From his undergraduate studies to earning his master's degree, Hugo pursued management in business school. "Many entrepreneurs in Brazil didn't have the opportunity to pursue higher education, but I knew that to lead an enterprise, the executive must study harder than everyone else—staying dedicated to the core business while developing the vision to discern international operational models that best serve the brand." Did he encounter friction or power struggles with siblings when stepping into the family business from the previous generation? Hugo answers with a smile that everything went exceptionally smooth: not only is he the eldest among the third generation entering the firm, but his cousins each bring distinct professional skills and strengths to the table, leaving no room for typical succession conflicts. Furthermore, Hugo earned respect through years of hands-on experience at the operational level. Starting from his university years at age eighteen, he rotated through procurement, transportation, finance, and accounting, and immediately joined the front lines at the processing plant upon earning his master's degree. "Being on-site reinforces that to accomplish anything well, grounded dedication and genuine hard work are essential investments."

As the second-generation management gradually stepped back, Hugo candidly shares: "From the very first day I took over the brand, I decided to shift away from our traditional business model of exporting raw stone blocks, focusing instead on partnering directly with distributors to market finished slabs." Shortly after taking the helm, however, Granistone encountered its first major hurdle during this brand transformation—the global pandemic. As COVID-19 escalated worldwide in the first quarter of 2020, the existing system of shipping raw blocks to Italian factories for slab processing faced severe disruption. Border closures and travel restrictions created unprecedented challenges, yet this crisis proved to be a blessing in disguise. "If we couldn't go to Italy, we decided to build our own plant in Brazil!" After constructing storage facilities, Hugo invested capital to build a high-tech slab cutting facility in northern Brazil near the quarry. "I knew I could push the brand much further, but it was being on the front lines of a crisis that truly allowed me to forge ahead in the direction I believed was right."

By 2022, Hugo established exclusive regional distributorships across five key global markets—spanning Italy, India, Mainland China, the Middle East, and Taiwan. By fostering transparent business models with strategic partners, Granistone not only broke free from the predatory pricing practices common in many mining regions, but also gained complete traceability over where its slabs were installed. "After more than thirty years of hard work, Granistone has built a globally recognized luxury stone brand. It is only fitting that we partner with the world's elite natural stone dealers to ensure these exceptional—yet increasingly challenging to mine—natural treasures receive the respect they deserve." As net-zero emissions become an essential ESG sustainability benchmark for international enterprises, Granistone has invested heavily in initiatives ranging from solar power and water recycling across quarries and processing plants, to upcycling semi-precious stone materials into handcrafted art pieces. "If everyone does their part, the world changes for the better," Hugo asserts. He believes that for a business to achieve true long-term sustainability, environmental stewardship must be paired with precise, sophisticated marketing strategies to help the world appreciate the true value of these rare, hard-won natural materials.

Treasuring the gifts bestowed by nature has always been a core philosophy of the Granistone family. "These luxury stones are provided by nature, and we cannot predict what future excavations will yield." Upon arriving in Taiwan and touring CHENHOW MARBLE's museum-grade showroom, Hugo felt completely reassured: "Rare luxury stone must be entrusted to the right hands, and CHENHOW MARBLE is a brand builder with that exact capability." During his week-long visit—engaging in deep exchanges with CHENHOW MARBLE Chairman Po-Kun Chen and Brand Officer Yu-Kai Chen, as well as conversing with Taiwanese designers partnering with CHENHOW—Hugo smiles, noting that everything CHENHOW has done to promote luxury stone fully met, and even surpassed, his expectations. "I need to urge our partners in other regions to follow suit and take similar initiatives." Success depends on human effort! Hugo concludes with this mindset, leaving a strong impression through his firm resolve as a young entrepreneur to elevate the true value of luxury stone.