Taking place in locales across the U.S., the Marble Institute of America/Stone World “Stone Industry Education” program drew hundreds of fabricators, shop managers and business owners over the course of 2010, and it offered a diverse lineup of topics.
In addition to providing information on fabricating challenges, the program featured sessions on slab handling and other safety hazards, installation, cladding, preparing for OSHA inspections, equipment evaluation and a range of business topics. Some of these business sessions included understanding fabrication costs, pricing strategies, marketing, diversifying a fabrication shop and more.
These sessions took place in high-end showroom/warehouse facilities across the U.S., and they also offered an opportunity for attendees to network with other professionals and to peruse the inventory of some of the nation’s leading stone distributors.
The lineup for 2011 has already been announced, and it includes:
One of the final Marble Institute of America/Stone World programs of 2010 took place at MS International, Inc.’s facility in Edison, NJ. The education was led by Tony Malisani of Malisani, Inc. in Great Falls, MT, a third-generation stone shop. Malisani has extensive knowledge about business management in the stone industry - with an emphasis on the growth opportunities for a small business. His firm is one of the first companies in the nation to receive the “Natural Stone Accredited Fabricator” credential from the Marble Institute of America (MIA). Malisani also serves on the MIA Accreditation Appeals Committee. Summaries of the sessions “Diversifying Your Business” and “Understanding Countertop Fabrication Costs” are on pages 80 and 81 of this issue.