At the recent stone fair, Marmomacc 2011 in Verona, Italy, I had a chance to visit with producers from around the world regarding the state of the stone industry. I was interested in learning their thoughts about the future and the competitive opportunities and challenges we are likely to face in the next decade. Specifically, I was looking to measure the foreign stone industry's level of engagement relative to sustainable construction and how they view its impact on building product suppliers.

Shortly after that, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) held its 10th annual Greenbuild Conference in Toronto, Canada. Similarly, from this conference I was interested in learning how the trend is holding up in North America, especially in light of the current economic malaise and the challenging regulatory and political climate. The level of activity and the momentum behind this movement is easy to ignore if you are not involved, engaging with others in the industry or otherwise paying close attention. I am but a voice of one, but I thought I would share what I see in the hopes that it may inspire others to take a closer look at these important forces that will impact our success in the years to come: