Stone World articles from January 2007

Stone World archives from January 2007

Fabricator outlook: "cautious optimism".(STONE COLUMN)(Editorial)
January 1, 2007... Each year, the parent company of Stone World Magazine polls stone fabricators around the U.S. to get their outlook for the coming year and beyond. And over the past few years, the results have been overwhelmingly positive--for the short term as...

Jack Seiders elected president of the Marble Institute of America.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2007... Jack Seiders of Architectural Granite & Marble, Inc. (AG & M) of Austin, TX, has been elected president of the Marble Institute of America, the 1,800-member international organization for the natural stone industry. Seiders formed AG & M...

"Virtual Stone Show" to debut this month.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... "The Virtual Stone Show" is set to be unveiled this month. This new concept combines the same technology used to build sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Amazon and eBay with the techniques used in physical trade shows. Designed to have the...

StoneTech 2007 Beijing is set for March 4 to 7.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... StoneTech, a leading stone fair in the Far East, is set to take place at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) in Beijing, China, from March 4 to 7, 2007. A total of 300 Chinese companies and 50 international firms have registered as...

New York quarrier offers educational tours to architects.(NEWSLINE)
January 1, 2007... Devonian Stone of New York, Inc., a sandstone mining and fabrication company in Windsor, NY, has recently expanded its facilities and is now offering tours to architects and other building industry professionals. Tours include a visit to the...

One liners.(NEWSLINE)(American Institute of Architects awarded gold medal to Edward Larrabee Barnes)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Board of Directors of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) voted today to posthumously award the 2007 AIA Gold Medal to Edward Larrabee Barnes, FAIA, who is best remembered for fusing Modernism with vernacular architecture and...

Statistics.(imports to the United States)(Statistical table)
January 1, 2007... September 2006 | Imports to the U.S. Customers value in dollars does not include insurance or freight GRANITE MARBLE* COUNTRY U.S. $ TONS U.S. $ TONS ARAB...

Caesarstone supplies countertops for Good Housekeeping Institute.(NEWS)
January 1, 2007... NEW YORK, NY -- The Good Housekeeping Research Institute recently moved in to its new home in the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, and 2,800 square feet of brilliant white CaesarStone quartz countertops were chosen to create a sleek fresh...

Laticrete celebrates 50 years.(NEWS)
January 1, 2007... CAPRI, ITALY -- Laticrete International, Inc., celebrating 50 years of industry-leading expertise in the manufacturing of innovative installation systems for stone and ceramic tile, hosted a special event to express its gratitude to clients and...

Global Granite & Marble debuts stone center.(NEWS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... NIXA, MO -- Area fabricators gathered at Global Granite & Marble's open house on October 11, 2006, in Nixa, MO. Kacey Cowdery and Terry Erickson from Global Granite & Marble visited with Kevin Pridemoor, owner of KPC Tile and Stone in Ozark,...

Mia Natural Stone Scholarship Award granted.(NEWS)
January 1, 2007... CLEVELAND, OH -- The Marble Institute of America, Inc. (MIA) recently announced the winner of its Natural Stone Scholarship Award--Rachel Crickenberger, stone consultant for CogswellStone of Palmyra, VA. Crickenberger's selection was based...

New CounterVision Web tool simplifies surfacing selection.(NEWS)
January 1, 2007... NOVI, MI -- CounterVision, a joint venture between Chameleon Power and ETemplate Systems, was recently launched. With CounterVision, the fabricator can use an uploaded online image of the client's actual home to display countertop options as...

Celebrating 25 years of stone production: with multiple quarry sites and a stone production plant in Upstate New York, Champlain Stone, Ltd. has developed into a major supplier over the past 25 years.(RE-EMERGING U.S. STONE INDUSTRY)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... When Michael Morey established Champlain Stone, Ltd. in Upstate New York in January of 1982, the company was essentially a one-man operation, as Morey would extract stone by hand and haul it to the marketplace for sale. Today, the company...

