(This picture and the next) StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2011 was held from January 25 to January 27 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. For the first time, the exhibition was held in conjunction with Surfaces, the largest floor covering show in the U.S.
StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2011 was held from Tuesday, January 25 to Thursday, January 27 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. And for the first time, the exhibition was held in conjunction with Surfaces, the largest floor covering show in the U.S. Both of the exhibitions are owned and operated by Hanley-Wood.
With the economy still slowly recovering and the show’s move from its traditional dates in the fall, many people were unsure of what to expect at this year’s event, which included 174 exhibitors. While traffic was steady during the first two days of StonExpo, it slowed down significantly the last day. But overall, positive comments were heard from many of the exhibitors and attendees. At the time of press, attendance figures were not available.
The show floor also featured StoneLIVE! - sponsored by the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA). Each day, several scheduled one-hour “how-to” demonstrations were presented. Attendees had the opportunity to sit and watch skilled members of the industry demonstrate challenging stone installation techniques. Additionally, many exhibitors offered live demonstrations of products and machinery at their booth, which allowed visitors to see firsthand how a product works and ask questions.
A variety of stoneworking equipment could be found on the show floor, including products for water treatment and filtration.
StonExpo 2011 also included several after-hour events. The Marble Institute of America (MIA), which was highly visible on the show floor, invited its members to a cocktail reception. Attendees were able to mingle and a raffle was held with giveaways. Additionally, StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas held a VIP reception to show its appreciation for its exhibitors. The exhibition will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for its next edition, which is slated for January 24 to 26, 2012.
New introductions in fabricating tools and accessories were also abundant at the event, such as this Zenesis patterned diamond technology.
Product demonstrations were also held at the event, including this showcase of a patent-pending system for stone polishing by Polishing Pro Systems, LLC, which took place at the Braxton-Bragg booth.
Among the educational opportunities at StonExpo/ Marmomacc Americas, a well-attended “Fabricator Forum” addressed some of the most pressing industry issues today.
Matt Lansing of Stone Innovations (left) was presented with the 2010 “Fabricator of the Year” Award by Stone World Editor Michael Reis.
Matt Lansing Is Named Stone World Fabricator Of The Year
The 2010 Nominating Committee for Stone World magazine has named Matt Lansing of Stone Innovations, Inc. in Plover, WI, as Fabricator of the Year. The award was presented at StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2011 in Las Vegas, NV. Criteria for the award is as follows:• cooperation in sharing technology with the industry
• willingness to pioneer in the use of new technology
• fostering educational programs for the training of stoneworkers in industry methods
• promoting technological progress through association work
Lansing, a third-generation stoneworker, has been in the stone fabrication business for over 20 years. His company, Stone Innovations Inc. - along with its staff of highly trained craftsmen - operates some of the most advanced fabrication equipment in the industry. Lansing has become one of the most influential leaders of the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA), serving on its Board of Directors since its inception. He has hosted several workshops, inviting the industry in to his facility to learn tricks of the trade. This past spring, Lansing shared his idea for the SFA Mega-Workshop, where machinery manufacturers, tool suppliers and other stone-related companies could demonstrate their respective products in a real-life setting. This past October in St. Louis, MO, Matt sacrificed three weeks away from both his family and his business to ensure the success of the Mega-Workshop.
The award was designed and crafted by Jonathan Mitnick and his team at CCS Stone in Moonachie, NJ.
2010 - Matt Lansing, Stone Innovations
2009 - Scott McGourley, Kasco Stone
2008 - Paul Menninger, Capitol Granite & Marble
2007 - Ron Hannah, Cadenza Granite & Marble
2006 - Dick Laliberte, Ripano Stoneworks
2005 - G.K. Naquin, Stone Interiors
2004 - Tim and Scott Buechel, Buechel Stone Corp.
2003 - Kip Cameron, Granite-Tops
2002 - George Fox, Luck Stone Corp.
2001 - Fred Becker, Becker & Becker Stone Co.
2000 - Connie and Brenda Edwards, TexaStone Quarries
1999 - Walter Dusenbery, Johnson-Atelier School, Sculpture
1998 - Harold Stobbe, Owen Sound Ledgerock
1996 - Willard Vetter, Vetter Stone Co.
1995 - Chuck Monson, Dakota Granite Co.
1994 - Linus Dingman, Cold Spring Granite Co.
1993 - David Teitelbaum, Cathedral Stoneworks
1991 - Wilbur Bybee, Bybee Stone Co.
