Company: Nuzzo Campion Stone Enterprises
Owners: James Nuzzo, CEO/president and Rita J. Campion, CFO/vice president
Type of Business: Manufactures and distributors of granite, marble, and natural stone products.
Founded: 1978
Location: 85 Industrial Circle, Lincoln
Employees: 22
Annual Revenues: WND
WITH SOME OF HIS COMPANY’S PRODUCT is James Nuzzo, president of Nuzzo Campion Stone Enterprises.
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Ask James Nuzzo, president and chief executive officer of Nuzzo Campion Stone Enterprise in Lincoln, what the key to his success has been – and he will quickly answer “flexibility.”
In 1978 Nuzzo started his own general contracting business, primarily working on Aquidneck Island. Nuzzo’s company soon became known for its work renovating and restoring the old homes and mansions of Newport. It was through these projects that Nuzzo discovered what he believed was an untapped market — stone.
”In the late 1980s while working on different projects, we just couldn’t find a reliable stone dealer in the area,” he said. “We were so dissatisfied that we decided to do it ourselves.”
Ten years later, Nuzzo no longer does general contracting. He has decided to dedicate his entire business to the resale of granite, marble, and other natural stone products. The company specializes in cutting stone for fireplaces, kitchen counters, and bathrooms.
With customers all over New England, including much of Cape Cod, sales are increasing annually. Eighty percent of the company’s business is residential work, the other 20 percent is commercial.
”It started as its own division of our general contracting company,” Nuzzo said of the stone business. “But it became so lucrative that we have stopped doing general contracting all together.”
When he began the stone business, Nuzzo said, he had never before done anything like it. He called on his lead carpenter, Doug Looker, to help him.
”The technical learning curve was extremely difficult,” he said. “Doug was a technical wizard and was able to handle that.”
With the equipment alone bearing a huge price tag, Nuzzo said the investment was somewhat risky – but he never doubted he could make it work.
”From the business side, there was a real lack of professionalism among people in the stone industry,” he said. “At that time and it continues to be an emerging market. But at that time, people didn’t keep appointments. It was more and more mom and pop types business, and it just wasn’t working. We came from a line of work that was very demanding. We knew how to deal with those high-end type of clients.”
In addition, Nuzzo said, much of his early success was the result of good planning.
”We really marketed ourselves outside of our traditional market for the first five years,” he said. “We hit the market on the Cape perfectly, sending salesmen on the road.”
Still, Nuzzo said, finding the right fit for a company its size in a specialized market like stone has been one of the greatest challenges he and his partner, Rita Campion have faced.
”In a boom time like this to still maintain your vision and take a proactive approach to growing that business is difficult,” he said. “Having the diligence and the discipline to solicit for business is important anytime. You have to treat every customer like a new customer.”
Nuzzo said quite a bit has changed since he went into business 22 years ago. From the customer to the markets themselves, he said, everything constantly needs to be monitored.
”I think of my business as a living organism,” he said. “Change happens so quickly that you have to be flexible. Though the methods of processes of the stone business themselves probably haven’t change in a hundred years, the model of business itself has and we have to adapt to that.”
Part of adapting has also included a move. Last year, Nuzzo moved his operation from Newport to an old manufacturing building in Lincoln. He said the building meets two needs for the company: There is office and showroom space, as well as an area to store and cut the stone to order.
”With a background in restoration, I definitely have a passion for old buildings,” he said. “But in reality it’s nice to keep the tradition of these kinds of buildings. We are a manufacturer, and it’s nice to be part of that tradition.”
In addition, Nuzzo said, the new building offers the company more opportunities f to grow both physically and financially.
”We have plenty of space that we can use,” he said. “We are close to the Lincoln and Providence business communities as well as the highways. We think it’s a perfect fit.”
As for the future of his business — it appears to be sealed in stone. Nuzzo said there are already plans in the work to expand the operation, but declined to comment any further. Campion has two sons, who Nuzzo said, have expressed an interest in taking over the business, solidifying its future in Rhode Island.
”We are about to be a second generation business,” he said. “Though we will probably have huge growth, the important thing is for us to stick to our business plan and control that growth. We are just going to monitor the economy and the industry and play the same juggling game as everyone else. Flexibility today is huge.”
