LaCona J. Ellis passed away on February 2, 2001. She succumbed to complications resulting from her recent battle with spinal cancer. LaCona was a recognized authority on stone care and maintenance. She spent the last 4 1/2 years as the managing director of Stone Boss in San Francisco, CA. Prior to her tenure at Stone Boss, LaCona was the sales director of HMK Stone Care Systems . . .

Lundhs Labrador, a quarrier of traditional Norwegian granites such as Blue Pearl, recently took over a quarry for Norwegian Rose marble, a pink and white material (see Stone of the Month, page 148) . . .

Johnson Atelier of Mercerville, NJ, has fabricated 300 custom marble modillions for the restoration of the Tweed Courthouse in New York, NY. The modillions were carved with a CNC milling machine and hand finished by skilled stone carvers . . .

Walker Zanger has closed on property to open its first New York City showroom in the near future. Additionally, a warehouse and showroom in Charlotte, NC, are also in the works . . .

Fortune Magazine has named General Electric (GE) as America's "Most Admired Company" for the fourth consecutive year. The magazine describes GE as having "tireless innovation, robust financials and the ability to lure and keep the smartest people." GE Superabrasives, a division of GE Plastics, is the inventor and world's leading supplier of manufactured diamond, cubic boron nitride (CBN), and polycrystalline products used in stone quarrying as well as other applications . . .

Year-end statistics for 2000 on U.S. output of mineral-based materials were released by the U.S. Geological Survey, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Within the raw nonfuel minerals category -- which includes natural stone as well as many other materials -- the estimated production value of industrial minerals (other than metal) increased to $30.3 billion, and the value of metals output rose to $9.9 billion. The top three states for production were California ($3.3 billion), Nevada ($2.8 billion), and Arizona ($2.5 billion) . . .

Any questions regarding Newsline, contact: Newsline Editor, Stone World, 299 Market Street, Suite 320, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663; Fax: 201-291-9002; E-mail: michael@stoneworld.com . . .