Stone World articles from November 2005

Stone World archives from November 2005

Italy's expanding horizons.(STONE COLUMN)
November 1, 2005... No matter how many times I travel to Italy, it never gets old--and not just because of the excellent food and wine I enjoy while I am there. As editor of Stone World Magazine, I am fortunate enough to travel to Italy at least two or three times...

MIA releases new OSHA compliance video.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A new safety video that zeroes in on what OSHA inspectors look for when visiting natural stone fabrication facilities has been produced by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and funded through a generous grant from Park Industries and...

Full service distributor on Florida's west coast.(NEWSLINE)
November 1, 2005... United Materials, Inc. of Naples, FL, is a full-service distributor of premium stone products, offering a selection of granite, marble, travertine, onyx, semi-precious, and limestone products. United Materials has a well-established...

CarraraMarmotec 2006 offers new initiatives.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... IMM Carrara, the organizer of CarraraMarmotec 2006, has announced several new initiatives for its next edition, which will take place from May 31 to June 3, 2006. It is planning to increase its indoor exhibition area by 50%, to increase the...

Piedra and Spanish Natural Stone Federation offer Architecture Award.(NEWSLINE)
November 1, 2005... The presentation of the Piedra 2006 Architecture Award, which is endowed with a financial prize of 9,000 euros (over $11,000 U.S.), will take place during the staging of Piedra 2006, a fair organized by IFEMA that will take place at Feria de...

New Web site offers practical information on stone care.(NEWSLINE)
November 1, 2005... Aqua Mix, a leading supplier of products for stone, tile, masonry and grout, has recently launched a new Web site at www.aquamix.com. The new Web site provides simple, effective solutions for the care and protection of stone, tile and grout...

One liners.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Schechner Lifson Corp., home of the "Marble Stone Tile Insurance Connection," is moving to a new location effective December 12, 2005. The new address is 4 Chatham Road, Summit, NJ 07902. Customers can continue to use the company's toll-free...

Statistics.(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... July 2005 | Imports to the U.S Customers value in dollars does not include insurance or freight GRANITE MARBLE* SLATE** COUNTRY U.S. $ TONS U.S.S TONS U.S. $...

Natural Stone 2005 proves a success.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Natural Stone 2005 was held from September 1 to 4, at the CNR EXPO in Istanbul, Turkey, and once again provided a platform for the production, design, purchasing and specification chain of the sector and enabled trade...

Rapid expansion.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... BROOKLYN, NY -- Hindustan Granites Inc., with warehouses in Long Island and Brooklyn, has further expanded its facilities with the addition of a new 20,000-square-foot warehouse adjoining its existing Brooklyn location. The new expansion is...

New sales personnel.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... WYCKOFF, NJ -- Alpha Professional Tools[R] recently announced that Shawn Gilreath and Suzanne Wolf have joined its sales team. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gilreath will be responsible for the Northwest Territory, which consists of Oregon,...

Spanish language safety videos.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... CLEVELAND, OH -- Aqua Mix, Inc. and the Marble Institute of America (MIA) have teamed up to offer the natural stone industry the first comprehensive shop and consumer safety video programs in Spanish. Introduced at StonExpo--held in Las Vegas...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2005... Turner Bros. Stone Co. was the supplier of the Tennessee Crab Orchard sandstone for the Randolph County House in West Virginia ("Utilizing the adjacent landscape," September 2005, page 200). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

Harnessing the beauty of the Adirondacks: Barton Mines Co., LLC, a long-time producer of garnet abrasives, has begun quarrying blocks of Garnet Gem[R] granite in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York.(RE-EMERGING U.S. STONE INDUSTRY)
November 1, 2005... Abundant in natural beauty, the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York have long been known as a premier setting for outdoor enthusiasts. However, a recent development there has also made it an interesting destination for the stone industry,...

Round four for ITSS-Las Vegas: the fourth edition of the International Tile & Stone Show-Las Vegas is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... For the fourth straight year, the International Tile & Stone Show (ITSS) will be taking place in Las Vegas, NV. The event will be held from November 11 to 13, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and show hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30...

Denver's "Grande Dame" of stone churches is restored: originally built in 1888, the historic Trinity United Methodist Church underwent a thorough restoration that addressed the damaged stonework.
November 1, 2005... When White Construction Group and a team of engineers and masonry experts began the restoration of the historic Trinity United Methodist Church, located on the edge of downtown Denver, CO, they knew it would be a challenging project. But they...

