I just returned home from StonExpo -- part of The International Surface Event (TISE) West -- in Las Vegas, and I am happy to report that spirits were high among those in the stone industry. From the start of day one, there was a buzz on the show floor. Many exhibitors were pleasantly surprised with the traffic that came through -- especially on the first day. At times, there were some lulls, but overall, most people I spoke with were pleased with the results of the show.
The energy felt at StonExpo -- and TISE as a whole -- just reinforces what has been apparent over the last year. The economy is on the upswing again, and business is looking positive for many fabricators. When sitting in on the Fabricator Forum, or just talking with fabricators who stopped by the Stone World booth, I would hear about how busy they are. This is of course good news for machinery manufacturers because this likely means fabricators will be looking to invest in equipment to keep up with the demand.