It was a bold move, but keeping his eye on the niche, he developed good word of mouth on the work that the company did ("We have a reputation as the company that takes on impossible projects that have a high degree of technical difficulty or have not been tried before."), and he has promoted the company and its capabilities through marketing in publications aimed at his niches.

In talking about the company's success and his view of the market, Negrin states, "How do you look to set yourself apart? That's the question." He wanted his company to be vertically integrated, and that's why he kept expanding the capabilities to handle all parts of the job that the company was working on, he points out.

This also has led to his involvement with specialty glass products from overseas that otherwise are not yet well, known in this country. Through visiting international shows and traveling around the globe, Negrin has identified various glass products which he has been able to import exclusively and then develop into his own specialty custom products. He also has been successful in developing strategic relationships with his suppliers.

He has an array of glass, mirror, and stone samples of products which he has developed that he can show to clients and potential clients for exactly that unique application they are working on. "We have developed the products, have state -of-the-art equipment to manufacture and fabricate these custom products, and we do premium quality installation work. That's our niche," he states.

Then, there's the niche within a niche: megayachts.

"Several years ago, I was working with an insurance company that insured large yachts," he explains. "It was an opportunity to meet various yacht builders and owners. There was an excellent fit here because these folks use substantial quantities of glass, mirror, and stone in these extremely challenging one-of-a-kind projects." Negrin also points out that such people generally have multiple homes and businesses, "so one opportunity leads to another."

Galaxy also has developed its market niche in yachting by the same techniques that had proven successful in its other markets. It appears in yacht publications both through advertising and editorial features on its work. Negrin also has served as a judge for the Concours d'Elegance competition, which is sponsored by ShowBoats International magazine. The competition recognizes high quality work on yachts, and Negrin has served a number of years as one of two judges for interiors-which is a great way to meet owners and builders, he states with a chuckle.

Galaxy's prime market has been up scale residential interior work, although Negrin also names museums, hotels, a casinos as specialty focus markets for the company. The average client home is 10,000 square feet, with many homes in the 20,000 to 40,000 category, which represents a large segment of the company's work as well, the owner explains. He ventures that 55,000 square feet was the biggest residence that the company has ever done work in to date.

"We provide multiple materialed projects. We make our own shower enclosures and supply our own finishes. We manufacture and install furniture, built-ins, interior glass walls, proprietary custom glass laminates, glass and stone countertops, flooring, and vanities," he continues, further identifying the company's versatility.

Glass products account for approximately 85 percent of Galaxy's business, with the remaining 15 percent being stone related. "The stone business is growing, but the glass business is growing even more because we are continually developing exciting new products and new relationships with vendors and clients," Negrin explains. Making the niches grow is a goal at Galaxy. High quality work pays dividends has been the mantra for this company since its inception. Smart marketing and insights into how to serve clients better have propelled the company forward. And Negrin indicates that the future will hold more of the same.