Fabricator growth expectations are tempered, but remain positive: after several years of overwhelming optimism, fabricators are once again predicting growth--but with a more cautious tone than in the past.(Industry overview)
January 1, 2007... Over the past few years, the stone industry in the U.S. has been growing at an unprecedented rate. And while the majority of fabricators polled in this year's Stone World survey predict that growth will continue, their optimism has not been as...

Fabricating Technology Roundup: new equipment for cutting, polishing and shaping stone is being developed on a continual basis, and these machines are helping fabricators increase production and overall efficiency.(PART I--MACHINERY: Part 1)
January 1, 2007... As the stone industry continues to grow, the lineup of machinery available to fabricators has been continually advancing. From more efficient sawing and polishing lines to computer numerically controlled (CNC) stoneworking machines, these new...

Fabricating Technology Roundup: new equipment for cutting, polishing and shaping stone is being developed on a continual basis, and these machines are helping fabricators increase production and overall efficiency.(PART I--MACHINERY: Part 2)
January 1, 2007... The Master 3500 is the most up to date machine in the Master series from Marmoelettromeccanica, represented in North America by Regent Stone Products. This machine can be equipped with the hydro-base water system that allows the machine to...

Technology investments bolster Canadian producer: in business since 1962, A. Lacroix et Fils Granit Ltee has made continual advances in its equipment for both slab production and architectural cut-to-size work.
January 1, 2007... Nestled among the pine-covered hills of Saint-Sebastien in Quebec, Canada, A. Lacroix et Fils Granit Ltee processes stone with advanced stoneworking machinery that is being updated on a continual basis. Operating with a dedicated staff of...

Growing through diversity: since its start in 1960, Dixie Cut Stone & Marble, Inc. has expanded its production in Michigan and partnered with a leading building materials company to ensure that business continues to flourish in upcoming years.(Fabricator Case Study)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... In 1960, John Hoffmann set out on a mission to build a stone operation that was characterized by quality workmanship and "hometown" customer service. While the company, which was named Dixie Cut Stone & Marble, Inc., started out small, it has...

Providing a quality end product: machinery from Matrix Stone Products allows Palm Beach Marble to produce high-quality products and to keep up with customer demand in South Florida.(Fabricator Case Study)
January 1, 2007... Palm Beach Marble, which serves as both a flooring contractor and a stone fabricator in South Florida, has grown tremendously since opening in 2003. The company's 7,500-square-foot building in Riviera Beach, FL, houses a fabrication shop,...

A model of stoneworking efficiency: with a 37,000-square-foot facility in Englewood, CO, Front Range Stone operates a broad range of equipment with an optimum level of organization.(Fabricator Case Study)
January 1, 2007... Despite the bustling level of activity at Front Range Stone's fabrication plant in Englewood, CO, there is clearly an order to the stoneworking process. Workers, machinery and material seem to move in perfect unison, allowing the company to...

StonExpo 2006 has a record showing: StonExpo 2006 took place from November 9 to 11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and it reached all-time highs in attendance and exhibitors.
January 1, 2007... Coming off of an exceptionally successful 2005 show, the industry once again committed to StonExpo in 2006 this past November. The result was a sold-out exhibit floor and record attendance at the Las Vegas Convention Center. [ILLUSTRATION...

Touring the exhibits of StonExpo.
January 1, 2007... The recent edition of StonExpo in Las Vegas, NV, featured a vast range of stone, machinery and accessories, and stone care products. The following is a sampling of the items on display at the event: (EDITOR'S NOTE: A review of fabrication...

Vitoria Stone Fair is primed for success: capitalizing on Brazil's growing importance in the international stone trade, the Vitoria Stone Fair will draw an audience of stone buyers from around the world.(Report from Latin America)
January 1, 2007... Given Brazil's position of prominence in the international stone industry--they are by far the top exporter of granite to the U.S.--it is not surprising that the Vitoria Stone Fair has shown solid growth since moving to Vitoria, Brazil in 2002....

Brazilian slab producer adds new equipment: Marmocil has enhanced its slab production in Vitoria, Brazil, with the addition of new stoneworking machinery from Italy.(Report from Latin America)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... Marmocil was founded in 1968 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and it is specialized in the production of granite polished slabs for internal and external applications. Although the company's initial focus was on the domestic market, it...