"Duke Stone" helps create gothic style: traditional "Duke Stone," along with sandstone and limestone, was selected for the renovation and 50,000-square-foot addition to the Duke Divinity School at Duke University in North Carolina.(Institutional Architecture)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... To match the existing gothic style buildings on campus, the Duke Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, NC, was redesigned and extended to include the use of traditional "Duke Stone" as a key accent, along with hints of limestone and...

War monument etched in stone: created from Absolute Black granite, the Wall of Honor at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY, is the first U.S.-based monument honoring World War II minority veterans of Onondaga County.(Institutional Architecture)
November 1, 2005... On August 27, 2005, approximately 350 people gathered at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY, for the highly emotional unveiling of the first U.S.-located monument honoring World War II minority veterans of Onondaga County. The Wall of Honor,...

Princeton Library merges old and new architecture: Burlington slate from England and New York Bluestone were selected for the materials palette of the new public library in Princeton, NJ, to blend with the historic community's existing stone architecture, yet at the same time, offering a more contemporary look.(Institutional Architecture)
November 1, 2005... Home to the renowned Princeton University and rich in historical stone architecture, the community of Princeton, NJ, is saturated in art and culture. Recently added to the downtown line-up of notable buildings is the new public library, which...

New Museum of Islamic Arts is rising in Qatar: over 3,500 cubic meters of Jet Mist granite is being quarried in Virginia and fabricated in Italy for the new Museum of Islamic Arts in Qatar.(Institutional Architecture)
November 1, 2005... These days, it appears that some of the largest, most imposing stone projects are being built in the Middle East. One of the latest examples is the ongoing construction of the Museum of Islamic Arts in Qatar, which is using a large quantity of...

Increased demands inspire new company: as the demand for stone fabrication and installation continue to rise, partners Gary Cancro and Israel Jiron, jumped at the opportunity to establish Stone Resources in Danbury, CT.(Fabricator Case Study)
November 1, 2005... In 2001, Gary Cancro and Israel Jiron established Stone Resources as an installation and fabrication company, which mainly serves the residential sector near its Danbury, CT, location. After working as an installer for various stone fabricators...

Optimizing on the kitchen countertop market: a new career in stone fabrication and retail sales has proven successful for the owners of Kitchens & Stone Design Center of Upland, CA.(Fabricator Case Study)
November 1, 2005... A daily four-hour commute along the jammed freeways of Southern California eventually grew tiresome for Doug Lainson, who is now President and Chief Executive Officer of Kitchens & Stone Design Center in Upland, CA. Ultimately, it drove the...

Branching out to a two-shop operation: after signing an agreement with a large building firm to do stone work in Mammoth, CA, Professional Marble & Tile of Vail, CO, opened a second fabricating shop in Carson City, NV.(Fabricator Case Study)
November 1, 2005... Business is good for Kevin Tate of Professional Marble & Tile. The fabricator, who opened his shop in Vail, CO, six years ago, recently started another operation in Carson City, NV. He was approached by the building firm of R.A. Nelson &...

Providing a one-stop shop: for individuals seeking to purchase a granite countertop, Granite Creations Inc. of Tucson, AZ, serves as a one-stop shop, assisting with slab selection, fabrication and installation.(Fabricator Case Study)
November 1, 2005... Granite Creations Inc. of Tucson, AZ, operates as a one-stop shop for granite countertops, from slab selection to fabrication to installation. The company first began in California in a related industry on a much smaller scale. Now, Granite...

Building a countertop empire in Kansas: in just over 20 years, Top Master, Inc. has grown from a garage-based fabrication shop to a multi-location firm with over 200 employees.(Fabricator Case Study)
November 1, 2005... Like many businesses pursuing the proverbial American Dream, Top Master, Inc. began in the small garage of its founder and president Tim Hovey. That was in Kansas City, KS, back in 1984, where the company first fabricated DuPont Corian[R]...

Indiana limestone upholds campus tradition: Annenberg Hall, located on the campus of Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, is clad in Indiana limestone, which was selected for both practical and aesthetic reasons.(Limestone)
November 1, 2005... Clad in Indiana limestone, Annenberg Hall is situated in the central area of the Northwestern University campus in Chicago, IL, on a small embankment that used to form the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The building's collegiate character evokes...

Jerusalem Stone forms a haven in Costa Rica: reflecting the spirit of Israel, a large quantity of Jerusalem Stone was used for a new Jewish Community Center in San Jose, Costa Rica.(Limestone)
November 1, 2005... In designing a new Jewish Community Center in San Jose, Costa Rica, architect Susana Weisleder of Venezuela sought to bring the feel of Israel to South America. This goal was achieved by adhering to specific design principles as well as through...

