The latest edition of the Marble Institute of America/Stone World industry education series was held near Salt Lake City, UT, and it included an open fabricator forum to address current industry issues
On May 14, a group of around 30 fabricators from the Salt Lake City region and beyond gathered at Arizona Tile’s facility in West Valley, UT, for the Utah Stone Summit — the latest edition of the Marble Institute of America/Stone World industry education series. In addition to a morning presentation on pricing and developing a business plan, the event featured extensive networking opportunities, a warehouse tour and a fabricator forum that allowed attendees to present a broad range of current topics to a panel of industry veterans.
During the morning session, Tony Malisani of Malisani, Inc. in Great Falls, MT, and Vice President of the Marble Institute of America presented the session, “How to Maximize Price Using a Sound Business Plan,” and it addressed the issue of competing with “low-ball” fabricators. “Don’t just get mad when you see shops trying to sell stone for $29 a foot,” he said. “Understand what they are trying to do.”