Micapel, one of Brazil's leading firms in the natural stone industry, has acquired 50% of the stock of Green Slate Mining, a large producer of green, purple and mottled slate. Green Slate Mining will maintain production and sales autonomy of its original products, while offering the entire line of Micapel products, including gray, green, black, purple and rust-colored slate as well as several kinds of quartzite.

The move is the latest in a series of continued quarrying, fabrication, and domestic and international market expansion for Micapel.

MANUFACTURER DONATES TO COLLEGE SANCTUARY . . .

Custom Building Products, a manufacturer of installation products, recently donated 2,500 pounds of VersaBondT bonding mortar and 20 sheets of WonderBoardR backerboard to the Compassion Center in College Park, MD. The contribution enabled students from the University of Maryland to install 2,000 square feet of tile in the Compassion Center's first bereavement sanctuary, a place where families can turn when dealing with death.

The Compassion Center is a nonprofit organization that helps families overcome grief from a tragic loss by providing support groups, companion volunteers and an on-site Internet crisis network. The organization receives no government funding, and it relies on the help of local businesses and volunteers. "It is an honor for us to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause," said John McMullen, senior vice president of Custom Building Products. "The Compassion Center will provide unprecedented and immeasurable benefits to the surrounding community."