sabio from the age of 16. His father, Antonio, died when he was 9 years old.
“My mom hurt her back, and I had to stop going to school to help her out and my brother,” he said. “I dropped out of school and never went back … I bought my first car when I first got here when I was 16 years old, without asking anything from my mom.”
Silva said he has derived inspiration from his family, calling his parents and brother hard-workers. Maria works as a personal assistant to a Brazilian mayor, while Sabio currently lives in Florida and is also part of the granite business.
“I would love it if he came up here, I always ask him to come up,” said Silva of his brother. “He’s like, ‘nah, I like it here, it’s too cold [in Massachusetts].’”
Silva met his wife Tyzza, who is also from Brazil, in Boston in 2002 and married her several years later. Silva said Pedro Henrique is his inspiration.
“He’s the reason I wake up every day … he’s the reason I work until late every day,” said Silva. “If anything happened to me, I want to lay a future for my son.”
(Jason Crotty can be reached at 978-365-8046 or
jcrotty@cnc.com.)
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 | | Marble | MARBLE: CHARACTERISTICS
This standard includes general information on the characteristics
and common uses of marble and identifies typical problems
associated with the material.
INTRODUCTION
Marble is an extremely hard, metamorphic stone composed of calcite
(CaCO3). It is formed as a result of the recrystallization of
limestone under the intense pressure and heat of geologic
processes. The effect of this process is the creation of a stone
with a very tight crystalline structure and small but definite
porosity. Because of its structure, marble can take a very high
polish and is a very popular decorative stone for architectural and
sculptural uses. The limited porosity of marble, especially
polished marble, makes it less vulnerable to the leaching effects
of water. Calcium carbonate, however, of which marble is composed,
is highly susceptible to attack by acidic agents. Marble is
readily dissolved by acids, even very dilute acids, however the
actual results of acidic exposure will vary with the nature of the
acid. Chlorides, nitrates, sulfates and other chemical compounds
react differently with marble and produce various by-products,
which have a wide range of solubility and impact on the durability
of marble. For this reason, it is always important to determine
the exact type of pollutants causing marble deterioration.
Marble itself can be of two types, one composed of calcite and the
other of dolomite. Dolomitic marble is much more resistant to acid
attack than calcite marble. The color of marble ranges from the
brilliant white of calcite to black, including blue-gray, red,
yellow and green, depending upon the mineral composition.
TYPICAL USES
Marble has many decorative and structural uses. It is used for
outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases; in architecture
it is used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative
features, stairways and walkways. The way in which the stone is
used may be a factor in limiting or controlling the severity of
exposure. The use or function of the marble may also affect the
feasibility of applying certain treatments, but type of use is not
the primary factor in the major types of deterioration and damage
to which marble is susceptible. | |  |
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Linear Mode
