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The Beacon of The STone InduSTry www.slipperyrockgazette.net
Stone Studio: This Second– Generation Business is an Example of Careful Planning and Community Action
July 2020 Volume 26.7
IN1980 Dexter Hughes opened the doors to his custom cabinetry shop in Nash, Texas. Dexter’s son, Dustin, was
also born around this same time.
As the years progressed, young Dustin would spend his time off from school learning how to fin- ish cabinets, he recalled. “From the time I was six, my dad would take me to work with him. Back then, our cabinet shop was down the hill from our house, and I would get off the school bus and go to work sanding and finishing. I liked to work with my hands and liked streamlining the process to make it more efficient. I’m still passionate about this.”
Continuing to work side-by-side with his dad, Dustin’s love and passion for quality craftsmanship continued to grow in lock-step with the company’s products and clientele.
Peter J. Marcucci
Photos Courtesy Stone Studio
Digital Technology Brings Opportunity & Challenges By his early teens, Dustin’s love
and passion had increased to in- clude a vision of automation for the family business. Dustin was developing into a born leader, and by age eighteen had become an important part of Contemporary Concepts (CCI). During this time, the company’s cabinets were sold to the residential market. In 2001, CCI additionally became a com- mercial supplier. With Dustin at the controls of their first CNC, the extra volume needed could be produced, as well as allow the company to expand its product line, he explained.
“I wanted to grow the company, and in 2003 I bought my dad out.
At the time, we were bidding on the stone tops that were sold with our cabinets, even though we were outsourcing them. This got to be a nightmare just from the co- ordination factor, but in 2015, we got a large project at the Walmart corporate headquarters, and I de- cided that this was the time to take the plunge and get into the stone business.”
Dustin took the plunge in 2016, and bought a Park Industries Yukon bridge saw. in 2018, the stone division was officially christened Stone Studio. He and his team of craftsmen offered a full line of first-quality materials and products into the residen- tial and commercial market, and didn’t look back. The company quickly outgrew its current space in Texarkana, Texas, and a new, more efficient space was needed, he continued.
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Sample as well as workspace: Dustin Hughes’ Stone Studio office features a Golden Crystal waterfall desk and a Titanium granite wall feature.
Eduardo Cosentino on Cosentino
Eduardo Cosentino has established a substantial career with the Cosentino Group, the family-owned global leader in the production of innovative surfaces for architecture and design.
The Slippery Rock Gazette reached out to Eduardo Cosentino for an exclusive interview on the occasion of the 40th anni- versary of Cosentino, and the 25th Anniversary of Silestone. The global suc- cess of Cosentino owes much to Eduardo’s drive and business acumen, so we wanted to know more about his career with this innova- tive family-owned business.
Starting as a Cosentino intern in high school, Eduardo built his
career from the ground up, taking on roles in multiple divisions, from workshop and commercial operations, to commercial sales and
senior management roles at both the regional and inter- national level.
Since 2005 Eduardo has held the post of Global Corporate Sales executive vice-president, where he oversees Cosentino Group’s sales efforts globally, and utilizes his multi-cultural design and sales experience to influence the company’s product design and research and development teams.
In addition to his global sales responsibility, in 2010 Eduardo was named CEO of Cosentino North America, where he has overseen the company’s growth in the U.S. market.
Motivated by complex
challenges and driven to de- velop the talents of his col- leagues, Eduardo is known for his boundless energy, intuition, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. He splits his time between the company’s North American Headquarters in Miami and the Global Headquarters in Spain.
Eduardo is also a mem- ber of Cosentino’s Steering Committee, Executive Committee and Company Board. Since 2002 he has been vice-president of the Andalusian Marble Association.
Tell us about Cosentino Group’s origins.
“Cosentino Group has its origins in the quarrying, processing and sale of mar- ble from the Sierra de los Filabres mountains in the province of Almeria, Spain. The ‘White Macael’ marble from this area is particularly outstanding. Since 1979, the company’s process of ex- pansion and research has led it to apply the latest technol- ogy to produce innovative materials and high-value solutions for the world of architecture and design.“
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