Classic Stone by North American Constructors Journal

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Classic Stone:

Breaking Ground In Supply Chain Innovation Classic Stone delivers natural stone solutions with a unique â&#x20AC;&#x153;quarry-to-projectâ&#x20AC;? approach, providing services and products to an international client base. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

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lobal natural stone supplier Classic Stone – with headquarters in Northbrook, IL – operates five office locations under the direction of CEO A. Doruk Borekci since 2006. “Over a ten-year period, we transformed Classic Stone from a small product distributor in the Midwest to a globally recognized natural stone provider. The company was able to achieve an aggressive expansion and growth plan by redefining the stone supply process and forming exclusive partnerships in the global stone market,” Borekci explains. The company also maintains offices in New York, London, Ankara, and Doha. Supply chain operations, logistics, manufacturing and quality control, and purchasing are all managed out of Ankara. Classic Stone falls under the umbrella of Borekci Holdings, a family business established nearly 90 years ago in Turkey. Borekci represents the family’s third generation of ownership; overseeing the global operations for Classic Stone as well as their real estate division. He sits on the Board of Directors and is currently serving a three-year term as Chairman of the Board. With 10 quarries, strategic global offices, and six interior and exterior stone lines, the company is able to

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deliver single-source “quarry-toproject” solutions to its international client base. Borekci says building strong partnerships is a key element of the company’s success. “The stone market tends to be saturated with suppliers, forcing you to differentiate with innovative solutions and products while focusing

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on building and maintaining strong partnerships. It really is a competitive market where you have to prove yourself over and over,” he explains.

“

Day to Day Operations

way to run a global operation without

of my clients firsthand [but] there is no

great employees.

“

Borekci says establishing a market presence from the outset is crucial to long-term success. Classic Stone’s long-standing client base generates slightly more than half of the

I visit every jobsite and I know all

- CEO A. Doruk Borekci www.classicstoneadb.com

Classic Stone | 6 company’s business. “These relationships are huge – [clients] tend to work with people they are comfortable with and trust so it is a very closed network. You have to be on the inside, have a history of quality work, and be able to also competitively bid the projects, so penetrating the market early and developing strong partnerships is what it is all about,” he explains. “It is important to engage with the entire project team early on to understand the overall vision and needs in order to provide solutions that add value. We will source products from anywhere in the world and have established exclusive partnerships in the global stone market to provide sourcing and fabrication marked by efficiency,” Borekci adds. Borekci is a hands-on leader with a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Industrial & Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Prior to his current position, he was the Director of Supply Chain Management for Phillips Lighting’s $5 billion operation from 1997-2004 before returning home to the family business. He spends about half the year in the U.S. and the rest of the time visiting the company’s global operations. “I see every jobsite and I know all of my

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APPLIANCES THAT FIT SEAMLESSLY INTO ANY DESIGN

Classic Stone | 7 clients firsthand [but] there is no way to run a global operation without great employees. My COO in Turkey runs all of my operations. My CMO helps tremendously with the promotion of the business and my commercial guys are spread between our global offices managing projects and client relations,â&#x20AC;? Borekci notes. The company has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USBC) since 2010 and provides an array of interior and exterior stones that comply with Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) sustainability standards.

Premiere Projects PARK MGM: Classic Stone has been a preferred supplier for MGM Resorts International (MGM Resorts) since 2012, providing nearly 350,000 square feet of natural stone to-date. Most recently, MGM Resorts completed the conversion of the former Monte Carlo Resort to the luxury Park MGM, featuring the muchanticipated Eataly Las Vegas. Classic Stone supplied Italian marble for the hotel lobby, corridors, meeting center, and ideation studio. In conjunction with the interior renovations, the hardscape and entrance zones were also revitalized. The paving design was created using six different stones, sourced from two different countries.

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Eataly, which opened this past spring, is situated at the front of Park MGM and features marble and granite cobbles that seamlessly flow from the exterior entrance to the inside market for an open-air feel. THE ARCADE PROJECT: Located in Chicago, Illinois, The Arcade project is a seven-story mixed-used development featuring a combination of retail and residential space. Developed by Borekci Real Estate, a sister company of Classic Stone, the

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building features a serrated stone faĂ§ade designed using 25,000 square feet of limestone and granite. For the interiors, Classic Stone supplied a variety of natural stone for the kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity tops, flooring and carved wall tiles in the lobby, and marble pavers for the outdoor terrace. Custom marble furniture was also fabricated and supplied for the lobby. All of the units feature high-end finishes and premium appliances from Beko, one of the Turkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading home appliance brands.

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“

Over a ten-year period, we

transformed Classic Stone from a

Bear Construction, general contractor for the project, completed final touches and handover in late July with tenant move-in scheduled for August.

small product distributor in the

Looking Forward

Midwest to a globally recognized

Classic Stone has taken measures to ensure its longevity by offering a unique set of services through their RPSS – Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot – Advantage Model. Services include Stone Selection and Sampling, Spec Guidance and Briefing, Product Sourcing and Fabrication, and Site

“

natural stone provider.

- CEO A. Doruk Borekci

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Classic Stone | 11 Logistics and Installation. According to the company’s website, RPSS “establishes operational ingenuity by replacing common pain points typically buried in the stone supply experience with advantages, every step of the way. We’ve taken control of the stone supply chain, and in doing so, have aligned our commitment to deliver inspiration fully realized.” While the company has the ability to service projects of every size and location, plans to expand and grow their global presence are currently in the works.