Terrazzo is one of the last Stone companies still making their namesake product in Australia. Once part of a booming industry, the family-owned business has now become a specialty supplier, crafting both pre-made and custom terrazzo products straight out of Sydney.

“We manufacture terrazzo. We used to quarry the marble and make the terrazzo ourselves. Now we do pressed tiles, pre-cut products, and anything on-site.” says Andrew Donati, one of the company’s Directors.  

Andrew’s father founded Terrazzo in the 60s, bringing Italian spirit into the business. Back then, demand for smooth, seamless surfaces was in major demand, with on-site production being the norm. Things have changed since then. 

“Terrazzo was my father’s business and then me and my two brothers bought him out in 2008. We’ve been running it since then. Back in the late 90s, we decided to build a factory in Arndell Park. That’s when we first started buying machinery. Originally it didn’t have this kind of advanced machinery that we have now.” 

30 years later, we set up shop right across the street from the Donati brothers’ factory. It was only natural that a partnership would form – and thrives to this day. As the story goes, Andrew had been eyeing CMS Brembana machines for a while. After doing his research, he decided to bite the bullet and invest in one. Then another one.

“We have the Kosmos saw from Innovync and a Smartline waterjet. The first machine I bought 2 years ago and the waterjet was just installed before Christmas 2022. I needed to update my saw and so I had a look at the market. I’ve always been impressed with the CMS brand. When Innovync opened up across the road, I thought “that’s the saw I really want to get.””

Cutting up to 200mm thick for some products, Terrazzo processes materials that are well above the industry average. With 20-30mm thicknesses being the norm, their jobs require high-powered machinery that withstands the pressure of heavy, dense slabs. Brembana machines easily fit the bllt, enabling Andrew and his team to churn out both pre-made and custom products.

“CMS machines are very sturdily made, very robust, I have a very abrasive material and the machine must withstand the abrasiveness of our slurries and it does. The design of their components is a little bit better than what’s on the market.”

While the hardware and physical design were initial considerations for the Donati brothers, they discovered one of CMS’ major advantages only after the Kosmos was installed. With detailed, user-friendly software at their fingertips, the Terrazzo team had no trouble learning how to program and run jobs efficiently. When the Smartline came in, the team was already used to the intuitive interface and quickly began maximising the waterjet’s potential.

“When I started with the saw, I was very impressed with it; how easy it was for our staff to learn. That’s why I bought the waterjet, ‘cos it was really easy to use the sophisticated programs. The systems used to operate the saw and the waterjet are very similar, and I find that the Easyjet programming is very easy to use – the way the machine operates is very easy for complex things.”

Investing in the Kosmos gave Andrew and his team a distinctive advantage. They saw a leap in productivity within the first few months – and the additio of the waterjet only ramped it up further.

“I’d say we’ve easily seen a 30% productivity increase on the saw alone.The Smartline is a new type of product that I invested in. Waterjet cutting just added another layer that we can do more with in our business. It was actually taking pressure off the saw so we got increased productivity across the board.”

The two machines, working in tandem, make Terrazzo a highly efficient operation. As one of the last terrazzo manufacturers still standing in Australia, the Donati brothers have had to be very pragmatic with the way they operate. Aside from carefully considering their investments in advanced technology, they also scrutinised who they were buying from. With much of their machinery coming from overseas suppliers, Andrew and his brothers knew that on-shore support for their main money-makers was a must. As our neighbours, they couldn’t have been any closer to it.

“There’s never really been a problem – I’ve rung Innovync and within half an hour, the problem’s been sorted. Within virtually the day, it’s been rectified. I’ve never been ringing to scream at them to fix the problem, it’s always been sorted. Service has been fantastic.”

There you have it. Quality machinery, increased productivity, easy staff training, and no stress on the service front. What more could you ask for?