Connecticut Stone Business in Family 100 Years

Stamford, CT, November 9, 2005--He may not be Michelangelo, but Mario Sardo, president of 100-year-old Fordham Marble at 421 Fairfield Avenue in Stamford, sounds a lot like a sculptor, according to the Stamford Advocate. "I enjoy using all of my talents in many different areas . . . to roll up my sleeves and to use my expertise and experience to stretch the capabilities of what can be done with stone," said Sardo, who has headed the company for 38 years and represents the third-generation ownership of Fordham Marble. Founded by Sardo's grandfather, Salvatore, in the Bronx, New York, where the company still does its stone fabrication before installation, Fordham Marble sells marble, granite, limestone and other natural stones used to transform home interiors. A lot has changed for Fordham Marble since 1905, including the deterioration of its neighborhood in the Bronx, which began deterring customers during the 1980s. Sardo saw there was a need to expand into the Fairfield County market, and in 1989 opened the space in Stamford that eventually became home to the company's main operations. "We always did a lot of work in Greenwich and Fairfield County, so we wanted to make it convenient for architects and builders to see the material," he said. Today, Sardo says his sales are evenly split between New York City and Fairfield County. Like many contractors in the region, Fordham Marble has done work for many nationally recognized executives, athletes and entertainers. Additionally, Sardo is frequently asked to work on local customers' second homes in places like Nantucket, Massachussetts, Fishers Island, New York, and the Turks and Caicos. Kitchen countertops and baths make up a majority of Fordham Marble's work, but flooring and fireplaces are other areas where fine stone adds ornamentation. "I like to see people stand back and say, 'Wow,' " Sardo said. "I'm called in to do challenging things that other guys run away from." A major technology change for Fordham Marble has been the use of computer numerical control machines to cut stone. Developed for the metal fabrication industry, CNC technology has been a boon for shaping stone. "Granite was so hard to work with years ago. The technology is unbelievable now. It used to take a week to or more to saw a block of granite, now it takes a couple of days to saw a block. When I first came into the business this didn't exist," said Sardo, a Pound Ridge, New York resident. Sardo is also exploring other new technologies. "We're experimenting with a digitized arm that touches the cabinet and makes measurements. I can have template e-mailed back and have pieces cut right in the factory," he said. Richard Roll, president of the American Homeowners Association in Stamford, believes that use of natural stones in homes continues to be popular, especially in upgrading existing homes. He also said Fordham Marble has a high profile in Fairfield County. "What has happened in the late '90s is that improvement with granite or marble in the kitchen and bathroom has become a prerequisite for demanding a the highest price for selling a house," Roll said. But home fashion, like high fashion, is trend driven, and though granite countertops have been very popular, Donald Silvers, a certified kitchen designer, believes that granite is losing some of its of its flair. "Granite is going down in interest because it's been used so much -- Mr. and Mrs. Jones have it and your neighbors have it," said Silvers, the author of "Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind." Silvers also cited the high price of fine granite, which can easily run more than $75,000 in an extensive home renovation. Lower-priced alternatives are gaining popularity, he added. "There's a new concrete coming into play that's light concrete and so porous that it can be sealed. So the market is changing to middle of the road kitchens," Silvers said.

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