Providing a workplace of the future: the new Keystone Building in Harrisburg, PA, which houses government offices, is clad in limestone and granite.(Limestone)
November 1, 2005... Housing the offices of four state agencies, the Keystone Building in Harrisburg, PA, was designed using both limestone and granite as architectural features to its facade as well as its interior. As a result of the outstanding stonework, the...

Choosing and equipping the right building for a fabrication shop: when establishing a stone fabrication shop, choosing the right building can be as important as selecting the proper stoneworking machinery.
November 1, 2005... Building selection is critical for operation of a successful stone fabrication facility. The wrong building can cause production delays, not to mention major expense if the proper requirements are not in place in a particular building. The...

MIA perspective: fabricators and stone testing.(Marble Institute of America)
November 1, 2005... The Marble Institute of America's technical office fields a wide variety of calls. A review of the call log will show that several topics reoccur with alarming frequency. One of the most common conversations starts like this: "Hi, I work for a...

Upgrade to manufacturing. Achieve your operation's true potential with an integrated countertop manufacturing solution from Loffler.
November 1, 2005... An automated manufacturing solution can dramatically improve the productivity--and profitability--of your current fabricating operation. EuroStone Machine[R] can help you design a complete Loffler manufacturing solution that cuts costs as it...

Countertop sealing basics for fabricators: when it comes to sealing stone countertops, there are a number of fundamentals that fabricators should understand.
November 1, 2005... Q: What are some of the reasons fabricators should seal/impregnate a countertop prior to installation? By offering an added value service, the fabricator is put into a different light during the sale. Sealing a countertop is adding value to...

New York's Columbus Circle gets a facelift: more than 18,000 square feet of granite was used for the restoration of this New York landmark, which sits at one of the city's major intersections.
November 1, 2005... Among the many famed landmarks in New York City is Columbus Circle, one of the principal entries to Central Park and the intersection for Broadway, Eighth Avenue and 59th Street. The problem was that the monument, built in tribute to...

Bring out the beauty of natural stone with Miracle Sealants.
November 1, 2005... 511 IMPREGNATOR 511 Impregnator is a penetrating sealer designed for the protection of all medium to dense porous surfaces. 511 Impregnator is not a surface coating and will not alter the natural look. ALL surfaces treated are harder and...

How to successfully install resin-backed stone tiles: knowing the type of resin backing on the stone tiles being installed can help to determine if the adhesive mortar being used is appropriate.
November 1, 2005... Your day starts out as it usually does; you pick up your morning coffee and bagel and you pull into the jobsite as the stone flooring is being unloaded by your crew. As you take a closer look at the stone, you get that weird feeling in your...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... November 11 to 13, 2005 ITSS Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. Contact by phone in the U.S. (800) 564-5975, outside the U.S. (212) 621-9105; E-mail: info@itssexpos.com; Web site: www.itssexpos.com. November 14...

Custom[R] Building Products.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2005... Custom[R] Building Products recently introduced an expanded color palette for Prism[TM] SureColor[TM] Grout, offering increased color choices for the lightweight, color-consistent grout that has set a new industry standard for cement-based tile...

Omax Corp.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
November 1, 2005... Omax Corp.'s JetMachining[R] System 55100 is valuable for larger stock parts or multiple parts from large stock, up to 5 X 10 feet. It is equipped with a Tilt-A-Jet[R], Omax's revolutionary tilting nozzle, which completely eliminates taper with...

Omni Cubed Design, LLC.(NEW EQUIPMENT)
November 1, 2005... Omni Cubed Design, LLC recently introduced the Lam-Clamp[TM], a fabrication tool designed specifically for laminating natural and engineered stone. Lam-Clamps consistently outperform traditional clamping methods (i.e. c-clamps) in speed, seam...

Marble Institute of America.(NEW LITERATURE)
November 1, 2005... A complete revision of the Marble Institute of America's Residential Stone Countertop Installation Technical Module was recently released at StonExpo, which took place in Las Vegas, NV, from October 19 to 22, 2005. Revising the module,...

National Training Center for Stone & Masonry Trades (NTC).(NEW LITERATURE)
November 1, 2005... The National Training Center for Stone & Masonry Trades (NTC), in association with the International Stone Institute, has unveiled a new manual for design professionals entitled "The Selection and Specification Guide for Tile and Stone in...

Sawing Systems Inc.(Machine of the month)
November 1, 2005... The Marquee is a new concept diamond gantry bridge saw from Sawing Systems Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ways (metal guide surfaces) and drive components are shielded from dust and water, and they are designed to stay clean and...

Blues in the night.(Stone of the month)
November 1, 2005... This Stone of the Month supplied by International Italmarmi, Massa, Italy. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. Because stone is a product of nature, testing to determine specific physical qualities should be repeated for each...