Warner Robins marble company has been in business 43 years
Business 1 on 1 with Neil Suggs, co-owner of Marble Masters of Middle Georgia Inc., 1105 N. Davis Drive, Warner Robins, 478- 929-2766. He owns it with his brother. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.
How long have you been in business?: The business was founded as Perry Marble in 1973. The Suggses acquired the business in 1980, and in 1982 moved it to the present location in Warner Robins.
“My dad was playing golf with the man who owned the company ... and he wanted to move to Florida. ... We were looking at taking on other responsibility. We were actually in the tractor-pull business. We had the bleachers and the actual sled. … My dad came home and said, ‘Are you interested in buying a business?’”
The brothers went to the company and “looked at it for five days” before buying it. “We learned how to make marble … and mold it. ... We ran out of room in Perry and moved to Warner Robins after about two years. … That’s when we started making bath tubs, marble panels and doing installation. And the rest is history.”
What do you like best about your job?: “Making people happy. It’s a lot of quick gratification. … We find out what they want and install it. … When they’re happy, we’re happy.”
What is your specialty?: “My specialty is still making the cultured marble product, which is the no-grout shower, the bath tub, the vanity tops. ... Now we do complete remodeling of bathrooms, including tile and cabinets, plumbing. Now we do 90-percent residential and 10-percent commercial ... mostly remodeling and some new construction. We still do apartment complexes. ... We offer delivery and installation, and we install 90 percent of what we produce.”
What are your future plans?: “I would like to grow more into cabinets and get involved in fabrication of cabinets, do more multi-family projects ... and expand our commercial lines.”
Linda S. Morris: 478-744-4223, @MidGaBiz
This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Warner Robins marble company has been in business 43 years."