Stone Column

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Before I get to the main point of this column, let me first state that I have historically considered myself a “stone purist.”

In this issue of Stone World, our cover story is an article about the architectural stonework used at the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee headquarters in Chattanooga (page 82).

A few weeks ago, I attended a session of the Marble Institute of America/Stone World education series in Boston, MA, where I also moderated a Fabricator Forum.

I know it is a strange headline for an editor’s column, but I am looking to draw attention to Stone World’s new Web site — launching this month — because I think it is the most comprehensive source for stone industry information that you can find.

Each year, the May issue of Stone World publishes the year-end import and export statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It takes a few months for the government to relay these figures to us, but it is worth the wait, since the import totals offer an excellent snapshot of how our industry is faring - especially compared with the figures from previous years.

When I was in journalism school, I was taught that the space for the editor’s column is the most valuable page in the entire magazine. And once again, I am using this prime real estate to urge the industry to focus on safety in the workplace - whether that is a shop, a warehouse, the jobsite or even the office.

Whenever I attend a major U.S. stone industry event, one of the first things I circle on my calendar is the “Fabricator Forum,” where industry members gather and present their issues to a panel of industry experts. These forums generally do not have a rigid agenda, and they sort of follow a “Town Hall” format, where people share their problems (and hopefully solutions) with their peers.

Now that we’re in the middle of “Trade Show Season” - with StonExpo and Coverings taking place within a span of two months - I find myself continually writing about the various seminar programs for the stone industry. 

Every January, Stone World presents its annual Fabricator Market Forecast, where hundreds of stone fabrication professionals from around the country present their expectations for the coming year as well as their feelings for the long-term. 

At a time when the international stone industry is scrambling on a global level - where it seems that no port is safe from this economic hailstorm - Italy has managed to ride out the crisis by maintaining its position as an innovator in all things stone.