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Industry Insight
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Fabricators sharing with the industry
by Michael Reis, Editor

Recently, I traveled to the Pacific Northwest to moderate Stone World's Stone Fabrication Workshops, and during our session in Oakland, CA, I was approached by a gentleman who was looking to start his own stone fabrication shop. He expressed some concern that the stone fabrication industry might not be open to a newcomer in terms of sharing information. He wondered if other fabricators would be willing to open their doors to him to show the proper way to go about his business... Full story >>

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Inside the Shop
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Medium-scale fabrication at Spectrum Stone of Tucson, AZ
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor

Spectrum Stone of Tucson, AZ, was established in 2003, and over the course of the past four years, it has steadily grown by serving both the residential market and commercial entities. The firm fabricates and installs residential kitchen countertops as well as large commercial projects in granite, quartz, limestone and marble, for a total of 3,000 square feet of production per month throughout the southern region of Arizona ... Full story >>  

Pioneering new technology at Take It For Granite Too in Las Vegas, NV
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor

One of the latest innovations in terms of high-tech stoneworking equipment has been a combination waterjet/bridge saw, which allows users to load a slab onto the table just once. The straight cuts are then performed by the bridge saw with optimum speed, while the waterjet is used for the more intricate and curved cuts. One of the first companies to invest in this technology was Take It For Granite Too, located in Las Vegas, NV, a branch off of the California-based original company called Take It For Granite ... Full story >> 

High-volume fabrication for the architectural sector at ICM in Fair Lawn, NJ
by Jennifer Adams, Managing Editor

With two state-of-the-art bridge saws as well as CNC technology and a wealth of industry knowledge, Industrial Consulting & Marketing, Inc. (ICM) of Fair Lawn, NJ — along with its other enterprises — fabricates stone for the architectural market. Company owner Alfonso Bertoni migrated to the U.S. in 1984, and since that time, he has worked to build a strong fabrication operation. Originally from Bergamo, Italy, Bertoni understands the correlation between top-of-the-line machinery and high-quality products ... Full story >>

Producing 45 to 65 kitchens per day at Counter Intelligence of Silver Spring, MD
by Jennifer Adams, Managing Editor

Using advancements in technology and a solid marketing strategy, Counter Intelligence of Silver Spring, MD, fabricates up to 325 kitchens per week, making it one of the leading fabricators in the nation. It is owner John Murray's forward thinking that has led him to build a flourishing stone fabrication business. In less than 10 years, his company, Counter Intelligence, Inc. of Silver Spring, MD, has expanded from 20 employees to 240. It has also outgrown its 35,000-square-foot shop ... Full story >>

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Fabricator Issue of the Month
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Understanding the differences between natural and engineered stone (quartz surfacing)
by Jennifer Adams, Managing Editor

Since more stone fabricators are working with engineered stone — also referred to as quartz surfacing, understanding the differences between these material is critical to a shop's success. In the seminar "Working with Engineered and Natural Stone Countertops," which was held during StonExpo East in Atlanta, GA, this past March, Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors and Jessica Rose of G&L Marble, Inc. provided facts on the pros and cons of each material as well as diminishing any myths about each ... Full story >> 

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Project Spotlight
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Texas residence highlights the full range of stone applications
by Jennifer Adams, Managing Editor

From interior kitchen countertops, fireplaces and bathroom elements to exterior cladding and paving, a private residence in Volente, TX, is a showcase of different stone uses. Among the many products used, slate proved to be a versatile material for the redesign of this 2,700-square-foot lake home outside of Austin, TX.

The multi-colored textured stone was used as flooring throughout the interior of the residence as well as for the floor surface of the veranda. Its warm tones and natural cleft finish helped to create an elegant yet relaxing family environment ... Full story >>

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Shop How-To
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The Digital Difference
by Mark Lauzon, Stonecutter, Stoneworks of Hubbard, OR

My company's transition to becoming a digital operation actually happened by accident. We stumbled on it, and it has been completely empowering. In our small stone shop, our first real purchase was a bridge saw. When we installed it, we simply could not conceptualize a CNC. At that point in our shop history, we could not finance a ham sandwich. Not only could we not finance a CNC machine, sadly enough, we could not even see it down the road. That all changed in a span of only a few years ... Full story >>

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Industry Happenings
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Laticrete continues to make a name for itself
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor

BETHANY, CT — Laticrete International has been keeping quite busy lately. Its founder recently won a prestigious award, the company opened a new location in India, and also hired a new sales manager for North America ... Full story >>