Made in the Valley: Granite Mountain Stone Design

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Granite has become one of the most popular stones for homes and businesses. One local company has found a way to use a natural resource mined in our area to beautify spaces and pay tribute.

Granite is being cut at Granite Mountain Stone Design in Madera.

"We do everything from locating the mining operations, bringing the material out of the ground and slabbing it, polishing it and producing it to a finished product to put into houses and buildings and building facades and memorials all over the world," said Mark Mansfield, Granite Mountain Stone Design President and CEO.

The company has been around 17 years and employs about 30 people. Inside their showroom they sell a variety of granite from across the country, but among the samples are two selections from our area -- mined from Raymond and Academy.

Sierra White granite is mined out of Raymond has been used in several notable projects like the Moscone Center in San Francisco and World Trade Center in New York.

Academy Black is mined from Academy near Clovis.

"It's primarily used, not just in commercial use, but in memorial use. Large monuments all over the world. Llocally the Fresno Police Officers Memorial is Academy Black," said Mansfield.

The granite mined from local quarries is used here and around the country. Employees work hard to get it to just the right size and cut. Some of the granite slabs mined here have even paid tribute to veterans at the Fresno VA Hospital's Walk of Honor and in Washington DC at the Korean War Memorial.

"Knowing that it came from our own hometown, and it's all totally American made, with a passion that went into it with the people who created it here, I think just makes it that much more significant," said Mansfield.

Learn more at http://www.gmsdcorp.com/