1989 - Tony Ramos, New England Stone Industries
1988 - Jim Stengel, Dakota Granite Co.
1987 - David Elliott, Elliott Stone Co.
Touring the exhibits of StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas
The recent edition of StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 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:
Stone Suppliers
Color Quartz by the Color Marble Co. - made with quartz through revolutionary technology, ColorQuartz Surfaces is non-porous, stain resistant and maintenance free; in addition to a broad range of standard colors, the company can also create custom colors, and it also announced that it is currently looking for distributors
www.colorquartzstone.com
JMS - offered an array of Jura Beige and Jura Grey stone from German stone producers; promoted that the stone can be used in heavy-traffic areas, is frost resistant and can be used for wall cladding and flooring in all climate conditions
www.juramarble.com
MSI - showcased a new display system for its stone products that is geared specifically for design retailers
www.msistone.com
World Wide Stone Corp. - introduced its newest addition to its collection of travertine products, 24- x 36-inch vein cut travertine tile that is available 3/8 inch or greater thickness and is ideal for both interior and exterior applications
www.durangostone.com
Fabricating Equipment and Supplies
Barranca Diamond - The BD-1272 wet-cutting rail saw, which features a tilting head for 45-degree miter cuts up to 2.5 inches deep
www.barrancadiamond.com
Beckart Environmental - the Hy-Pack® system, which filters influent from saws, polishers and CNC equipment down to below 1 micron, and routes the clean water back for use in the fabrication process
www.beckart.com
Blick Industries - the Vertical Splash Cup, which turns any bridge saw into a splash splitting machine; users can cut down the splash to any desired thickness - 3 cm to 2 cm, etc.; using the Vertical Suction Cup in conjunction with the company’s Venturi Manifold, operators can create vacuum on any bridge saw, with no additional vacuum pump needed
www.blickindustries.com
Braxton-Bragg - a patent-pending system for surface polishing from Polishing Pro Systems, LLC, which allows professionals and homeowners to polish countertops or floors without any special tools or experience; the compound is all natural, with no chemicals or acids
www.braxtonbragg.com
Continental DIA Diamond Products - offered the Terminator 3-step pad system, which can polish and is designed with ridges so it can open faster and is more flexible; ideal for cove or ogee profiles
www.continentaldia.com
Diamax - introduced the new Cyclone 3-step dry polishing system, the new thin wall T-segment core drill bit (wet) and the new 26-mm height segment diamond core blade with 9 layer arrayed diamond
www.diamaxinc.com
Flow International - the new Mach 4r, a combination robotic waterjet and saw cutting system; it maximizes a shop’s productivity by optimizing countertop cutting and significantly improving operator efficiency
www.flowwaterjet.com
General Tool - The Zenesis II bridge saw blade, which utilizes patterned diamond technology to bring speed, precision and efficiency to the stonecutting process; made from the company’s patented technology, these blades are guaranteed to last longer and cut faster and straighter through stone with no chipping
www.zenesistechnology.com
Granite City Tool - announced the addition of Aardwolf vacuum lifters, which are designed to pick up both smooth polished surfaces as well as rough materials with textured surfaces; the lifters can be powered by compressed air or a 220-volt electrical supply
www.granitecitytool.com
GranQuartz - ADI® vacuum pods, which are precision manufactured in Italy to the exacting OEM specifications of the industry’s top stone machinery manufactures; ADI vacuum pods feature anodized aluminum with vulcanized rubber on the top and bottom plates, and they also feature double-sealed replaceable rubber gaskets and a modular design for low shipping costs
www.granquartz.com
Groves Inc. - showcased a variety of transport racks and shop tables as well as its Universal Storage System with 60-inch aluminum rails and 30-, 40-inch-long steel posts
www.groves.com
Laser Products - the LT-55XL laser templating system, which lets the user walk off any jobsite with a DXF file in under 15 minutes; users can also produce estimates on the jobsite and have customers sign off directly on the machine, saving paper and allowing the user to e-mail the entire job back to the shop to start products
www.laserproductsus.com
Marmo Meccanica - the LTT 621 edge polishing machine for slabs with a thickness up to 6 cm
www.marmomeccanica.com
Meshoppen Stone Inc. - offered a selection of stone products, including flagstone, treads, boulders, thin stone veneer, fieldstone and custom-cut pieces
www.meshoppenstone.com
Stone Suppliers
