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Industry Insight
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The truth about granite
by Michael Reis, Editor 
Last week, I wasted far too much time taking part in E-mail exchanges with regard to "BuildClean.org," a group whose mission statement says that its goal it to "educate consumers and the building industry about safe, healthy and environmentally friendly materials." Pretty noble mission, right? The only problem is that once you go through the Web site, it seems that BuildClean.org has a very narrow scope -- to raise concerns that granite emits dangerous levels of radon.
Click here to read more. |
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Inside the Shop
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David Allen Company, Raleigh, NC
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
In addition to serving as a commercial, industrial and institutional contractor, the David Allen Company also maintains a state-of-the-art fabrication facility at its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, NC. Among the stoneworking machinery in place, the 4,300-square-foot shop relies on waterjet technology from Jet Edge, Inc. of St. Michael, MN, for intricate work. Full article
FloForm Industries, Western Canada
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
FloForm Countertops, which has been handling business in Western Canada since the early 1960s, began as a laminate countertop and solid surface operation, and has since moved into natural stone fabrication. With branches in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, the stone division of the company produces an average of 12 kitchens a day with the help from a variety of state-of-the-art equipment from Park Industries of St. Cloud, MN, including a Park Fusion™ 6000 CNC saw/waterjet.
Full article
RocHenge, Denver, CO
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
RocHenge of Denver, CO, operates out of a 30,000-square-foot facility that is equipped with a variety of high-end machinery, including a RoboCut saw/waterjet from U.S. Granite Robotics of Barrington, IL, which assists the company in producing an average of 40 kitchens a week. Full article
Bowstone, Ball Ground, GA
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
Fairly new to the stone industry, Stephen Bowker, owner of Bowstone of Ball Ground, GA, has quickly learned what it takes to rise to the top, and he attributes much of the company's success to the assistance of a waterjet machine from WARDJet, Inc. of Tallmadge, OH. Full article |
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Fabricator Issue of the Month
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New study confirms that commonly used granite is safe for countertops
A new study of the most popular granites used for kitchen countertops in the U.S. concludes that granite is safe to use in kitchens. The study, designed to determine whether radon gas sometimes released by natural stone poses any health risk, was released by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and conducted by an independent geochemistry researcher. Included in this study were 13 of the most popular types of granites used in countertop applications, representing up to 85 percent of the granite countertops sold in the U.S.
Click here to read more. |
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Project Spotlight
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Private Residence, California
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
When Epic Imports, LLC, was consulted to redesign a kitchen for a local residence in Los Angeles, CA, quartzite was a prime choice for the walls and backsplash, as it matched the existing floor and worked well with the granite that the homeowners had already selected for the countertops. And after the kitchen's successful turnout, the clients also decided to renovate two bathrooms using a variety of stone materials such as granite, onyx and marble.
Full article
Private Residence, Middlebury, VT
by Michelle Stinnard, Associate Editor
A variety of new and recycled slate was recently incorporated into the design of a 3,860-square-foot private residence in Central Vermont, providing the home with long-lasting, functional qualities, while still being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. And Slate Affair Inc. of Enosburg Falls, VT, not only supplied the material for the project, but the company also established the design and installed the material as well.
Full article |
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Shop How-To
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Hands-On Fabrication Techniques
by Michael Reis, Editor
The latest Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA) Workshop was held from March 27 to 29 at Cadenza Granite & Marble of Concord, NC, and it was attended by approximately 100 fabricators from around the country. After a brief greeting and introductions by Ron Hannah and Melissa Hannah, owners of Cadenza, attendees at the event had the option of watching product demonstrations and presentations in the reception area, or they could watch the various stages of projects being fabricated on the shop floor.
Click here to read more.
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Industry Happenings
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Vitória Stone Fair takes place in Brazil
by Michael Reis, Editor
The Vitória Stone Fair took place from February 19 to 22, 2008, at the Carapina Expo Center in Serra, Brazil -- just on the outskirts of Vitória and where many major stoneworking plants are present. Many of the exhibitors at the event were from the Espírito Santo State of Brazil, including firms from both the Cachoeiro de Itapemirim area and the Vitória area, as well as the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pará, Paraná, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Ceará, Piauí, Roraima, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. There were also some stone exhibitors from nations such as Turkey, Egypt, Peru and other countries. Besides the
exotic and classic stones, new technology also gained the attention of entrepreneurs -- including large-scale machinery from Italy. Vitória Stone Fair 2009 is set for February 10 to 13, 2009, again at the Carapina Expo Center in Serra, Espírito Santo. Click here for a look at just some of the stones that were on display in Vitória.
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New Product Announcement
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Removing Scratches and Polishing Engineered Stone DVD 
This new 30 minute video shows how to polish and match the factory finish of most engineered and quartz surface stone. This can be tricky. The techniques and polishing procedure is very difficult as compared to granite. This video will show you the technique as well as the type of abrasives to use. It also shows several tips including how to remove surface scratches without refinishing and filling small holes and pits.
Click here to order!
Visit AECstore.com to view all of our resources for the Stone Industry. Call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 with any questions. |
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