AS WE APPROACH THE HOLIDAYS and the end of 2020, I’m sure most of us are reflecting on what a year this has been! I would have never imagined that a few weeks after returning from one of our workshops in Little Rock, AR, at the end of February the world as we know it would change so drastically. I left our office in mid-March thinking we’d be working from home for a week or two. Nine months later, I am still here. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly shaken things up for all of us.

I like to think I am a “glass half full” type of person, so I have tried to look at the positives throughout all of this. While I am not traveling as I usually do or going to the office, I feel that I communicate more with our Stone World team than ever before. Our editorial staff has a regular morning call and we have a weekly virtual meeting with everyone. While we talk business, it also provides an opportunity for us to chat and share personal stories too. We continue to work just as hard, and the pandemic has given us more time to brainstorm ways to better serve our readers. 

And I know this holds true with many of you as well. During this period, you have had to make changes for the safety of your employees and customers. It seems that many fabricators that I have spoken to over the months think that many of these changes have helped to improve their business and they will continue to enforce these new procedures even after the pandemic is over. 

Because most of us are spending the bulk of our time indoors, home improvement projects have skyrocketed. Hopefully this includes kitchen and bath remodels that continue to provide work for all of you.

There are still many uncertainties out there right now, but I am hopeful that at some point in 2021 we can start to resume some of our “normal” activities. I look forward to the day I will be able to once again spend time and share laughs with all my industry friends. Until then, stay healthy and safe, and Happy Holidays!