Granite, quartz and more at MSI wholesaler

Kitchen & Bath Makeovers: Stone distributor sets up in South Fayette

International company MSI sells granite, quartz and other surfaces

By Andrea Iglar

The company that supplied black granite for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., has added a location in South Fayette Township.

MS International Inc., known as MSI or MSI Surfaces, held a grand opening in August at its 73,000-square-foot space in Bursca Business Park.

MSI is a wholesaler of countertops, flooring, wall tile and hardscaping. The company is among the Top 20 container importers in the U.S.

The MSI warehouse stocks thousands of slabs of natural stone, such as granite and marble.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Rup Shah, company president, said the Pittsburgh area needed more locally available product choices.

“This building and this township ended up being the perfect location based on what our customers were telling us,” he said.

The South Fayette warehouse stocks thousands of slabs of granite, marble, quartz and other materials for projects related to the kitchen, bath, patio and more.

MSI does not sell directly to the public, but the showroom is open to the public for material viewing and selection. Products are purchased through a network of dealers and retailers, which may include contractors, builders, fabricators and designers.

Last year, MSI purchased the former BL Cream Company site for $3.35 million and invested about $1.8 million in remodeling the building, which had included huge refrigerated warehouses to store sour cream.

The renovated space includes warehouse, distribution and office space, plus a showroom.

MSI president Rup Shah, fourth from left, joins South Fayette Township officials, at left, and MSI staff, at right, for a ribbon cutting Aug. 31.

Arthur & Anthony Photography

Shah is a son of company founders Manu and Rika Shah, who originally were from India and launched MSI in 1975 in the basement of their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

While Manu Shah held a full-time job as a mechanical engineer, the couple also worked part-time selling blocks of granite, sourced from India, to manufacturers of monuments and tombstones.

After successfully investing their entire savings in 1981 into the Vietnam memorial project, they expanded MSI and moved to California.

In 1987, the company redirected efforts toward importing natural stone for residential and commercial uses.

MSI guests peruse tile samples in the showroom.

Arthur & Anthony Photography

Today, MSI supplies a variety of natural and manufactured materials. The company employs more than 3,000 people worldwide, and annual revenues exceed $2 billion. Products are imported from about 37 countries on six continents.

Township Manager John M. Barrett said he was impressed with MSI’s transformation of the building in South Fayette.

“It indicates that MSI cares about quality and wants to be a valuable member of our business community,” he said.

MSI Pittsburgh: 3115 Washington Pike, South Fayette: 412-319-5400; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube; msisurfaces.com.