CLEVELAND, OH -- The Marble Institute of America (MIA) and Stone World magazine turns its sights to Vermont for a two-day industry quarry tour (October 5 to 6) of this stone-rich region of North America. Vermont has long been known for its deep stone heritage, and it has often been said that every stone professional should experience the uniqueness of the Vermont quarries at least once in their lifetime. The schedule includes:

October 5th
· Bethel White Quarry
· E.L. Smith Quarry
· Rock of Ages Visitors Center Tour
· Rock of Ages Processing Center
· Hope Cemetery Guided Tour
· Fabrication Shop Tour
· Additional Barre, VT, Tours
· Industry Reception / Stone Carving Demonstrations / Presentations
October 6th
· Danby Quarry
· Vermont Marble Museum Tour
· Sutherland Falls Quarry
· Vermont Verde Antique Rochester Quarry

"This tour has been one of our most popular events annually," said Jim Hieb, MIA Vice President. "We added a CEU (continuing education units) opportunity for architects who would like to attend the event with their favorite stone supplier/fabricator. This affords stone professionals the opportunity for some outstanding business development and networking with a key architect."

These tours are made possible in part by the following companies: Artistic Stone, Granite Importers, Miles Supply, Rock of Ages, The Vermont Marble Museum, Vermont Quarries and Vermont Verde Antique. Additionally, the MIA/Stone World educational sponsors include: Braxton-Bragg, GranQuartz, Laser Products, Schechner Lifson Corp., VIC International, Park Industries and Northwood Machine.

Registration Costs are $199 for MIA members and $249 for non-MIA members. For more information on the event, visit www.stoneindustryeducation.com or www.marble-institute.com.