* What: Custom concrete countertops.
* Company: Set in Stone
* Address: 306 W. Main St., Suite 114
* Website: www.concretecaster.com
* Owners: Nathan Smith and his brother, Jeremiah
* What’s special: Unlike granite or marble countertops, concrete can be poured, which makes it a fully customizable building material, said Nathan Smith. “Every job is unique and every job is custom,” he said. “There are all different kinds of looks you can achieve.” Set in Stone has also builds decorative pieces such as fireplace surrounds, wall and floor tiles, sinks and planters.
* The origin story: Nathan Smith became interested in concrete countertops when he needed a countertop for his own home. Although he had used concrete in home construction, Smith said he needed to take classes to learn how to use the material decoratively.
* How long to make, install a countertop: Three to four weeks
* Where it’s sold: Some pieces are available from its Main Street showroom. Set in Stone also works in new houses and on remodeling jobs.
* How long have they been making them: Set In Stone started working out of a shop near Smith’s home in the fall of 2007. The company moved to its Main Street location July 2009.
* Lessons of the trade: “Stand behind what you sell,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be willing to deal with callbacks, especially working with such a custom product and new material used for this sort of thing. You’ve got to be open to new ideas. Because concrete is so custom and you can do so many things to it, you’ve got to think outside the box.”