ISFA FABRICATOR PROFILE: Onslow Stoneworks Inc.
Onslow Stoneworks was officially founded by Mike Schott in North Carolina in the late ’90s, but its interesting and unique history is intertwined with the granite industry going back to the 1800s. Family Foundations In September of 1988, Schott had completed his duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. “When I left Camp LeJeune in North Carolina for the last
time, I realized I did not have a plan for the rest of my life,” he explained. “However, I literally went to work for a local glass company that same afternoon, still wearing my fatigue pants and a t-shirt.” He had grown up in New Jersey, where his grandfather ran a glass company, and Schott’s earliest memories were working at that shop. “While growing up, everyone worked at the glass shop, so I never had to look for a job. If you weren’t in school, you were working for Grandpa at the glass shop.” After about a year of working for the glass company in North Carolina, Schott decided to start his own business, using the knowledge he had grown up learning. “In September of 1989 I started a little glass company in Swansboro, N.C.,” he
By Kevin Cole, Editor
About 65 percent of the material flowing through Onslow Stoneworks f is natural stone, and the company focuses on highly custom, full service installations, such as this kitchen done in 3cm Titanium granite with a polished finish and ogee edges.
explained. “I remember going to the dump and salvaging scrap lumber to build a glass cutting
table. I made some business cards and off I went.” He developed that business for several years,
relying on the discipline he’d developed during his years in the service. Then, in 1996, it really took
off. Two hurricanes, Bertha and Fran, hit the North Carolina coast nearly back to back, something
which hadn’t happened since 1955. As the only glass company within 30 miles of the coastal
resort town of Emerald Isle, as Schott puts it, “Even I couldn’t help being successful.”
In 1998 things really changed. Schott was
approached by an acquaintance who wanted help working with some prefabricated granite
slabs. “He wanted me to fabricate some pieces
for him,” said Schott. “So true to form I said yes, and then figured it out.”
He admits that nostalgia had some part in his
decision to try his hand at stone. In the 1870s his ancestors emigrated from Italy to New Jersey
32 • Vol. 13 / Issue 2 • International Surface Fabricators Association
Founder of Onslow Stoneworks Mike Schott has made his business a family endeavor, with his son Max serving as VP and director of sales. Numerous other family members are also involved in daily operations, establishing them as the future of the company.
