Classic Marble & Stone celebrated 25 years of business at the end of 2010. As the economy is pulling out the of recession, howmeowners are improving their kitchens and baths with natural stone or quartz countertops. With a warehouse full of choices, homeowners are impresssed with the selection, price and quality of workmanship that is above the standard fabrication shop in the Midwest. Classic is proud to add the recyling of their stone products to reasons why homeowners should choose them for their housing projects.

That process requires water. Lots and lots of water.

In fact, the company uses thousands of gallons of water each day, both to cool the blades of its computer-assisted saws and routers and to assist in a multitude of finishing operations.

“Natural stone is the ultimate in environmentally friendly building materials because the earth itself has done all the hard work in the creation of natural stone,” says Mike Sorg, president and owner of Classic Marble & Stone.

“But the process of turning natural stone into countertops and other furnishings does generate waste,” Sorg continues. “In our case, that waste is ‘kerf,’ tiny grains produced when stone is cut or finished. Kerf is to us as sawdust is to a woodworking shop.”

As Classic Marble & Stone has grown in recent years, so has the amount of water used and the amount of kerf generated. To reduce the volume of new water it needs—and to take a precautionary step that could benefit the environment—the company recently invested in a brand-new, state-of-the-art Ebbco water-reclamation system.

“We’d had a water-reclamation system in place for several years, but we outgrew it,” Sorg says. “This new system, which has a capacity to reclaim up to 300 gallons per minute, meets our increased needs.

“And while no one has ever suggested that a combination of the water used in stone cutting and kerf could be harmful to the environment, we believe that it’s our responsibility to limit the impact we have on the environment in any way we can,” Sorg explains. “Using this water-reclamation system is one way we do our part as a green, environmentally friendly business.”

The water-reclamation system removes kerf from water after it’s been used in operations. Once the kerf is removed, that water can be used over and over again. New water is added to the system only to compensate for evaporation.

The new system puts Classic Marble & Stone in the vanguard of its industry in pursuing eco-friendly practices. “Instituting measures such as our water-reclamation system isn’t just a very sound environmental practice—it’s also the right thing to do,” Sorg says.

“Excellence”—carved in stone—has been a mission accomplished at Classic Marble & Stone of Hoagland, Indiana, for a quarter of a century. Serving areas of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, the company encourages customers to tour its facility, where they can choose from an extensive selection of full slabs of marble, granite, and quartz. They’ll also see how Classic Marble & Stone combines state-of-the-art technology and old-world craftsmanship to turn those slabs into simply stunning and practical countertops, fireplaces, floors, walls, and other furnishings for homes and businesses.