Vasco Marchetti, founder of the Southend, Essex, stone company Marbonyx, has been made a Cavalier of the Republic - an Italian knighthood - as his company celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Vasco, who was born in the picturesque Italian town of Carrara, the name of which is synonymous with the finest marble, was given a knighthood in Italy for his rags to riches business success in the UK. The honour comes as Vasco ends his business career because he will be retiring at the end of this year and handing over his business to his four sons that now run Marbonyx.

Economic pressures required Vasco to start his working life when he was just 11 and, being in Carrara, he naturally turned to marble. Over the next 10 years he learnt to select, analyse and extract marble from the mountainsides. He came to England in 1974 when he was offered a contract with a small company in London. That company soon closed but Vasco remained in England and started his own business in Southend in 1976.

From these humble beginnings Marbonyx Ltd has grown, its factory and showroom now on a 1.7acre site on Purdey\'s Industrial Estate, from where they supply many projects locally and into London. They use state of the art technology and employ more than 40 people. These days the majority of Marbonyx\'s work is supplying kitchen, building, construction and bathroom companies.

To celebrate the company\'s 30th anniversary, they are opening a new showroom at their factory and staff will be participating in several charity events as well as enjoying a celebratory function that is being arranged for later in the year.