NTMA, Charter Member Grazzini Brothers Share Centennial
The Grazzinis call themselves lucky in many ways. Founded in 1923, Grazzini Brothers is also a charter member of the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA), founded the same year.
Like about half of today’s terrazzo companies, Grazzini Brothers has deep Italian roots. After immigrating to Minnesota from Tuscany, brothers Frank and August Grazzini began in 1923 to install terrazzo, a trade they had learned in their homeland.
Now 100 years later, Frank’s grandson, Gene, age 84, is still working part-time as Chief Contracting Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Eagan-based flooring contractor. “We are very lucky and blessed to have succeeded all these years as a family business,” he noted.
“I still get a thrill personally, coming to work, seeing all the cars in the parking lot, and looking at the payroll every week,” he added. “Providing a living for so many families over so many years is a wonderful feeling.”
A Family Business
“The terrazzo industry is basically made up of family businesses,” noted Gene. “It’s the American dream.” He is especially proud to have his oldest daughter, Denise Sjostrom, Contract Administrator, in the business for 42 years.
The fifth generation joined in 2007, Mark Miranda, Senior Project Manager, General Manager of Terrazzo—his passion—and Director of Sales & Marketing. “I don’t have the Grazzini name, though my mother is a Grazzini,” he admitted, adding with a laugh, “They tell me it doesn’t matter.”
Mr. Miranda said he enjoys working with his grandfather, uncle, and aunt. “We get along well; it’s a blessing,” he stated. “Not everybody gets to do that.” He said that the family has much to be proud of in its history, in knowing the ancestors who started it and worked to make it what it is today. The family dynamic also extends to employees.
“We’ve been lucky, and we care about the people who work for us,” declared Greg, Gene’s son, who joined the company full-time in 1986. Like his dad and grandfather, Greg rose through the ranks from entry level. He has served as President and CEO since 2009.
Grazzini Brothers is proud of its employees and of the diversity of its workforce, Greg reported, noting that it includes teams of husband and wife, and father/son or daughter. Recently an employee celebrated 45 years with the company and several others have been with the company for over 25 years. “We have always embraced people who are ready to work hard and willing to support the company,” he reported.
A Family-Style Industry
“The NTMA is near and dear to our hearts,” said Greg. “Of all the professional associations we’ve been involved with, we consider it the top one.” Over the company’s 100 years in the NTMA, Grazzini family members have taken on many leadership roles. One of the second-generation family members, Edward, even served as its executive director in the ‘80s.
Mr. Miranda noted that spending time with NTMA members, including his competitors, is one of his favorite activities. “It’s such a warm group, with a wealth of knowledge and experience. It’s not all industries that competitors even talk to each other,” he explained.
As for professional honors, “we’ve been very lucky nationally and locally,” Greg added. The company netted the NTMA Job of the Year in 2012 (Kalahari Resort Wisconsin Dells) and 1988 (Wilson Ridge Offices, Eden Prairie, Minnesota), along with countless other Honor Awards and other construction industry recognitions.
Witness to an Evolving Industry
Gene recalls that when he began his career in the late ‘50s, traditional cement-based terrazzo was the only option. He saw the progression of grinding machines from carborundum stone to diamonds and the introduction of epoxy matrix, which allowed for a thinner floor and more vibrant and unlimited colors.
In the early ‘60s, the Grazzini company was instrumental in the epoxy terrazzo revolution, according to Greg. Collaborating with HP Fuller Resins, now TEC, the company contributed to the development of the first epoxy resins, which went on to mass production and became the industry norm. Epoxy was a boon for general contractors, who sometimes resisted the messiness and labor-intensive installation of traditional cement terrazzo, Gene explained. “GCs like ‘pour today and walk on tomorrow.’”
Next Generation
What future does the family see for their company? The Grazzini Brothers’ sixth generation is already on the scene: Mark’s son, Rex. The 13-year-old is following in the footsteps of his elders, enthusiastically taking on odd jobs at the company during his summer vacations.
Furthermore, not only are buildings always being built, meaning a solid and enduring market for floors, Gene said, but also, “terrazzo is a darn good product that has outlived many buildings.”
He also believes that his company’s future rests on an ever-improving industry that also holds up standards for installation quality across the country with pre-qualified, trained contractors. For him, the future of the industry depends on the collaborative efforts of the NTMA.
“We will keep learning new systems and methods, making it more economical and to do a better job,” Mr. Grazzini predicted. “With this many people in the industry, with enough human minds working on it, there will always be changes for the better.”
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