Paolo Bilotta With Curava Recycled Glass Surfaces

Speaker1: [00:00:01] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in South Florida. It’s time for South Florida Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:14] Lee Kantor here another episode of South Florida Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Diaz Trade Law, your customs expert today on South Florida Business Radio. We have Paolo Bilotta with Curava. Welcome.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:00:33] Thank you. Thank you for having me on the air.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] Well, I’m excited. I’m excited to learn about Curava Recycled Glass Surfaces. How are you serving, folks?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:00:43] I’m sorry. How are we? Oh, we’re serving folks. Basically, what we do is we’re a manufacturer and distributor of a particular type of surfacing product that’s primarily used for countertops, any horizontal surfaces. And it’s basically the product consists of a mix of a quartz and polyester resin, and the majority of the contents of that is actually recycled glass, which we source from landfills. We source from post-industrial sources that make shower glass. We basically reincorporate into the cycle the system waste that’s been that we sterilize ourself, we sort through colors and sizes, and we create the very interesting and beautiful surfaces that have a very, very unique look. So we’re kind of a niche market within the surfacing industry. But we’ve been we’ve been doing this now for 12 years and pretty much on a national level, even though our main our main market is actually our best market is actually here in Florida, we are not, but we’re present mostly along the East Coast and a couple of areas on the West Coast and around the L.A. area and up in the Denver area as well, and Colorado. But this seems to be our best market. Our product actually has a very it’s very contemporary. So Florida has very contemporary trends as far as kitchen cabinets and renovation. So it does very well, especially along the coast.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:30] So how did you get how did you get into this line of work? Were you always involved in this?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:02:36] I was always yeah. I was always involved in the in the stone industry since right out of college. And it’s a family owned business. But before this, we were actually it’s my brother and myself. We were actually mostly into natural stone and we were only doing commercial projects in particularly cladding, veneer cladding, exterior veneers of churches of, of courthouses with with solid pieces of whatever stone the architect specified. But that got to be a little bit stressful also because there’s different locations around the country. Then it became different, different projects around the world and it was a lot of traveling. So I basically decided to kind of branch off and and create one particular product and just just base here in the US and in Florida. And so it turned out to to work.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:38] So but what how did kind of recycle glass get on your radar to use as as part of this?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:03:46] It was just we were just running I was just running some experiments on on my downtime, like on weekends about how to actually create a surface that is a little bit different from the average quartz surface, which I’m not sure if the listeners are familiar with, but it’s it’s an engineered stone, it’s not a natural stone, but they have kind of they mimic it’s a way to mimic natural stone through machinery. Basically, it’s made in factories. So I wanted to be kind of in that. That general field. But I wanted to create something that was very unique and it had a very unique look. And so in just testing it out, we tested it out in cement before just to get the look. And it really appealed to me. And then I started showing it around to a lot of renovators and kitchen and bath dealers and it, it basically got really good feedback. So we started producing small batches and suddenly small batches became bigger batches. And now we, we do quite a bit of volume around the country. And we also have been working with one of the big box stores, only for one box stores for for probably about ten years now. Now, that’s helped to to make awareness to create awareness for the product.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:19] Are you the only firm that that does it with recycled glass like this, or is that becoming now more popular for other manufacturers?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:05:29] No, we’re not the only firm. We’ve never been the only firm. But we’re we were the first firm to to make it with a certain type of binder, which is incredibly resistant. But there were just a handful, maybe ten years ago now. Actually there are fewer, believe it or not, because some of them haven’t made it. And we kind of we kind of start we kind of grew and we feel that that spot. So I think there are are very local. There are not as many there’s very few maybe national providers of this product, but there’s probably more very localized shops that make this probably custom, custom made for any particular project or or need in the kitchen. But as far as the actual number has gone down as far as nationally available companies, is it which is interesting.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:34] Is it difficult to get the recycled glass? I mean, is is that something because that adds a new element to this, right?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:06:42] Yeah. Well, the easy the easy part is that there’s never a shortage.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:47] There’s there’s a lot of recycled glass out there just getting it right.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:06:51] There’s a lot of glass that is in that is in landfills or they’re in factories and they’re just sitting there and they’re basically waste. Obviously, it’s not toxic, thank goodness. Not something that, you know, it’s it’s something that can be reused as many times as possible. Glass can be melted and reused for other purposes, or it can be just incorporating in this. But so it’s not to your question. Oh, it’s not easy. The part that’s a little bit tricky is the obviously the sterilization and the crushing and the filtering, which is we do that and it’s basically every slab of ours has exactly the same formula as far as different grains and different sizes of glass per color, so that every batch is exactly uniform, which is a big plus. So every every slab, every color of ours looks basically the same, whether we produce it yesterday or two years ago, because it’s exactly the same. We control the glass sizes and the glass colors to the dot and they get electronically dosed for every slab. So now answer your question that the actual the actual quantity that’s available to recycle is is almost infinite.