Blarney Stoneworks, Inc., a fabricator of natural stone products, will be the only business of its kind in the Pinehurst/Southern Pines and Aberdeen area.
Moore County Partners in Progress, the county’s economic development organization, has been working with Pat and Cathy Walsh, principals of Blarney Stoneworks, since mid-December 2003, to assist them with finding suitable space for their operations in Moore County.
Blarney Stoneworks will be involved in the marketing, manufacturing and installation of stone products, such as kitchen and bath countertops, shower surrounds and fireplace surrounds, for the residential and commercial construction market.
Pat Walsh will serve as president and CEO, handling all sales, manufacturing and installation functions. Cathy Walsh will be executive vice president in charge of accounting, customer service, purchasing and scheduling. Both of the Walshes are certified stone fabricators.
In making their decision of where to locate, the Walshes, who are from Raleigh, chose the Pinehurst area because it meets many of the market characteristics suitable for this industry.
Among these characteristics are the high number of custom-built homes and forecasted strong housing starts in the $200,000-plus range. Stone is used in 50 percent to 60 percent of homes in this price range. Their primary market will be Moore, Lee, Montgomery and Chatham counties.
Blarney Stoneworks anticipates hiring up to five employees initially and will invest $180,000 to get the business started. The business will be on Main Street in Taylortown, one block off N.C. 211.
“We are very excited to have this business locate in Moore County,” said Ray Ogden, executive director of Partners in Progress. “As the only manufacturer of these stone products in the area, Blarney Stoneworks will have distinct advantages over longer distance competitors who have to ship their products from 50 to 100 miles away. We wish Blarney Stoneworks every success.
“Blarney Stoneworks is a good example of the type of business we hope to recruit to Moore County.”
“We are pleased to already be calling Pinehurst home,” Pat Walsh said. “We look forward to fabricating and delivering our first countertop as soon as next month, and to establishing our presence in this growing market.”
Partners in Progress is focusing its efforts on selected targeted businesses, including niche manufacturers such as Blarney Stoneworks.
“Moore County is well suited for smaller businesses that we can help grow, and Partners in Progress will do whatever we can to help Blarney Stoneworks now and in the future,” Ogden said.
