Emre Basman, Founder, Armina Stone
Armina Stone Founder Emre Basma identified Miami-Dade County as an ideal location for expansion of the leading importer and fabricator of natural stone and quartz. “Miami’s GDP jumped from $960 billion to $1.6 trillion, making Florida’s economy larger than Mexico’s or South Korea’s,” he told Invest: while highlighting how innovation, branding, and customer relationships drive its success.
How has Armina Stone evolved since its founding?
Founded in 2015, Armina Stone is celebrating its 10th anniversary. We started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a key gateway between the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast. Historically a global trade center, Pittsburgh was home to industrial giants Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, whose legacies include Carnegie Mellon University and BNY Mellon.
Though Pittsburgh lost prominence when steel production shifted to China, I believe it will regain strength, especially with new tariffs. It remains one of the fastest-growing markets. We started with one location and have expanded to three in western Pennsylvania. We serve Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, State College, and Morgantown, West Virginia. Today, we employ about 300 people in the region.
In Miami, we’ve invested in a showroom in the Design District set to open in the first half of 2025 and a state-of-the-art factory in Hialeah, which opened in June 2024. Supported by the city, this facility features advanced robotics, water jets, and CNC machines. We operate fully by the book and maintain a vast global inventory. Financially and operationally, this is a major step forward.
How does Armina Stone serve such a diverse range of customers and projects?
We work with four major customer types, making our business highly diversified and complex to manage. For example, developers like Grant Cardone build large apartment complexes, while single-family home construction operates on a completely different scale.
Our projects range from airports and hotels to homes and restaurants. We supply 100 Home Depot stores, 66 Lowe’s locations, and IKEA. Recently, we signed a Lowe’s agreement covering stores from Boca Raton to Key West. Retail partnerships account for 25% of our business.
Another 25% comes from homebuilders, including D.R. Horton, the largest publicly traded homebuilder in the U.S. We work with companies of all sizes, from billion-dollar developers to mid-range builders like CC Homes in Miami (4,500 homes annually) and custom builders handling just a few homes a year.
Multifamily projects make up another 25%. We ship pre-cut stone to job sites nationwide and handle installations for apartments, condos, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls.
The final 25% — what people mostly see on social media — includes our high-profile partnerships with brands like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Miami Heat. These efforts target interior designers, architects, and retail customers who visit our showrooms.
What opportunities do you see in the South Florida market, and how is Armina Stone positioning itself for growth?
Post-COVID, Miami and Florida experienced massive growth. Miami’s GDP jumped from $960 billion to $1.6 trillion, making Florida’s economy larger than Mexico’s or South Korea’s. Miami-Dade is now the state’s fastest-growing region, followed by Broward County.
With this surge, investors from South America, Europe, and across the U.S. are aggressively acquiring land. However, due to the Everglades, expansion is limited, leading to high-rise luxury projects like Aston Martin Residences, Missoni Baia, Porsche Design Tower, and the upcoming Dolce & Gabbana building.
Armina Stone entered this market with cutting-edge technology, including robotics, water jets, CNC machines, and AI automation. In March 2023, we acquired a 35,000-square-foot warehouse in Hialeah and a flagship showroom in the Design District. The factory opened in June 2024, and the showroom is set to open within a month.
We import marble, granite, natural stone, porcelain, and quartz globally, offering signature collections and private-label quartz. We also work with top Italian brands like Laminam for porcelain. Additionally, we supply kitchen, bathroom, and closet cabinetry, providing complete solutions for homebuilders and general contractors.
As a one-stop stone solution, we eliminate the need for multiple vendors. With thousands of slabs in hundreds of colors and state-of-the-art machinery under one roof, we’re excited to grow in South Florida. This is just the beginning — our next locations will be in West Palm Beach, Naples, Tampa, and Orlando, positioning us to dominate the region. After that, we’ll expand to Jacksonville and eventually cover the entire state.
What are the different trends across the markets you serve?
Before COVID, Miami lagged behind cities like New York and Beverly Hills by about 10 years, but now it’s catching up — and may even surpass them in luxury, scale, and design.
Spending per project also varies by region. In the Northeast, a kitchen countertop installation averages $10,000, while in Miami, it’s often double or triple. Customers here typically spend $20,000 to $30,000, with high-end projects reaching $40,000 to $60,000.
Luxury areas like Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Miami Beach, and Sunny Isles have home prices from $5 million to $150 million. We’re currently working on a $55 million project in the Venetian Islands.
Miami’s design is strongly influenced by European, especially Italian, aesthetics. While cabinetry remains common in other parts of the U.S., Miami homes lean toward a sleek, European style. Color trends have also shifted from classic white and gray to bold shades like green, deep red, burgundy, and purple. Quality expectations, pricing, and design sophistication in Miami are on a different level compared to the rest of the country.
How have you leveraged innovation to enhance precision, efficiency, and customer experience?
Many competitors still operate what I call “chop shops,” using outdated templating methods and hand-cutting stone, which results in imprecision and serious health risks due to dust exposure. According to OSHA regulations, such shops shouldn’t even be operating.
At Armina Stone, we not only meet but exceed OSHA standards. We use laser templating, which generates CAD files for precise measurements. Each slab is scanned into our barcode system, ensuring every job has a unique digital record.
Before fabrication, we create 2D and 3D renderings so customers can see exactly how their countertops will look. Nothing is cut until they approve the design, ensuring transparency and eliminating surprises.
Once approved, we use state-of-the-art robotic technology for cutting and polishing. Our installers are among the best in the industry, and we invest in top talent to guarantee flawless results.
For us, teamwork is key. Every project reflects our pride and reputation, and that is priceless.
How do you approach customer relationships?
We love our customers. A friend who runs the Pittsburgh Business Exchange once called me to discuss customer relationships — ironically, while I was listening to DJ Solomun’s Customer Is the King. After our call, I received a hand-drawn portrait of myself with those words inscribed, reinforcing my belief that customer service is everything.
We serve diverse clients, from commercial project managers to Home Depot shoppers. Interior designers often dream big, so we focus on education and setting clear expectations upfront to avoid misunderstandings.
To ensure top-tier service, we created Armina Academy, where every new hire undergoes a month of training in our company culture and systems. Strong systems create consistency, and culture is everything.
Miami’s rapid growth comes with challenges — many luxury condos suffer from poor infrastructure and quality issues. We’re here to change that by delivering excellence and guiding customers through the process. Some appreciate it from the start; others learn the hard way. We always stay respectful, but sometimes, we must say no to unrealistic requests to maintain quality.
Many customers return later, saying, I should have listened to you from the start. We take pride in our honesty and expertise, ensuring every project meets the highest standards.
What are your top priorities in South Florida over the next few years?
We built a strong brand in Pittsburgh, and I’ve always believed branding is about trust — the most valuable asset in business and life.
Partnering with the Miami Heat was a strategic move, aligning us with a trusted name in South Florida. Now, our trucks, business cards, and emails proudly display this partnership, reinforcing our credibility.
Our goal is to be the brand for stone and cabinetry in South Florida — just as Dolce & Gabbana defines luxury textiles or Ferrari symbolizes performance, we want Armina Stone to be synonymous with kitchens and baths.
Though we’ve been in this market only six or seven months, we’ve already secured major projects. But beyond business, we believe in giving back. We support the Boys & Girls Scouts and are currently involved in Kips Bay, a high-profile West Palm Beach project benefiting children’s charities. We’re here not just to grow our business but to bring real value to this region.
