Slippery Rock Gazette

by Peter Marcucci

Photos Courtesy Castelli Marble

When opening the doors of Castelli Marble in 1987, Luigi and Alessandro Castelli did so with two childhoods-worth of experience after working alongside master craftsmen at their father’s quarry in Cassino, Italy. Their know-how harks back to a post-World War II era when machines were few, and hands were plenty. Little did they know at the time that this childhood introduction to stone would lead them and their children into meaningful lifetime careers

“Once sourced, all of our products are manufactured at our factory, located in Ciudad Leredo, Mexico.” Above: The Castelli brothers, Luigi and Alessandro Castelli. Below, Left: Castelli Marble is vertically integrated from the quarry to the client. The exclusion of an intermediary allows Castelli Marble to assure the highest quality of raw stone to finished product. Below, Right: A Nero St. Gabriel marble block is being prepared for cutting.

Experienced

At this point, you’re probably thinking the brothers began with slab fabrication, right? Nope! It was simply marble tiles, recalled Luigi Castelli. “My cousin told me he needed someone who could speak English rather well, because we are exhibiting at the stone fair in Cararra, Italy! This was in 1984. I said yes, and I was acting as a translator there, because I had learned English while attending college in America. I had no price sheet, no nothing, but there I was, talking to international clients that showed-up like they’re going to a bar in Italy. It fascinated me, because we were going out to beautiful restaurants in the evening, being catered to, and treated like a king!”

So Luigi made a few bucks, went back to America, but couldn’t get this memorable experience out of his head. The wheels were spinning, and the numbers were coming up positive, he continued, “This was the beginning of 12 by 12 marble tiles, and while doing a little bit of market research, I saw that I could buy them from Italy at, say, a dollar fifty each, and then sell them in the US for four dollars each. As little as I knew about profit, I knew this was a good spread!”

Soon after, Luigi scored a job as a rep for two Italian tile companies, and continued getting the experience he needed to operate a tile import business. Before long, Luigi convinced his brother, Alessandro, to partner with him. A 12,000 square foot warehouse was acquired in Cleveland, Ohio, and their first container arrived in 1987. 

Handcrafted elegance meets international expertise. This marble vanity sink area exemplifies Castelli Marble’s commitment to the human touch—where skilled artisans transform stone into one-of-a-kind masterpieces. From quarry to client, every detail is tailored to perfection. Timeless craftsmanship, handcrafted perfection— this marble vanity sink showcases the artistry of Castelli Marble.

Connected

Within just two years, the brothers import business was thriving. Profits were good and getting better by the month. However, the wheels were still spinning in Luigi’s head. “I have a weird way of seeing the future. I had a feeling that things were going to change, and it was time to look at something new. Granite slabs were gaining in popularity, so we got into the slab business, and we literally became the largest granite slab distributor in Ohio overnight! This was partly because of the Italian connections we now had. Being bilingual also helped.” Remember, that at the time, the Port of Carrara was receiving the finest materials from around the world, and 90% of the granite and 80% of the marble was either distributed or fabricated in Italy. 

Above: A Calacatta marble solid stone vanity for an upscale residential customer. Below: A Statuary marble solid stone vanity.

Diversified

With a passion for stone and a fine eye for quality, the brothers saw continued success over the next decade. They were still importing stone from around the world, but the need for diversity to satisfy the opulent tastes of their growing high-end clientele, as well as staying ahead of their competition was clear, explained Luigi. “Our markets were getting saturated and shifting. We had 5 to 6,000 slabs at any one time, and the only way out was to cut our own material! So we took what we had learned in Cleveland, and created a small shop in Ciudad Lerdo, Durango, México, in the mid 90’s.” 

“At first we were buyers, but we eventually bought a couple of old but very functional Gregori saws, and modified them to go forward, backward, neutral, up and down.”

The brothers outgrew this shop in just 4 months, and created a second shop, which they outgrew in 18 months, then decided to really dig in. Eight acres were purchased and a two-hundred thousand square foot building was built that would eventually house large, state-of-the-art saws that could cut blocks or slabs, little and medium saws that cut slabs for fabrication and mosaics, and a processing line for tile. However, they made the decision to not invest in robotics, explained Luigi. “I’ve stayed away from robotics, because I do not want to compete with China! In other words, my unique angle is that our products are made by artisans by hand, and you’ll see all the nuances of the hand. Years ago, I asked myself a simple question: Why should customers come to Castelli Marble?” 

