As you might have heard already, Stone World is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. And since so much has changed in the stone industry since the magazine’s inception, our staff thought having a feature to highlight pivotal moments throughout the decades that have helped to define our industry would be interesting. Starting on page 42 of this issue, you can begin a journey starting back in November of 1984 when Stone World was first published to when the first StonExpo was launched in April 1987. From that time to the present, new associations and organizations such as the Artisan Group, Stone Fabricator’s Alliance and Rockheads were formed and various trade shows have started, transformed or have grown. And more recently, the Marble Institute of America and the Building Stone Institute merged to become the Natural Stone Institute and the Women in Stone and Use Natural Stone campaign were born.
My personal introduction into the stone industry was in September of 1996, when I was hired as Stone World’s assistant editor. Only a year out of college, I figured I would stay here a year or two to gain some publishing experience before moving on. But little did I know how endearing the industry and its members would be. I soon formed relationships with our advertisers and industry members – many of whom I consider friends to this day – and the rest is history, so to speak.