Color Quartz by the Color Marble Co. - made with quartz through revolutionary technology, ColorQuartz Surfaces is non-porous, stain resistant and maintenance free; in addition to a broad range of standard colors, the company can also create custom colors, and it also announced that it is currently looking for distributors
www.colorquartzstone.com
JMS - offered an array of Jura Beige and Jura Grey stone from German stone producers; promoted that the stone can be used in heavy-traffic areas, is frost resistant and can be used for wall cladding and flooring in all climate conditions
www.juramarble.com
MSI - showcased a new display system for its stone products that is geared specifically for design retailers
www.msistone.com
World Wide Stone Corp. - introduced its newest addition to its collection of travertine products, 24- x 36-inch vein cut travertine tile that is available 3/8 inch or greater thickness and is ideal for both interior and exterior applications
www.durangostone.com
Fabricating Equipment and Supplies
Barranca Diamond - The BD-1272 wet-cutting rail saw, which features a tilting head for 45-degree miter cuts up to 2.5 inches deep
www.barrancadiamond.com
Beckart Environmental - the Hy-Pack® system, which filters influent from saws, polishers and CNC equipment down to below 1 micron, and routes the clean water back for use in the fabrication process
www.beckart.com
Blick Industries - the Vertical Splash Cup, which turns any bridge saw into a splash splitting machine; users can cut down the splash to any desired thickness - 3 cm to 2 cm, etc.; using the Vertical Suction Cup in conjunction with the company’s Venturi Manifold, operators can create vacuum on any bridge saw, with no additional vacuum pump needed
www.blickindustries.com
Braxton-Bragg - a patent-pending system for surface polishing from Polishing Pro Systems, LLC, which allows professionals and homeowners to polish countertops or floors without any special tools or experience; the compound is all natural, with no chemicals or acids
www.braxtonbragg.com
Continental DIA Diamond Products - offered the Terminator 3-step pad system, which can polish and is designed with ridges so it can open faster and is more flexible; ideal for cove or ogee profiles
www.continentaldia.com
Diamax - introduced the new Cyclone 3-step dry polishing system, the new thin wall T-segment core drill bit (wet) and the new 26-mm height segment diamond core blade with 9 layer arrayed diamond
www.diamaxinc.com
Flow International - the new Mach 4r, a combination robotic waterjet and saw cutting system; it maximizes a shop’s productivity by optimizing countertop cutting and significantly improving operator efficiency
www.flowwaterjet.com
General Tool - The Zenesis II bridge saw blade, which utilizes patterned diamond technology to bring speed, precision and efficiency to the stonecutting process; made from the company’s patented technology, these blades are guaranteed to last longer and cut faster and straighter through stone with no chipping
www.zenesistechnology.com
Granite City Tool - announced the addition of Aardwolf vacuum lifters, which are designed to pick up both smooth polished surfaces as well as rough materials with textured surfaces; the lifters can be powered by compressed air or a 220-volt electrical supply
www.granitecitytool.com
GranQuartz - ADI® vacuum pods, which are precision manufactured in Italy to the exacting OEM specifications of the industry’s top stone machinery manufactures; ADI vacuum pods feature anodized aluminum with vulcanized rubber on the top and bottom plates, and they also feature double-sealed replaceable rubber gaskets and a modular design for low shipping costs
www.granquartz.com
Groves Inc. - showcased a variety of transport racks and shop tables as well as its Universal Storage System with 60-inch aluminum rails and 30-, 40-inch-long steel posts
www.groves.com
Laser Products - the LT-55XL laser templating system, which lets the user walk off any jobsite with a DXF file in under 15 minutes; users can also produce estimates on the jobsite and have customers sign off directly on the machine, saving paper and allowing the user to e-mail the entire job back to the shop to start products
www.laserproductsus.com
Marmo Meccanica - the LTT 621 edge polishing machine for slabs with a thickness up to 6 cm
www.marmomeccanica.com
Meshoppen Stone Inc. - offered a selection of stone products, including flagstone, treads, boulders, thin stone veneer, fieldstone and custom-cut pieces
www.meshoppenstone.com
Miles Supply - introduced its newly patented PadHeadTM that provides a smooth finish in less time, works with radial arm and automatic slab polishers on all natural and man-made products and can reduce costs and increase production, reports the company
www.milessupply.com
MK Diamond - the new MK-212 series saw, which features plunge cut capability for scoring or cutting large tile, and the tilting head allows easy and precise 45-degree miter cuts; a blade guard accommodates 10-inch profile wheels, and the pivoting blade guard accommodates 10-inch profile wheels
