Inside the Shop
Gearing Up for 2023 Stone Industry Education Events
The annual Stone Summit series, organized by the Natural Stone Institute and Stone World, will be on the road again in 2023
Photos by Jennifer Richinelli
Stone World and the Natural Stone Institute are preparing for their 2023 Stone Industry Education (SIE) events, which will be coming to nine cities within the U.S. These regional one-of-a-kind stone industry seminars are designed as “Town Hall”-style sessions specifically customized to meet the needs of attendees and strive to assist those in the stone industry to grow and develop by increasing shop efficiency, providing training resources and metrics for developing business plans, as well as much more.
The 2023 roster includes nine in-person events strategically located throughout the U.S. The live sessions not only provide an opportunity for learning, but also allow participants to problem solve and share ideas among each other, and network with leading suppliers of fabrication machinery, tooling and accessories, and stone care and installation products.
A leading stone and tile distributor will host each Stone Summit, presented by a seasoned industry professional. Speakers for the upcoming year are Blake Christensen, owner of Valley View Granite based in Salt Lake City, UT, and current director on the board of the Natural Stone Institute; Tony Malisani, owner of Malisani Inc. in Great Falls, MT, a third-generation fabrication business, and past president of the Natural Stone Institute and Marble Institute of America; Mark Meriaux, accreditation and technical manager for the Natural Stone Institute and former fabrication shop owner; and Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors in Gaston, SC, current vice president/president-elect of the Natural Stone Institute.
Host sponsors of the 2023 events include Architectural Surfaces, Arizona Tile, Elemar New England Marble and Granite, Global Marble and Granite, MSI Surfaces, Triton Stone Group and UGM Surfaces. “MSI is proud to be a sponsor of the Natural Stone Institute once again for 2023,” said Michael Morici, MSI Surfaces team leader, slabs. “We look forward to hosting two Stone Summit events next year at our Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City showrooms and distribution centers. These events provide a unique opportunity to showcase our MSI branches while helping educate our partners on all things related to the stone industry.”
Participants from several of the 2022 events shared positive comments. “I am very pleased about what I experienced here,” said an attendee of the New Mexico Stone Summit. “Great training. You help big companies as well as small ones,” said another.
The 2023 Stone Summit lineup is as follows:
- February 16: Arizona Tile, Tempe, AZ
- March 23: Architectural Surfaces, Nashville, TN
- May 4: MSI Surfaces, West Valley City, UT
- June 1: UGM Surfaces, Plymouth, MN
- June 15: Arizona Tile, Beaverton, OR
- July 20: MSI Surfaces, Bridgeville, PA
- September 21: Global Marble and Granite, Saint Louis, MO
- October 19: Elemar New England Marble and Granite, New Haven, CT
- November 9: Triton Stone Group, Austin, TX
Visit our web page for more information on the 2023 Stone Summit,
www.stoneworld.com/stone-industry-education
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