Stone World articles from February 2008

Stone World archives from February 2008

Addressing silicosis head-on.(STONE COLUMN)
February 1, 2008... In May of 2006, I wrote a column for Stone World entitled, "Silicosis: Dangerous from many angles" that stressed the need for stone fabrication shops to understand the issues of silicosis in our industry, to develop proper procedures in their...

Veteran stoneworking firm ceases fabrication ...(NEWSLINE)(Dixie Cut Stone and Marble, Inc.)(Company overview)
February 1, 2008... After 48 years in the stone fabrication business, Dixie Cut Stone & Marble, Inc. of Bridgeport, MI, has shut down its stone-processing division. The company--originally founded by John Hoffmann in 1960--was purchased by Oldcastle Architectural...

Northeast Slate Inc. purchases Hilltop Slate's operations in New York and Vermont ...(NEWSLINE)(Company overview)
February 1, 2008... Northeast Slate Inc., a natural slate distribution company, finalized its 100% share purchase of Hilltop Slate, Inc., one of the region's largest slate producers. The two companies will consolidate as Hilltop Slate while celebrating their 60th...

Polycor offers free continuing education for architects ...(NEWSLINE)
February 1, 2008... Leading North American stone supplier, Polycor, is offering a free on-line continuing education course at AEC Daily's Online Learning Center. The offering is Course AEC231, and it is worth 1.00 LUs 1.00. This program also qualifies for HSW...

Laser Products offers free seminars on digital templating ...(NEWSLINE)
February 1, 2008... Laser Products will be offering free seminars to be held throughout the nation in an effort to present countertop fabricators with the advantages of digital templating. The seminars are intended for fabrication shops of all sizes, and the goal...

Marble Institute of America ends 2007 with 2,000th member ...(NEWSLINE)
February 1, 2008... The Marble Institute of America ended 2007 with a record 2,000 members, up 221 since the close of the previous year. The 2,000th member of the MIA is Merlino Marble & Granite of Clermont, NJ, whose application was received and processed at the...

One liners ...(NEWSLINE)(appointment of Tony Zieglar in American Equipment Finance, LLC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... American Equipment Finance, LLC, a leading firm in the stone equipment financing and leasing industry, announced the hiring of Tony Zieglar as Regional Sales Manager. He will be responsible for working with vendors of equipment to provide...

Statistics: October 2007: imports from the U.S.
February 1, 2008... STATISTICS October 2007 | Imports from the U.S. Customers value in dollars does not include insurance or freight COUNTRY GRANITE MARBLE * U.S. $ TONS U.S. $ ...

Statistics: October 2007: exports from the U.S.(Statistical table)
February 1, 2008... STATISTICS October 2007 / Exports from the U.S. Customers value in dollars does not include insurance or freight COUNTRY GRANITE MARBLE * U.S. $ TONS U.S. $ ...

Grazzini Brothers first to earn MIA commercial contractor accreditation.(NEWS)
February 1, 2008... CLEVELAND, OH -- Grazzini Brothers & Co. of Eagan, MN, is the first company to earn the Accredited Natural Stone Commercial B Contractor designation under the Marble Institute of America's accreditation program. Commercial B (light...

AB&J contributes to United Flight 93 memorial.(NEWS)(Anderson Brothers and Johnson)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... UNION CITY, CA -- Wausau Wisconsin Red granite now serves as the focal point of the first memorial recently dedicated to the 40 brave men and women on the fateful United Flight 93 that crashed in a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2001. The...

Obituary.(NEWS)(Obituary)
February 1, 2008... SEAL BEACH, CA -- It is with great sadness that Custom[R] Building Products announces the death of company co-founder Thomas R. Peck, Sr. on January 3, 2008. He was 91. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Born October 29, 1916 in ups t a t e New...

Over 80 years of American granite production: with five quarries and a full-scale stone-processing plant, Dakota Granite Co. of Milbank, SD, has established itself worldwide as a leading producer of granite blocks.(RE-EMERGING U.S. STONE INDUSTRY)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Located on the open plains of Milbank, SD, Dakota Granite Co. operates a full-scale stone-processing plant and several quarries. The company was incorporated in June of 1925 as a wholesale quarrier/fabricator of...

Building a reputation for success: originally started as a tile installation business, Slabworks of Montana has evolved into a full-scale fabrication operation, which considers investment in technology and quality customer service key components for expansion.(Fabricator Case Study)(Slabworks of Montana Bozeman, MT)(Company overview)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Located just about 100 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, Slabworks of Montana in Bozeman, MT, has experienced significant growth since it first opened its doors in 1994. What began as a two-man operation has...

