Customer Profile: Conwill.com

A small web site focused on natural stone imported from around the world grows into a global operation.

In recent years, U.S. homeowners have rediscovered the beauty of natural stones such as marble and granite for home exteriors and interiors. Because of its flexibility and low maintenance, stone is clearly in demand for everything from fireplaces and countertops to swimming pool coping and driveways. In fact, according to Stone Report, an industry publication, the market for natural stone in the United States has increased remarkably in recent years, growing more than 200 percent in the years between 1994 and 2003.

Traditionally, stone was sold through importers or wholesale distributors through a supply chain of retail showrooms, contractors, distributors, and fabricators — a process that tended to drive up the price for the end user. Today, many companies are direct importers, making the price of stone more affordable. One such direct importer is Conwill Materials, a global operation headquartered in Coventry, Conn., engaged in the development, fabrication, and marketing of a wide variety of materials from all over the world. The company is a direct source of natural stone products for distributors, contractors, and builders.  

Bringing Stone to Users
Jeff Ren, president of Conwill, started the business soon after arriving in the United States in 2003 from Canada. “I did some investigating into marketing in the United States and Canada and I found this business,” he says. Leveraging his master’s degree in mining engineering and his extensive experience in materials research, he launched his e-commerce site in 2003.

Since then, the company now operates five offices (in the United States, Canada, and China) and two production facilities in China. Ren also imports stone from China, India, Brazil, Finland, the Middle East, and South Africa.

The company offers more than 500 different colors of raw stone blocks from all over the world and produced in China. “The main products we sell right now are granite, sandstone (or bluestone), slate, limestone, and quartzite for both exterior and interior uses,” Ren says.

Ren uses direct selling methods and even prospects the old-fashioned way. “I go to Yellow Pages and sometimes I do Internet searches,” he says. When new prospects are identified, the initial contacts are made either via email or cold calls by Ren or by his sales representatives. Conwill maintains sales staffs in the United States and Canada, with three salespeople working in China.

Prospects send their requirements, and Ren provides quotes with prices and timing. His company now maintains a customer list of several hundred customers.

Taking Advantage of a Growing Market
With more than 1 million potential buyers and specifiers, and demand continuing to grow, the Conwill Materials e-commerce business seems to be operating in the right place, at the right time. “Our sales volume grows by about 50 percent every year, with granite and bluestone wall panels and pavers contributing the most to our growth,” Ren says.

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