A lifelong stone mason from Italy has announced plans to expand his Nashville marble and granite business to Paris.



Giorgio Agosta of Italia Granite in Nashville said within a month, he will be selling the finest custom-imported marble and granite from Italy.



Also, he'll be cutting, shaping and polishing these stones here, then installing them as kitchen and bathroom countertops, as well as for many other uses in living areas, business offices and even outdoor living areas.



The operation, named Paris Marble and Granite, will be located in the former Skint Barrett Electrical Service building, 130 Highway 69 at the West Wood "Y," across from the old Holley carburetor plant.



When fully operational, the business will employ 12-15 people.



Tuesday, Jerry Shobe of Paris brought Agosta to The Post-Intelligencer to make the announcement.



"Who wouldn't love to go to Italy and select a slab of beautiful Italian marble or stunningly veined granite for remodeling or new home construction?" his announcement stated.



"The good news is you will not have to make that trip and haul that heavy load back to Paris, because Italy is coming to you. That's right, marble and granite from Italy is coming to Paris around the end of February."



Shobe, who helped translate Agosta's thick Italian accent, said he met the skilled stone mason while shopping in Nashville for materials for the new home he and his wife, Patricia, are building in Castleton Cove, just outside Paris.



The Shobes lived for years in one of St. Louis' Italian neighborhoods, and toured Italy just last year. Jerry Shobe said they quickly became great friends with Agosta.



He has been a stone mason most of his adult life, having been born and raised in Pozzallo on the southern coast of Sicily, "a quaint coastal town with some of the cleanest sea coasts in the entire of Italy," according to his Web site.



"He carries the tradition of his grandfather, a master marble craftsman. Giorgio has crafted marble for the past 45 years and, when a young boy, assisted in helping with stonework in the Church of Saint Giovanni Battista in Pozzallo."



He immigrated to America 25 years ago, bringing his trade with him to New York. More than 13 years ago, he said he moved his business to Nashville to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.



His Nashville company boasts one of the country's largest inventories of 30 types of marble, 98 types of granite, plus onyx, soapstone and travertine.



His showroom also includes a wide variety of plants, plus potted herbs he uses in the creation of Italian cuisine. Agosta said he also takes great pride in maintaining the 171-year family tradition of creating excellent wines.



The services in Paris will include a showroom, sales department and complete fabrication and installation.



Agosta said all projects will be measured, quoted, fabricated and installed by himself or one of his highly trained stone masons.



He said he has built his company based on honesty and personal integrity, along with old-world craftsmanship. He said he's a "perfezionista," that is, a perfectionist.



The Web site states: "To Giorgio, the finished work is an extension of himself, his life and his Italian history. Working in marble and granite allows him [to] create lasting works that will be enjoyed beyond one's lifetime. Knowing that his work will be admired for decades motivates him to do the very best work available."

Examples of his work can be seen throughout the kitchen and wine-tasting area of Paris Winery, as well as the Shobes' new home, where he's installing white Carrara marble in the baths and butler's pantry, and Saint Gabriel granite on the kitchen counters.

"Five hundred years ago … Michelangelo sculpted David from a block of marble from Carrara, Italy," Agosta's announcement stated, "and now you can have Carrara marble in your home from the same mountain/quarry that David came from."



It was the Shobes who led local efforts to convince Agosta to expand his business to Paris. Those efforts also involved several city and county officials.



Carl Holder, executive director of the Paris-Henry County Economic Development Corp., said: "It has been a pleasure to work with Giorgio and his staff, while they have been considering a Paris location.



"We are excited about the new jobs and having an operation with the reputation for quality production which Italia Granite has achieved in Middle Tennessee. I'm sure Paris Marble will acquire a similar reputation in our area."



"We warmly welcome Mister Agosta and Paris Marble and Granite to Henry County. We sincerely appreciate his willingness to invest in our community, particularly in these tough economic times. I have assured Mister Agosta, on behalf of the Economic Development Corporation, that we will continue to work with him to ensure his success in Paris-Henry County," Henry County Mayor Brent Greer said.



"We are very appreciative of these new jobs, which our area needs so badly. We wish Paris Marble and Granite every success, and we look forward to working with them in the future," Paris Mayor Sam Tharpe said.



Shobe said his wife, an accomplished Italian cook, made Agosta a five-course Italian meal. Referring to the main course, Agosta said he hadn't eaten any that delicious since his mother had cooked it in Sicily.



A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be announced in The P-I once the facility is ready, which largely will depend on when the equipment can be in place.



Agosta's Web site, which includes photos of numerous samples of marble and granite, is www.italiagranite.net.



And he said he's already begun preparations for a vineyard on the 3.5-acre site at the "Y."