Clever: http://gizmodo.com/watch-a-column-emerge-from-a-block-of-marble-during-an-505922029 .
What characteristics must a product have for this to be viable? I suppose the item must be heavy (so transport by shipping is necessary) and the raw material must be from a place that’s far away. It also has to be pretty low in the production chain, and the production time must be comparable to the shipping time.