Stone specialist Stone Age, with showrooms in London, Bristol and Boxted Farm, Hemel Hempstead, where there are also workshops, has been bought by its Managing Director, Gary Walters, and James Diver. 

Jo O’Grady, who stands down as Chairman, and his brother Richard, will leave the business. Their brother, Rod, remains on the sales team in London as does Richard’s son, Ludo. Jo’s wife, Sally, retains her position as company secretary.

Jo says: “This is a natural progression for the company… for Richard and myself to take a step back as we look forward to seeing Stone Age in safe, experienced and, importantly, committed hands that will take the company to the next level.”

Gary Walters joined Stone Age as Technical Director in 1989, having been recruited by Jo O’Grady for, he says, the exacting standards and attention to detail so important to the business. More recently, Gary became Managing Director. 

James Diver has worked with Gary on projects for the past 26 years. He is well known to the current team and became a permanent addition to Stone Age from February this year.

Gary and James are positive about the opportunities for Stone Age and expect to be putting the recent investment in new machinery at Boxted Farm to good use. 

Gary and James say they plan to expand the workshop and identify new London showroom facilities for the sales team. 

Gary told NSS: “James and myself have a great appreciation for the time, effort and determination that Jo, Richard and the team have invested in establishing and building the business over the past 28 years. Stone Age is a force to be reckoned with in the industry and we look forward to nurturing and developing the business for many more years to come.”

Gary says his ambition for the company is for it to become market leader in the supply of natural stone. He says he intends to maintain the company’s reputation as a leading provider of finest quality bespoke masonry. He is also focused on building and nurturing relationships with likeminded businesses to ensure Stone Age is always their supplier of choice.

Gary started his career by training as a cabinetmaker. He became a surveyor and draftsman with Lunn Poly and then took on a position as a design technician for Feldmen Design Associates, where projects included the Amiri Court of Bahrain personal residence. It was this that gave him his first experience of working with stone and eventually led to him establishing his own stone business before joining Stone Age.

Biography 

Gary Walters - Managing Director

In January 2016, in partnership with James Diver, Gary Walters took on ownership of Stone Age.

Gary's ambition for the company is for it to become market leader in the supply of natural stone. On a daily basis he strives to maintain the company's reputation as a leading provider of the finest quality bespoke masonry. He is also focused on building and nurturing relationships with likeminded businesses to ensure Stone Age is always their supplier of choice.  

At the start of his career Gary trained as a cabinet maker. His first role was for Lunn Poly as a surveyor and draftsman.  He then took on a position as a design technician for Feldmen Design Associates, working on projects for Cafe Rouge and the Amiri Court of Bahrain personal residence. It was this experience that led him to be approached by a stone company. He worked with them for three years before setting up on his own.

Stone Age Founder Jo O'Grady approached Gary in 1989 to ask if he would take on the role of Technical Director at Stone Age.  More recently Gary has worked as Managing & Technical Director for the company.

Gary's technical expertise and attention to detail are his greatest assets to the business. He sets his standards very high, to deliver the best results and it's Stone Age customers that benefit most. His greatest achievement for the business is the direct influence he has had on growing Stone Age from a one shop showroom in London to the current turnkey business it is today. With international clients, a retail presence in London, Bristol and Hertfordshire and a significant workshop and warehouse capacity, he has certainly had a positive impact.    

His advice to others looking to join the industry is: "Get to know your product, ask if what you are delivering is the best it can be and always strive to achieve perfection. Attention to detail is key. From product to process you must always ensure every piece of the puzzle is as good as the next."

Outside work Gary enjoys restoring classic cars, he has successfully completed one Porsche and moved onto another. His regular hobbies include golf and skiing. When it comes to travelling, his favourite city is New York and he enjoys exploring Italy. 

Biography 

James Diver – Production & Technical Director

In January 2016, in partnership with, Gary Walters James took on ownership of Stone Age.

James's role in the business is Production & Technical Director, managing the workshop on a daily basis and overseeing project installations. With a similar work ethic to Gary, he strives to achieve perfection on every project Stone Age undertakes. James is very customer focused and transparent in his approach to work.  He enjoys the individuality of his customers and the variety they and his colleagues bring to his working day. 

James first came to London in 1989, after spending five years working as a tiler, developing his skill set in Ireland. His time in the city saw James take on more bespoke, stone based work. In the early years he also worked alongside Gary on some projects for a separate company. Key stone projects he was part of include landmark buildings in London like Waterloo Station, Hampton Court Palace and Westminster Cathedral.

In 1994 James set up Ideal Stone Interiors Ltd and ran the business successfully for ten years before deciding on a slight change of direction. Making use of the skills he had gained in the industry James built up a thriving property portfolio, which is still going strong today. 

More recently, James has made a return to the industry, working with Stone Age for a number of years on bespoke projects across London and the UK. James enjoys the challenges of working with stone on a daily basis and compares it to working with people: "You need to work at it a bit.  Everything and everyone needs a bit of tlc, stone is no exception."

His advice to others looking to join the industry is: "You only get out of it what you put in, have a willingness to learn and strive for perfection, attention to detail is essential and you are only ever as good as your last job."

Outside work James is a keen golfer, he enjoys family life with his wife and three sons and is a Rugby coach for his local under 13's team. They all enjoy playing, participating or watching one of the three on a regular basis.