www.mkdiamond.com
Moraware - promoted the release of Version 3.1 of its JobTracker software, which allows show users to update shop activities and provide the shop manager with real-time status; among the improvements, users can utilize an “End Now” shortcut when editing a job activity, and all pop-up windows are replaced with dialogue boxes for better interface with touch-screens
www.moraware.com
Park Industries - the new Fusion 4045 edition of its combination bridge saw/waterjet, which features a programmable Miter function and features a design that allows fabricators to load and remove stone from the front and/or the side resulting in efficient material flow and greater machine productivity
www.parkindustries.com
Pearl Abrasives Co. - introduced its new product hierarchy of blade grade system, which ranks each product from good, better, best with color codes, standardized descriptions and graphics
www.pearlabrasive.com
Pellegrini - offered a range of quarry and stone-processing equipment, including pneumatic drilling machines, diamond wire saws, profiling machines and multiple wire saws
www.pellegrini.net
Regent - the RYE Renegade bridge saw, which features include a heavy-duty 6- x 10-foot tilting table with stops at 0, 45, 90 and 135 degrees with variable locking positions; precision-machined gantry and bridge; a 10-horsepower, 220-volt, three-phase motor (single-phase optional); a high-intensity laser and convenient control panel with amperage gauge
www.regentistore.com
Salem Stone - the Monstresor Luna 740 edge polisher, which features a unique polishing head rotation system, using efficient electrical drives instead of hydraulics and eliminating the majority of expensive moving parts; a new V-groove attachment for the Luna 740 is now available
www.salemdist.com
Slabsmith/Northwood Designs, Inc. - Slabsmith, a suite of tools for the stone fabricator that includes digital slab creation from a photo, artistic and optimized nesting, photo station calibration, a “slab browser” of digital inventory and a “job browser” of saved jobs
www.slabsmith.com
Stone Boss - promoted eco-friendly Nano technology: Nano Stone Armor sealer that offers eco-friendly protection from acid etching, stains and moisture and Nano Concrete Armor sealer that offers eco-friendly protection from graffiti, moisture and stains
www.stoneboss.com
Thibaut - the T508 TexturingTM Center with automatic tool changer that can polish, hone, brush, bushhammer, engrave and calibrate stone
www.thibaut.fr
Wood’s Powr Grip, Co., Inc. - promoted its vacuum lifters for handling non-porous material, including stone slabs and countertops
www.powergrip.com
Installation & Maintenance Supplies
Custom Building Products - introduced CEG-LiteTM 100% Solids Commercial Epoxy Grout with exclusive CustomLite technology, which is formulated with recycled content that makes it contribute towards LEED certification; available in 27 colors
www.custombuildingproducts.com
Dry-Treat - Oxy-Klenza, a new environmentally responsible, heavy-duty cleaner for natural stone, tile, masonry, concrete, grout and vinyl; it is a powerful oxygen-based, chlorine-free cleaner suitable for interior and exterior applications in both residential and commercial environments
www.drytreat.com
Fila - offered a complete treatment for unpolished outdoor stone applications such as walkways and patios from its line of water-based Green Care products
www.filachim.com
Laticrete - offered a “Premium” version of its SpectraLock Pro Group, with a higher level of stain resistance and improved non-sag characteristics for a fuller, flusher joint
www.laticrete.com
Miracle Sealants Co. - promoted its warranty program, which is 20 years for residential countertops and 10 years for commercial countertops; it covers all granite and select marble countertops, and it covers replacement and labor; products are considered to be green and received SCS Certified Indoor Advantage Gold Certification
www.miraclesealants.com
Weha - backsplash rollers, which allow for installers to slide full-height backsplashes across a countertop without scratching the surface
www.wehausa.com
Sinks
Amerisink - showcased its new line of granite and marble sinks that are available in different sizes, shapes and colors
www.amerisink.com
Artisan Manufacturing Corp. - now offers 13 models of kitchen faucets; displayed its China lavatory sink collection, which is available in various colors to meet many design styles
www.artisanstyles.com
Chemcore Industries, Inc. - introduced its new “Tradition” porcelain sink, which is a kitchen apron farmhouse style that is part of the company’s China Shell line
www.chemcore.com
Domain Industries - Santa Fe glass vessel sinks, which were designed for contemporary as well as traditional settings; crafted from high-grade tempered glass, these sinks feature extra-deep, oversized bowls and are crafted in a variety of colors and patterns
www.domainindustries.com