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:22] Now, is it? You know, if I’m using this on my countertop, is this something that is going to, you know, is it going to stay in the way that it’s looking or like, does it stay easy? Does it chip like are there like is the surface difficult to maintain?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:08:42] No, not at all. Actually, it’s very similar to any non-porous surface, like an engineered stone, like a quartz, mainly because we use a binder that is that is non-porous. It’s a polyester resin. The binder is basically it’s what keeps everything together and it’s not it’s a very small portion of the slab, but it’s actually it’s the most important part because the quality of the binder determines how durable the surface is. And we use an extremely high quality binder. And so nothing, nothing will stain it chipping. Not really, no. Unless obviously, you know, we do outrageous things like put a refrigerator on your countertops, maybe you may get a little chip. But no, for the most part, we don’t have any of those issues.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:34] Now in terms of sustainable products, I would imagine that this is attracting a certain customer. That this is a super important is have you found that to be so?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:09:47] Yes. It’s actually been interesting because early on when we started, believe it or not, the people that were most attracted to our product were actually attracted by the look of it, and secondary was the sustainability of it. But over the years, it’s kind of reversed. I mean, people I mean, I’m assuming they still like the look because it’s an essential part, but they’re more and more I found more more and more attracted to the fact that that we’re removing waste, we’re making it usable, and we’re and we’re making it to create something that’s esthetically pleasing as well. And that’s been interesting. I thought I thought that the sustainability factor would have been 99% of the decision of the buyers, but it wasn’t initially. It’s becoming more and more important now, especially on commercial projects.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:40] And especially I mean, obviously it looks so good that being sustainable is like the cherry on top, right? Like sometimes sometimes with sustainable products, you’re like, Oh, well, at least it’s sustainable. Like in this the product looks fantastic and it’s sustainable. Like you’re getting the best of both worlds.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:11:03] Correct. Yeah, but the funny thing is that the trend is that, oh wow, the product is sustainable and it looks fantastic. So I think the emphasis is shifting a little bit more towards the sustainability part, which is actually what we really wanted because that’s that’s basically what we’re trying to push right now.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:27] And how was it at the beginning when you were trying to find the recycled glass? Was it something because you’re taking other people’s waste and then putting it into your product? That’s kind of the featured element. Was this something that that companies were like, hey, take as much as you want? Like they were like happy to get rid of it and happy to use you as a resource to help them get rid of it or.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:11:49] Is for some. It’s a great question, actually. And for some it really depends on the color of the glass for for clear glass, for example, there’s such a big market, a lot of the clear glass we use is post-industrial or factories that make shower glass enclosures or etc.. And in those cases, actually, they’re first there’s a big market for re melting it and creating new plate glass. So in those cases, we actually have to we have to auction it and we have to we have to buy it for certain other colors. It’s actually it’s like you’re saying they are like, please, can you take can you take this this glass? Because we have we have way too many. Like, for example, there’s way too many beer bottles in landfills. There’s wine bottles, beer bottles and in other post-industrial products for for deodorants and things like that. So it depends mostly on the color, but but so it’s a bit of a mix. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:58] Now how has the kind of the small business community been for you? I guess you’re in South Florida now, but you started you said in the northeast, is that right?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:13:11] Correct. Yeah, we started up near Boston and in New Hampshire.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:15] And then. So can you share maybe the difference between the small business community and each each locale?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:13:25] Well, Florida is definitely a more vibrant I mean, even compared to Massachusetts. I mean, we were in New Hampshire, which is a lot a lot less vibrant than here, but Florida. There’s way more small businesses. And so most of our transactions and our sales are to small business owners that actually cut up our material, install it for the final customer. And it’s actually been the feeling. The feeling you get is that it’s so alive and now and it’s just becoming more and more alive because we all know what’s happening to the Florida population. It’s increasing so fast. It’s just there’s there’s always more and more going on. And there’s small businesses popping up left and right that are related to our industry. So it’s it feels more lively. And it’s it’s it’s definitely a happening market and it’s feeling like it’s going that direction faster and faster, which is, which is great because the more goes in that direction, the more we can sell, the more glass we remove from landfills.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:37] Right. It’s it’s kind of one of those righteous circles like at every stage, you know, you’re winning. People are winning at every stage. That’s fantastic.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:14:47] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it’s been honestly Florida here ten years in Florida and it’s been South Florida and it’s been I love it. I love working here and I really like. And then the interesting thing is it’s because it’s a big state. Every little every every area of Florida kind of has its own own market and its own type of small business, and they’re all good. I mean, we’ve had I’ve had very few bad experiences and I hope very few people have had bad experiences with us. So now it’s been it’s been very good.