Rick Self started his path in the stone industry in 1999 with an impulsive purchase of a Flow Waterjet – no knowledge, no customers, no contacts, no real thought going in. The ups and downs that followed eventually led him to a position with Terminator Diamond Products in 2018. “What started as an intention to build a waterjet shop turned into a series of choices that took me from cutting steel to creating marble intarsia work to fabricating countertops to learning the supply side of our industry, and finally to business development at Terminator,” he explained. “I often think, ‘What a long strange trip it’s been.’ And if I may, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that my better half, Molly, has been alongside from the start. She’s become quite accomplished on the slab side of our industry.”

Stone World recently spoke with Self on a variety of topics regarding the industry, as well as Terminator. Here’s what he had to say: