…product availability or market demands? Do you sell what you have, or, do you have what sells? Balancing production and sales, deciding whether and when to be reactive or proactive – or, as founder Michael Morey calls it, “handling the two-headed monster”– is an ongoing challenge, and one that Champlain Stone seems to have clearly mastered.

The Warrensburg, New York quarriers of natural building stone are celebrating 25 years in the business. What may have started as a personal quest for Morey (to build his own stone house and in the process, build some muscle) has grown into a sophisticated and thriving business. Champlain Stone’s products are used for building as well as for landscaping, their types and cuts include American, Corinthian, Summit and Van Tassell Granites, South Bay Quartzite and Great Meadow Limestone, and are a resource for a demanding global clientele that includes public and private institutions, large corporations, award-winning architects and jet-set homeowners.

Meeting Morey, the question begs to be asked – “To what do you attribute your company’s steady growth?” Morey’s straightforward answer may initially be surprising – “We never forget that we are in the people business.” He explains how from the very beginning he put to work in his quarry what he had learned in the hospitality industry – the importance of developing and maintaining a very personal, close connection with his clients and with the marketplace, “We make it a point to keep our ear to the ground, staying connected, understanding and appreciating trends and styles, ready to support them – or to try and influence them.”

Actually, the Champlain Stone founder and CEO has no qualms comparing stone quarrying with the fashion industry. He sees the same need to stay ahead of new directions, judging whether they are mere drifts or deeper, longer-lasting currents, and he believes there’s a similar opportunity in both industries for the company that’s ready to be first to gain from a trend or even to help shape one.

At first glance, stone and flexibility don’t seem to go hand-in-hand, but Champlain management has developed a business sixth sense that has allowed them to position themselves very favorably vis-à-vis changing demands. Listening to Morey explain how his vision gets implemented throughout the facets of management, operations and marketing is a good way to get a closer look at the reasons behind Champlain Stone’s success.

Feeling the pulse of the market.
…and making sure your definition of “market” is wide enough! From Morey’s point of view, his market includes the architectural community, landscape designers, garden centers, stone yards, stone brokers, and interior designers. Staying close to them, asking them questions and listening to their concerns, understanding what matters to them and why…it all goes a long way.

The Champlain Stone “people” philosophy is clearly at play here; every client gets a project manager, on the house, who can be a resource at any time, from helping specify the stone that makes the most sense, to developing an estimate and making sure the client is satisfied and receiving perfect attention.

Morey is convinced of the importance of keeping an open mind regarding customers’ needs and wants. He explains, “They have their unique agenda, and it’s our job to decipher it,” adding, “Looks and coverage may be the top concern for an architect, availability for another one, price for a third; each one can be satisfied if we took the time to understand their motivator.”

Champlain Stone has dedicated salespeople in the field whose job it is to attend industry events, trade shows, association conferences and organization meetings. “Having an architect specify your stone and then win a top award like a Tucker can pay dividends for a very long time,” is Morey’s opinion.

The human resources factor.
A visit to one of Champlain Stone’s quarries shows the company’s staffing philosophy is anything but conventional. One example? There are many female equipment operators as Morey is absolutely convinced that, “Women make outstanding operators; they are reliable, very safety-conscious and since they are usually not interested in showing off they are less likely to abuse the equipment!”

Although equipment plays a big role in quarry, a lot of the work at the Champlain quarries is done by hand; actually the need for dedicated hand-cutters is such that Champlain hires migrant workers from Mexico who spend approximately 9 months working at the quarries. Given their performance, the cost of hiring migrant workers – working through the legal requirements, transporting the workers, housing them and providing them with health insurance and continuous training is a good investment for the company. Last but certainly not least – safety is a crucial aspect of Champlain Stone’s operation. There’s an entire department whose function is to teach, promote, support and reward safe behavior.

The right machine in the right place
Superintendent of Quarries Mark Morey is pretty blunt here – “It doesn’t get any rougher on equipment than this.” It’s all rock, and the machinery has to be able to take it, so Champlain can meet their commitments to their customers. Mark Morey laughingly, but proudly, recalls a competitor telling them, “Your worst piece of equipment is better than our best!”

A long-time Milton CAT client – their first CAT machine was a 950B purchased in 1986 – Champlain Stone owns a Caterpillar fleet that totals nearly 80 machines as well as a good number of attachments that extend the use of the equipment even further. Intelligent use of attachments is actually characteristic of Champlain, and corporate planner Heinz Schefold says the company is constantly trying new ones, putting old ones to different uses and experimenting with configurations that improve product quality and cut down on labor, time and cost.