In 1979, at the age of 21, Glenn Kafka of Stratford, WI, owner of Kafka Granite, LLC, purchased a backhoe at a local auction for $8,500. He provided a service laying drain tile for local farms with the intention of making their land more productive for growing crops. He also provided small backhoe jobs for the local area as needed. With his first office located out of his mother’s very small laundry room, Glenn was able to find work and process his invoices. While visiting with a neighbor around a campfire in 1981, Glenn was offered an opportunity to purchase a forty-acre granite pit. As a relatively new businessman, a hard worker, and successful thus far, Glenn thought, “Why not?” Purchasing the pit would be a great resource and could potentially lead to future work. He had no idea where to begin, but immediately began to research utilizing his common sense and communication skills.