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the country that was still moving was the Northeast," and armed with that knowledge, his work ethic, and a dream, he began his 10-month long journey of leaving Florida at "Monday morning, 6am" to travel to the NY/NJ area until returning on a "Friday, 9pm" flight. ere, Moe went back to basics, going door-to-door with samples le from the drop shipment model in an effort to drum up business. "Hard work always pays back," Moe says, and aer gaining the trust and confidence of his Long Island-based clients, opportunities led to more opportunities, "shedding a lot of light for my future and the company's future." By April 2011, Moe and his wife, Heidi, were confident enough to relocate their business and family to New Jersey. Heidi, who Moe describes as "one of the strongest foundations of this company," has been a part of Marmiro Stones since 2003 and is "one of the main reasons we are here where we are right now." By early 2012, it began to seem like it had all worked out. e company was expanding "from Hamptons all the way to Queens," including their team and their spaces, adding an additional building to their facility and expanding their pre-existing one. en, Hurricane Sandy hit. "Right when we were getting back up on our feet, we got wiped out again," Moe describes of the challenging time. While Hurricane Sandy flooded both of their buildings and destroyed their equipment, ruined by the brackish waters, "that's when the team was created," says Moe. He describes donning Hazmat suits and wading through "sewage water mixed with the Hudson River," trying to salvage whatever paperwork was possible. "We couldn't bill; we couldn't ship; it took us a while to get back on our feet again," he states. Bolstered by the support of the team and both families back in Turkey, Moe and Turgut began the arduous journey of rebuilding the company, "adapting to the industry, providing what the market desired, and starting to grow tremendously over the next ten years." Aer overcoming such odds, Marmiro Stones converted to a new model, one where they went directly to contractors, and began to build a business "with thousands of customers all over the U.S., not just the East Coast," Moe proudly recalls. Now, "linked to the consumers and the contractors who truly care about the details, the creativity, the direct source," Marmiro Stones has distribution centers in Maryland, Tennessee, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and another opening soon in South Carolina. Another exciting new addition to the company has been the 2023 unveiling of Marmiro Care, a "maintenance company that provides all kinds of services that's needed for our products to be enjoyed for a long time," shares Moe. With advancements taking place over the last ten years, both in the United States and Turkey, Marmiro Stones' high quality of service, sourced directly from their quarries in Turkey to their U.S.-based manufacturing, remains unmatched. eir deep family ties, now extending into the second and third generations, have upheld the company VUENJ.COM 69

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