Business 1 on 1 with Mary Coon

Mary Coon, co-owner of Raccoon Stone & Tile Works LLC with her husband, Rick Coon, 2347 Ga. 247 Connector, Byron, 956-2222.

How long have you been in business?: When the Coons got married 43 years ago, Rick Coon was laying brick, “then we kind of graduated from brick to block and fireplaces and then we went into ceramic tile and stone tile. ... His sister had asked him to do some counter tops, and we did them out of tile. He liked the idea, and we started playing with it in our back yard (in early 1990s).

“We did that for five years. It got to the point we were doing so much we couldn’t do it there anymore. We took a leap of faith, trusted God and bought this property and built our store and we started doing counter tops. We moved into the store in 1999 (and that’s when they began selling the products as well). ... I deal with the customers and try to articulate what they want and the colors they can use.”

What do you like best about your job?: “It’s new every day, because you are dealing with stone products that change all the time.”

What is your specialty?: The company specializes in 100 percent natural stone products. It handles some commercial work but primarily residential work, which includes counter tops, furniture tops, repairs, cleaning, tub surrounds and fireplaces. It works mostly within a 50-mile radius.

What are your future plans?: “Right now I think we are at a manageable level. We still do things by hand. ... We don’t mass produce.”

-- Linda S. Morris

This story was originally published August 23, 2015 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Business 1 on 1 with Mary Coon ."