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Nation's only producer of natural quartz surfaces to spend $4 million on site; goal is to open in '08
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Thursday, Aug 23, 2007
One of the fastest-growing small businesses in America intends to open a plant in Portage County next year.
Cambria, the country's only producer of natural quartz surfaces, announced this week it will spend $4 million on a site in Kent.
The Minnesota-based company has purchased a building at 1510 St. Clair Ave., where it will install quartz fabrication equipment.
A company spokesperson said it was too early to say how many jobs would be created.
The company's natural quartz surfaces are used for countertops, shower and tub surrounds, vanities and flooring.
The 75,000-square-foot site in Kent also will make custom furniture tabletops, fireplace surrounds, desk tops, coffee and end table tops, wet bar areas and window sills.
In this month's edition of Entrepreneur magazine, Cambria was ranked fourth on a list of the ''Hot 500'' fastest-growing small businesses in America. Cambria sales grew from $2 million in 2002 to $100 million last year, according to the magazine.
''We are excited to open ma jor operations in Ohio, bringing new jobs to the Kent area,'' said Cambria's vice president of sales, Tom Annexstad. ''The strong local economy makes Kent an ideal location for our $4 million facility.''
Cambria is a privately held, family-owned company with more than 500 employees. It was founded in 2001 by the Davis family, which has been making cheese for more than 60 years and is one of the largest suppliers to Kraft Foods, according to the company Web site.
The quartz facility in Kent will serve Ohio and western Pennsylvania. In addition to Kent and Minnesota, Cambria has operations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and Toronto, Canada.
The building it has purchased in Kent has housed other manufacturers in the past, most recently Penn Engineering, which made a variety of fasteners.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
One of the fastest-growing small businesses in America intends to open a plant in Portage County next year.
Get the full article here.
