Most new clients and friends ask about the origins of the Marble Tree name. In telling the story, I usually speak longer than the questioner intended. I'll try to be brief.

The name Marble Tree existed two years prior to the actual launch of the business. Yes, I wanted a marketable name. Being in a sentimental stage of life, I wanted my business to tie me to my roots. And my roots are in Carthage Missouri, my hometown where I spent the first 19 years of my life.

Carthage is known for many things. The original "Wild Kingdom" host Marlin Perkins is from Carthage, as is Astronaut Janet Sellers Kavandi, and 1880's outlaw legend Belle Starr. A number of highly successful artists make their home there, but Jerry Ellis is my favorite. And Fortune 500 company Leggett and Platt made millionaires out of several locals and is still headquartered in Carthage.

The town is small, only about 14,000 people, but rich in well-preserved Victorian houses from the prosperous late 1800's and smaller but tasteful homes from the early 1900's.

Mature maple trees cover the city and shade the yards and streets. In October the trees turn beautiful hues of orange and red, eventually dropping their leaves in heaping masses on the lawns. And each October the population swells to 90,000, as visitors come to see the Maple Leaf Festival.

The crown jewel of the city is the county courthouse, constructed out of the local "Carthage" marble. Sitting on the highest point in the land, the courthouse can be seen from several miles away, even during the day. During the Christmas season, lights from the courthouse stream down to each corner of the city square. Original Carthage marble sidewalks can still be found lining the streets and guiding visitors up to the wide porches of the older homes. The marble is also found in the form of stepping blocks where horses were once tied, windowsills, and garden steps.

So, Marble Tree is simply the combination of two things that I really appreciate about my hometown; the marble and the trees. Roots. It's all about the roots.

Steve Sneed