Masonry Magazine January 2006 Page. 31
History
ASK BRIAN DELAHAUT, vice president and general manager of MK Diamond, the key to his company's longevity and success and he'll tell you it largely lies in the business's founding philosophy: "Good is never good enough."
This old adage began in the mid 1800s with Joseph Musto, a hard-working man who imported marble from Italy through the ports of San Francisco. The transition from importer to precision cutting first began when the imported slabs were too big for use.
"They realized that the marble sizes they were bringing in were not sized correctly for the homes and buildings that were being built," Brian explained. "So he ended up bringing blocks of marble in and cut them down by Fisherman's Wharf. And that established the Musto Steam Marble Mill company."
During World War II, the Germans developed diamond blade manufacturing techniques. This technology was brought over from Germany to the South Bay area of Los Angeles, which became a hub for diamond blade manufacturing in the United States. MK Diamond at this point called Musto Industries seized the opportunity and became a manufacturer of the diamond blades.
Another windfall occurred in 1974, when Robert Delahaut, current president and owner of MK Diamond, joined the company as a sales manager. Robert saw a greater potential for the company and, utilizing his straightforward sales strategies and marketing genius, became a rising star in the business.
After several changes of hands, Robert Delahaut and Richard Rice became the sole