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:25] So primarily you sell to people who install it in consumers hands or can consumers get it right from you? Or they consumers can’t get it from you. They have to go through no consumers.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:15:37] Consumers would get it from from fabrication shops they’re called, which are basically the companies that have the equipment to cut down our slabs, which are pretty, pretty big and and cut them down into a kitchen doing all the edging. And then they’ll also install it in the homeowner. So, no, we don’t sell directly to consumers.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:59] And now any advice for business people out there that are in the business of selling to kind of middlemen, that they sell a product that a consumer is going to use, but it’s going to go through a middleman. Is there anything you’ve learned over the years that helps kind of identify the good ones and how to, you know, create win win partnerships with kind of, in your case, fabricators?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:16:27] Yeah, I think there’s one main piece of advice is to that the middle entity, whether it’s a business or an individual that handles their product and resells it properly. Educates the final consumer about the product, about the characteristics. That’s that’s essential because the more that they just describe in detail what what they’re getting to the final consumer, the more streamlined the process is the expectations also of delivery, the timeframe of the installation? It’s I think it’s key because when when people in the middle promised things that are not realistic, sometimes it’s it fires back at the people. Well, it hurts the consumer and then it fires back at the people that are making the product that were never really endorsed, the the the expectations of timing that the middle people promised their own customers. So I think it’s an essential part, just the the openness and the and the education to the final consumer about what they’re getting when they’re getting. And sometimes that doesn’t happen. But that’s that’s who, you know, that someone you can work with in the future or not.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:54] Now, that seems to be one of those things when you are getting in business with, in your case, fabricators to real, because they’re kind of you want to protect your brand, right? And then you’re trusting them to, like you said, communicate the truth and what what’s realistic and manage the expectations of the end consumer. To really have those lines of communication open. Seems like it could get tricky. Do you have some kind of can you share a story on how you were able to maybe build the relationships trust in a way that that they the fabricator was kind of kind of protecting your brand and telling the truth and helping educate the consumer in the way that it would be as if you were doing that.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:18:50] Yeah, well, I think the best I’m not sure. I mean, with a particular fabricator.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:57] I mean, don’t name any names, but.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:18:59] But no, no, no. I’m just thinking of if I could think of a specific instance. But sometimes it’s to to have our salespeople travel with the salespeople of the fabricator or actually be present initially on the first few jobs.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:16] Or oh, so you do so customer. So you’re really so your people are coming kind of along for the ride initially to help kind of that hand-off be as smooth as possible. So there are less miscommunications and there are kind of clear understandings of the correct.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:19:34] Yeah, correct. But I think the main tool that that that we’ve learned to use is to on our website, all of the information is available for the final for everyone, for the fabricator, for the homeowner. So it’s all there. And we encourage everyone to see it. What it’s what our product is made of, the use and care, the warranty, the basically anything that’s relevant, we it’s very important, I think, for our small business to put everything out there so that there’s just there’s no way that people can misinterpret anything or can can not understand what the product looks like, what the product feels like, how it performs. And and that’s been very, very helpful. So post if there’s any issues in general, we’ve been very, very proactive in dealing then with with the final customer if there’s any issue at all. And then because we want to we care about our name, correct? So from that moment on, we if there’s any, we just take over and and we work with the final customer in educating them and assisting them because so many times it’s it’s just easier.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:55] Now, you mentioned that fabricators are important part of your growth, like what is a fabricator who isn’t aware of your brand right now? Why should they be like, what is something like how would you pitch a fabricator that maybe isn’t carrying your brand right now?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:21:16] Well, simply because it’s a niche market of a much larger product line. And however, this niche is growing fast and people are now becoming more and more aware in general. About anything that’s sustainable. I mean, we’ve seen that with with with Tesla. I mean, now now today compared to five years ago, you see, I don’t know how many times more Tesla is on the road. So it’s just a trend that’s happening and it’s something basically fabricators need to be convinced that this niche will become. Constantly bigger. And it’s also a product where it’s considered a not specialty, but again, a niche one. So they can also do well installing it both financially and just ethically. And so it’s something that is a little bit of a I would say like a medium high priced final product. Not not not too expensive, but it’s medium high. And it’s it’s something that the fabricator can do well on.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:32] Well, if somebody wants to learn more and get a hold of you or somebody on your team, what is the website?

Paolo Bilotta: [00:22:40] The website is our name. So it’s qr a v a dot com. Well, thank you. See all the colors? You’ll see how it’s made. And you will see everything you need to know.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:54] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Paolo Bilotta: [00:23:00] No. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:23:01] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you next time on South Florida Business Radio.