Exploring unique sectors of the stone industry: Antonio Liberta, owner of Blue Horse Marble Inc. of Arlington, WA, prides his company on customized residential stonework, as well as more unusual fabrication jobs for yacht interiors, and more recently, marble and granite guitars.(Fabricator Case Study)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Working in the stone industry for the past 17 years has given Antonio Liberta a strong background in the trade, along with various opportunities for standing out among his competitors. Today, his company, Blue Horse...

Connecticut fabricator is off to a solid start: after less than a year and a half, Art's of Stone of New Milford, CT, has already established a solid reputation for quality and reliability in its region.(Fabricator Case Study)(Company overview)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In September of 2006, Jose Lima founded Art's of Stone in New Milford, CT, with five different colors of natural stone slabs available. Today, the company has 110 colors of stone in its stockyard, and it has grown...

Fabricating technology roundup: the second half of our comprehensive Fabricating Technology Roundup focuses on tooling and accessories, handling and storage, software/electronic templating and diversified shop products such as air and water treatment systems.(PART II--TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES)
February 1, 2008... Just as there has been major advancement in equipment for cutting, shaping, polishing and edging stone products (as reported in the January 2008 issue of Stone World), there have also been significant developments in the tooling and accessories...

Tooling and accessories.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)
February 1, 2008... Abrasive Technology offers specialized P.B.S.[R] stone tools for custom edge shaping. The brazed tools are developed for high-end users needing a custom tool for a special project, and Abrasive Technology reports a quick turnaround time. The...

Material handling and storage.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)
February 1, 2008... AccuGlide Saws introduces the AccuGlide TiltTable, a professional full slab table designed to take the stress out of slab handling and provide a 7- x 12-foot table surface for production cutting with the AccuGlide rail saw. [ILLUSTRATION...

Air and water treatment.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)
February 1, 2008... Beckart Environmental Inc. of Kenosha, WI, provides equipment and technologies that provide zero-discharge solutions by filtering influent from saws, polishers and CNC equipment down to below 1 micron, and then routing the clean water back for...

Electronic templating/digitizing.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)(Blick Industries developed The Proliner measuring system)(Braxton-Bragg Corp has developed digitizer the digital measuring system)(ETemplate System has developed ETemplate the digital measuring system)
February 1, 2008... The Proliner[R] from Blick Industries and Innovative is a brief-case-sized machine that combines a measuring system with an easy-to-use touch-screen computer. It is a complete system that allows production-ready .DXF files to be created onsite...

Software.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)(briefs)
February 1, 2008... The Breton Fabmaster software suite is designed to take the guesswork out of the sales, inventory and shop management process. The system consists of three modules: Designmaster, Imagemaster and Shopmaster. Designmaster allows sales...

Diversified shop products.(PART II-TOOLING AND ACCESSORIES: Fabricating Technology Roundup)(Braxton-Bragg Corp.)(GranQuartz has released a catalog exclusively covering safety products for the stone industry)
February 1, 2008... Akemi's new Color Spectrum Bonding Kit comes with everything needed to match any color. It was conceived as a color-matched polyester adhesive kit "with a brain." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Akemi Color Spectrum Bonding Kit ...

Fabricating soapstone countertops: in this online forum, conducted at www.stoneadvice.com, stone fabricators from around the country share their experiences in working with soapstone for residential countertop applications.(ONLINE FORUM)
February 1, 2008... Q: From what I have heard, I would guess that soapstone is rather soft and could possibly scratch easily. Is this true? What about sealing? Polishing? Robert Carter, Albemarle Countertop Co., Charlottesville VA: Most soapstone that is...

Stone World fabricator classes adopt a new format for 2008: after a very successful three-year run, Stone World's fabricator education series will take on a completely new format in 2008--the Fabricator Management Clinic--with an aim towards company managers, supervisors and owners.(FABRICATION MANAGEMENT CLINIC)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The need for industry education in the stone industry has been well documented, and to help fill that need, Stone World has been presenting its Stone Fabrication Workshops since 2005--hitting a total of 24 cities in...

Three decades of Brazilian stone production: for almost 30 years, Gramil Granitos e Marmores Itapemirim Ltda. has been exporting a range of Brazilian stone to the world marketplace--with an eye on the U.S. in particular.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Located in the heart of the stoneworking region of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espirito Santo, Brazil, Gramil Granitos e Marmores Itapemirim Ltda. has been a leading company in the industry for almost 30 years. Today,...

Latin American stone industry holding steady: after significant annual growth for over a decade--particularly within the past five years--U.S. imports of stone from Latin America are maintaining near-record levels.(Industry overview)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For U.S. importers, Latin American stone producers are certainly not a new resource. Stone from countries such as Mexico has been around for ages, and Brazilian granite has been a staple of the U.S. countertop sector...