A specialist in Brazilian granite slabs: Granite Itapoama Ltda. of Rio Novo Do Sul, Espirito Santo, Brazil, has carved a niche for itself in the production of granite slabs--particularly for the U.S. marketplace.(Report from Latin America)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... Working in the granite-rich Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, Granitos Itapoama Ltda. of Rio Novo Do Sul was founded in February of 1990, and its principal owners are Elimario Peterle Fiorio and Estevan Antonio Fiorio, Jr. And over the past 16...

A new player in the Brazilian stone industry: Adalia Imp. & Exp. De Granitos Ltda. of Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil, exports granite and quartzite to an international market of clients.(Report from Latin America)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... Capitalizing on the popularity of Brazilian stone, Adalia Imp. & Exp. De Granitos Ltda. of Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil, was established in 2005 as a supplier of Brazilian stone materials to an international client base, and it has recently...

Mexican stone supplier continues expansion: already an industry pioneer and the exclusive quarrier and producer of Durango Stone[TM], World Wide Stone Corp. has made extensive investments to ensure its position of leadership for years to come.(Report from Latin America)
January 1, 2007... World Wide Stone Corp. has been positioned for growth by company founders within the past several years; modernized and refreshed equipment in its factory for Filled and Old World Honed[TM] products; and added equipment to its factory producing...

Limestone relief makes campus library a focal point: the David L. Rice Library at the University of Southern Indiana features native limestone, allowing the facility to be a main focus on campus.
January 1, 2007... The David L. Rice Library, a new 155,000-square-foot academic facility at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN, is more than double the size of the original campus library, and it features a limestone and brick facade. ...

Stone innovation in the U.K.: curved stone walls of Burlington's Kirkby blue/grey stone define Lakeland Limited's new flagship store and head office in England.
January 1, 2007... When architects Hanson Walford Marston sought to integrate modern with traditional materials for Lakeland Limited's new flagship store and head office in its native Cumbria, England, they called on the services of local natural stone producer,...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2007... February 6 to 9, 2007 The 23rd International Marble and Granite Fair--Brazil Vitoria Stone Fair 2007, Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Contact: Milanez & Milaneze, +55 27 3337-6855; Fax: +55 27 3337-4011; Web site:...

Bresciana Graniti S.p.A.(NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2007... Bresciana Graniti S.p.A. of Brescia, Italy, is now offering two new stone materials--Mascarello, which features shades of white, brown and yellow, and Wild Wine, which is described as having tones of red, tan, blue and green throughout. Both...

Artisan Manufacturing Corp.(NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2007... The stylish good looks of Artisan Manufacturing Corp.'s new stainless steel farmhouse sink are the ideal choice for a kitchen, bar area or pantry, according to the company. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Made from a heavy, 16-gauge, premium...

DuPont[TM] StoneTech[TM] Professional.(NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2007... DuPont[TM] StoneTech[TM] Professional introduced two improved stone and tile sealers at StonExpo 2006 in Las Vegas, NV. DuPont[TM] StoneTech[TM] Professional BulletProof[R] Sealer and Heavy Duty Sealer are water-based, environmentally...

Kohinoor Marbles.(NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2007... Kohinoor Marbles of Jaipur, India, processes unique marble materials, including Rain Forest Green--which is mostly green with brown veining--and Cafe Forest Brown--which features a range of brown shades with a lot of veining. Both marbles are...

Marble Institute of America (MIA).(NEW LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... A 2007 wall calendar featuring a different high-quality quarry photo each month is being offered by the Marble Institute of America (MIA). There has always been a fascination with quarries, and it makes for an ideal gift idea for people in the...

VIC International.(Machine of the month)
January 1, 2007... A year and a half ago, VIC International, with its engineering and manufacturing joint venture associate, Schubert Environmental Equipment, sought to address the problem of adequate water treatment for stone fabricators without "over costing...

Calypso quartzite.
January 1, 2007... This Stone of the Month supplied by Adalia Imp. & Exp. De Granitos Ltda., Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. Because stone is a product of nature, testing to determine specific physical...