48 CHALDEAN NEWS
48 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2008
making a DIFFERENCE Stones rock Mazzin Najor’s world BY JOYCE WISWELL Overseeing production of the new Pontiac Veterans Memorial gave Mazzin Najor an idea. “I want to see Chaldeans who served in the military have a memorial,” he said. “There has been a lot of sacrificing in the Chaldean community that no one realizes – all people see are the money and the cars.” As the owner of Atlantic Stoneworks with his brothers Zeyad and Azad, Najor is in a unique position to spearhead the project. His company offers wholesale, fabrication and installation of natural stone products for commercial and residential applications. His efforts helped the Pontiac Veterans Memorial save ,000, Najor said, enough that the long-planned memorial, which honors more than 3,800 Pontiac veterans both living and dead, could finally be completed. The granite memorial was unveiled in a dedication ceremony on June 7 at Perry Mount Park Ceremony. Najor was so inspired by the project that he’s become involved with Lest They Be Forgotten, a memorial mission from the Oakland County Veterans Group that aims to install individual memorial monuments for each Michigan soldier who lost his or her life in Iraq and Afghanistan. Najor recently met with Michael George, chairman of the Chaldean Federation of America, to receive his endorsement of the project. But there’s a lot more to Atlantic Stoneworks than building memorials. Najor founded the firm in 2001 after spending 10 years learning all about the business from his father, Moyed. He calls his progression to business owner “like going from busboy to head chef.” “My dad was the first Chaldean in the business,” Najor said. “A few Chaldeans worked for us over the years and then went their own way – which is the Chaldean way.” Atlantic Stoneworks has 15 employees and in June moved from Troy (where it still does fabricating) to a new showroom in Southfield. Najor said the firm is thriving despite Michigan’s hard economic times. “People with money seem to have kept their money,” he said. “I have people whose granite countertops I did three years ago. Now they’re sick of them and they say, come do it again.” The firm also has large commercial clients, including the General Motors Building, MGM and Greektown casinos, the Detroit Marriott and Andiamo’s Downtown. When it comes to natural stone, Najor practices what he preaches. His Southfield home is filled with stonework, including granite ceilings in some rooms. Confessed the 38-year-old, “I find myself staring at stonework wherever I go.” Atlantic Stoneworks is located at 25755 Southfield Road. To help Najor with the Chaldean Memorial project, call him at (248) 524-0044. Mazzin Najor’s Atlantic Stoneworks produced the Pontiac Veterans Memorial AUGUST 2008 CHALDEAN NEWS 49
