Philippine Business Magazine: Volume 9 No. 3 - Enterprise
Marble Magic
A musician composes harmony from indigenous materials
By Anne Ruth dela Cruz

Indigenous materials were found to be not only useful, but also very profitable by N3Cate Stone Works owner Jerry and Ching Casile. The couple offers stone art design installations, marble table tops, furniture, and accessories that are all made of indigenous materials. With the couple’s ingenuity and creativity, they were able to grow a business that would make “Buy Filipino” proponents really proud.

Jerry hears music while grinding marble stones into table tops and other furniture

It all started in the backyard of the Casile home in Antipolo in 1999 when Jerry started toying with the idea of producing items that made use of indigenous materials. “I wanted to come up with a unique product that made use of local materials,” he said. “I went around and saw where I could find the materials that I needed and I decided to produce table tops.”

Jerry, a musician, used to design and manufacture protective casings for musical instruments. Since he already had the equipment to produce table tops, Jerry experimented with different materials such as marble, rattan, iron, and whatever he could use to make table tops. The Casile couple started the business with P10,000 initial capital and one employee, the best stone cutter according to Jerry. They employ up to a maximum of five people when orders increase.

Ching usually helps Jerry in conceptualizing table top designs which can come from anywhere – magazines, books, or even from blouse and skirt designs. “While the designs come from ordinary things, the end product is very expensive, especially if it is made of pure marble,” Jerry related. “What I do is that I also make use of other materials and mix it with the marble to make equally beautiful designs.”

The table tops that Jerry churns out can cost as high as P70,000 or as low as P7,000 depending on the size and materials used. It usually takes one week for Jerry to produce one tabletop. Each product is uniquely designed. “That is what my customers like about our products,” Jerry said. “Every product is one of a kind, there is no duplication.”

Overcrowding at the Casile residence prompted them to move in February 2001 to a bigger space, not only to store their stocks, but to show them off as well. Their current showroom is at the Pioneer Centre Supermarket and Home Depot along Pioneer Street in Pasig City.

The couple joins trade fairs and bazaars to show off their wares. It was in these events that they were able to establish a niche in the market. They started getting buyers from Italy, France, and the United Sates. The couple also gets a lot of balikbayan clients.

To complement the products in their showroom, the Casiles also have on display guitars and pianos, which are also for sale. During slow days, Jerry would play the piano at the showroom. As Jerry would say, “once a musician, always a musician.” He added that the music draws clients to the showroom and helps increase revenues.
Recession or no recession, Jerry plans to open a bigger showroom in the future to accommodate more products. Confident of the quality of his products, Jerry stated, “I would really encourage competition in this field. At least it will help me become more creative.”

To those who want to try out their luck in the business, Jerry said it is important for entrepreneurs to create their own identities so that they will be able to make a name for themselves.