The Brazilian stone spectrum is on display in Vitoria: once again, the Vitoria Stone Fair will take place in the capital of the Espirito Santo State in Brazil, which is also the main stoneworking region of the nation.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the past few years, U.S. importers and fabricators have dramatically increased their purchasing of stone from Brazil. In fact, this trend has been so significant that Brazil's 2006 granite export value to the...

Blending existing and new stone architecture: for the initial construction of a private residence, Old Yellow limestone was chosen for the exterior in order to help it fit with the home's historic neighbors, and when it came time for an addition, the new stonework had to combine precisely with the already existing structure.(Renovation and Restoration)(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... To merge with the historic context of the King Williams District in San Antonio, TX, there was no question that Old Yellow limestone would be chosen for the exterior of a new private residence. And when it came time to extend the home some...

Preserving a 120-year-old building: a major renovation--including both an historic stone restoration and new construction--was recently completed at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, ME, which was dedicated in 1894.(Renovation and Restoration)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Originally designed by McKim, Mead & White, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, ME, recently underwent an extensive $20.8 million renovation that involved both historic restoration and new construction....

Replicating eco-friendly stone architecture: the new Georgia Public Health Laboratory in Waycross, GA, features an exterior facade of Rubble Stone--including scrap material--to mimic the look of its "sister" facility in Decatur, GA.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Construction of a new Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) in Waycross, GA, was recently completed, and the building was designed to be a "sister" facility to the main Public Health Laboratory in Decatur, GA. As a...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... For all seminars and a more complete calendar of stone industry events, visit www.stoneworld.com. February 19 to 22, 2008 The 24th International Marble and Granite Fair--Brazil Vitoria Stone Fair 2008, Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil....

Crystallyne Enterprises.(NEW PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2008... Crystallyne Enterprises has announced the release of XPX[TM]. Integrated into the company's QuickQuote estimating software, this new feature automatically prices .DXF/.DWG files in three easy steps. Simply import your finished .DXF/.DWG drawing...

Hallmark Stone.(NEW PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2008... This fall, Hallmark Stone, a Fenton, MO-based company that specializes in the fabrication of granite and Silestone countertop surfaces, introduced two exclusive products known as the Top Dolly and Top Saver, which were invented by Install...

Hydrasplit[R] C70.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
February 1, 2008... The new Hydrasplit[R] C70 from Park Industries features durable construction and the legendary power that is built into every Park Hydrasplit[R] machine, according to the company. Seventy tons of cutting force, featuring chisel equalization on...

A fully automatic, sediment dewatering and gray water recycling system.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
February 1, 2008... Water Treatment Technologies (WTT) has announced the introduction of the patent-pending "Concentrator," a fully automatic, sediment dewatering and gray water recycling system. The Concentrator provides the ultimate in gray water recycling...

New line of LCV Magnum Vertical Edge Polishing Machines.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marmo Machinery USA, one of North America's leading granite and marble fabrication distributors, has announced its new line of LCV Magnum Vertical Edge Polishing Machines for straight flat-squared 1-cm to 6-cm-thick...

MK Super-matic.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
February 1, 2008... MK Diamond Products has recently come out with the MK Super-matic, a saw well engineered for the rigors of production, and one that keeps workers safe during cutting. This new piece of equipment was manufactured in response to recent popularity...

VIC International.(NEW LITERATURE)
February 1, 2008... VIC International has published a 4-page brochure titled, "Green Solutions for Wet and Dry Stone Fabrication." The brochure supports the company's environmental systems for water clarification and airborne silica dust collection. ...

The Ground Floor.(NEW LITERATURE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ground Floor has released a pamphlet detailing its services on preserving natural stone sur faces. The brochure addresses common problems associated with marble, granite, limestone, terrazzo and travertine...

A new safety video produced by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) with grants from DuPont Surfaces and Water Treatment Technologies, will focus on silicosis; a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to respirable crystalline silica (granite dust).(NEW LITERATURE)
February 1, 2008... A new safety video produced by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) with grants from DuPont Surfaces and Water Treatment Technologies, will focus on silicosis; a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure...

Turquoise Stone.(NEW LITERATURE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A full-color booklet on its natural stone gallery is now being offered by Turquoise Stone. Featured in the pages are examples of the company's line of borders and mosaics, including ones that are specially hand made,...

Machine of the month.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] With more than 50 years experience in milling and polishing stone, Thibaut, a French manufacturer of stone processing machines, has introduced a new CNC stoneworking center with five interpolated axes. The...

Persiano Gohare limestone.(Stone of the month)
February 1, 2008... This Stone of the Month supplied by Primestone, Inc.. Concord, Ontario, Canada. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. Because stone is a product of nature, testing to determine specifi c physical qualities should be repeated for...