“The simple answer was that if I cannot offer a unique product or a unique application, then I’m not doing what I should be doing. I truly believe this, and the reason why is this. When you think of CNCs these days, and that you can simply hit a button and do a Michelangelo-style work, all of a sudden it sort of cheapens the value of that product, especially natural stone, because now, obviously, anyone can put a block on a multi axis CNC, hit the button, have a cup of coffee, then come back the next morning and see a beautiful statute of David in whatever size you want to make it. In my opinion, to have a unique space, be it architectural or structural, in a home, a public building or a religious building, stone has to have the human touch, and that’s what we try to sell to our clients. I wanted a company that followed the old ways, with a human touch. You call here, and a human answers the phone, even on Saturday! This has been a big part of our success.”

Above: Courtyard fountain created for Archangel Michael Church, Broadview Heights, Ohio. Castelli Marble client ratios are 50% residential, with the remaining percentage being commercial, religious and hospitality markets.

Internationally Positioned

Currently serving a worldwide market, Castelli Marble’s main distribution market continues to be from New York to Illinois and from Ohio to Tennessee. The company also has a growing presence in the Canadian Provinces, the Bahamas, Colorado and California. Client ratios are 50% residential, with the remaining percentage being commercial, religious and hospitality markets. 

From quarry to client, the company is one-stop-shopping source for marble sinks, blocks, mosaics and basic or custom hand-carved fireplace surrounds. Countertops and flooring can also be color coordinated and tailored to the delight of the consumer, continued Luigi. 

“We chose this location because of the logistics. Mexico is the only country in North America that allowed us to be where the stone is. Between 100 and 200 distinctive marbles, travertines and onyx are located within a 300 mile radius of our shop. If it can be done with stone, we have the capability to do it. We have the people, the machinery, the material and the relationships from all over the world that can give us their know-how, the machinery, or any kind of assistance. Relationships, especially in our industry, are everything! We’ve taken the time to develop these relationships, and this is what makes us unique.” 

Another biggie that makes the company unique, it that it is family-operated. Luigi continues to share the helm with his brother and co-owner, Alessandro, while Luigi’s triplets Maya, Fernando and Giancarlo as well as wife, Maria, share the sales or administrative duties. 

Additionally, longtime employee Greg Franz heads up the company’s super successful regional sales program. Team members at the Cleveland location, where only mosaics, mock-ups and repairs are done, total 12, while the shop in Mexico employs between 80 and 95 highly skilled craftsman and assistants. 

Between the two locations, Castelli Marble handles an average of 2,320 metric tons per year, and keeps an average of 125 blocks in stock to expedite client service, said Luigi. “Our unique vertical integration allows us to give our clients exceptional service. For example: let’s say on the first of the month you present us with a project such as a sink or a fireplace, and then on the sixth we agree on everything. Chances are you’ll have this project at your jobsite four weeks later. We are one of the few companies that can do this, because we stock material from 15 to 20 different countries around the world and America, as well as our local quarries in Mexico, and then fabricate it in our shop. It is then sent to us in Cleveland where it is inspected, photographed, palletized or crated, and then sent to your jobsite. Coordinated flooring, walls and countertops are also expedited due to our quarry to client ability.”

Above: Statuary marble 3 x 6 inch tile with a basketweave mosaic on the floor.

Luigi’s Final Thoughts on the Industry

“The coming tariffs don’t help us or the client, because at the end of the day, tariffs are never paid by the seller. They are paid by the buyer. We all know that. Many distributors in North America have front-run their purchases, so if you’re a distributor from Europe or Asia, you’re going to see a heck of a slowdown in the next 5 months. Everybody has bought more than they needed to front-run these tariffs, and they will definitely impede the market in 2025. That said, we have seen our sales go up by 40% this year, because of cross marketing and social marketing. I also see that more and more high-end retail work will be the key for us to continue to excel, and the fact that we can do the entire project from A to Z, as well as customize it in a reasonable time frame. We have also invested in more machinery in the last 6 months to make more sinks, fireplaces and dimensional work.    

“What’s really going to be interesting, though, is if clients are going to go with synthetic or manmade products, such as quartz, porcelain or Dekton, and turn away from natural products. I see this as the biggest threat to our industry, more than tariffs or anything else, because I’ve seen enough of what quartz has done to natural stone. Additionally, this new generation of kids, let’s say they are 20 years old now. They seem to be in favor of non-natural products and leaving nature alone. By 2030, if society says we don’t want a natural product and want to leave the mountains alone, this could be a big problem, because the stone industry runs on mass sales, and if there are not enough sales, machine makers won’t develop new technology and new quarries won’t be exploited.” 

For more information about Castelli Marble’s products and business model visit www.castellimarbleinc.com.