Company: Majestic Marble & Granite

The reason for my nomination: 
Scott is incredibly open about the inner workings of his business. I've seen him share detailed spreadsheets with other fabricators, including some that you might consider direct competitors.

Plus, he's had amazing growth in the business. He originally bought the business right as the housing crash was happening, and made dramatic changes to not only survive, but thrive.

In April 2007, Scott Hanes purchased Majestic Marble & Granite. Majestic primarily focused on cultured marble and outsourced their granite fabrication. The market crashed just months after the purchase. Scott was forced to re-evaluate his business and needed to make a change - and do it quick - in order to survive. He decided to solely focus on granite production and began fabricating stone with a Blue Ripper. As the market began to rebound, Scott soon realized how hard it was to keep up with business and invested in a bridge saw and edge machine. As the market continued to recover, he added a digital templater and CNC Saw/Jet in 2013. He was also an early adopter to embrace Moraware. Year after year, he has continued to invest in his business by adding technology which has enabled him to keep up with the growing market demands and has allowed him to expand into different markets. 

Scott has always volunteered and been engaged in industry events (TISE, Coverings, SFA workshops). In 2014, Scott hosted an SFA event at his shop so that others could learn more about his equipment and fabrication processes. In 2015, Scott presented at the Coverings tradeshow and how digital technology has transformed his business. For over five years, he has been a main presenter at the Digital Stoneworking Expo’s, sharing his company story and how digital technology has enabled him to grow and thrive in a very competitive market. His “open door” policy has resulted in 100+ guests visiting his shop to learn best practices within the industry. Scott is in the process of helping Moraware film the value and benefits of their software and recently participated in one of the Stone Talk forums. From touring busloads of fabricators through his shop to presenting various education seminars around the country, Scott Hanes is passionate about sharing his learnings. 

Scott’s commitment to innovation and willingness to share best practices showcases that his is the ideal fabricator to receive the 2016 Stone World “Fabricator of the Year Award.”

Company: Summit Stoneworks

The reason for my nomination: 

Summit Stoneworks is a growing company, now with 3 CNC machines and approximately 60+ employees. The company started with only 10 employees and their impressive growth is a testament to the hard work and quality they've been delivering since they started business 10 years ago. Nick Jensen is the general manager and plays a pivotal role in executing the company's mission.

Company: Malisani Inc

The reason for my nomination: 

Tony has participated in countless industry fabricator forums at StonExpo, Coverings, NTMA, and dozens of regional seminars conducted by the MIA (now MIA+BSI) and StoneWorld magazine. He is a constant advocate for sharing information about how their firm utilizes technology in their multi-faceted business, which includes working with countertops, monuments, terrazzo and many other types of stone work.

Tony really shines when given the opportunity to share his expertise with the stone industry. He is a subject expert, but also excels when serving as a facilitator engaged with an audience in sharing ideas with each other. Whether it is a trade show seminar, one-day regional event, or other stone professionals visiting his facility, Tony is well versed and respected for his knowledge.

It is not uncommon for him to speak about how using digital information today has changed many aspects of how stone work is done (for example: how custom pieces and accessories are cut on a waterjet). In short, Tony is always willing to share how his firm utilizes technology. One of Tony's greatest strengths has been the use of technology developed in other industries to create value and efficiencies in their stone working division. For example, the CAD/CAM techniques used to create headstones has also been used to create customized backsplashes or decorative tiles. He has also utilized new tools and diamond technology typically used in the preparation of terrazzo surfaces to speed up the fabrication and restoration of stone products. In like fashion, much of Tony's prefabricated terrazzo production now takes place on tools developed for stone.

Tony's training venue isn't limited to the stone industry, as he has offered countless training sessions with both the Montana and North Dakota AIA state meetings.

When the Marble Institute of America (MIA) launched its fabricator accreditation program, Tony advocated minimum technology standards that each applicant company should meet. He also recently chaired an MIA committee to update how technology is used in "wet area" applications for the Dimension Stone Design Manual. As a longtime member of the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, he has hosted technology forums for the Central States chapter.

Finally, Tony served as the 2014 MIA board president. In that capacity, he worked tirelessly to advocate collaboration amongst stone associations from around the globe. His leadership in collaboration with other stone associations led to: 1) translation of the Design Manual into multiple languages; 2) launch of the Natural Stone Promotional Campaign; and, 3) development of new safety resources in other languages.

Tony has had a positive impact on the stone industry both domestically and internationally. He is well deserving of this award.