“It was another amazing time, but it’s definitely not a vacation,” said Richinelli.  “We’re on the move almost every day, visiting quarries and facilities, learning directly from fabricators and suppliers. This year we started in Florence, spent two nights in Verona—which always feels like coming home—and ended in Venice. It’s exhausting, but you can’t complain when the experience is this rich.”

The trip highlighted not just the scenic beauty of Italy but also the impressive logistics behind it.

“You can’t say enough about how the SFA organizes this,” said Richinelli. “They’re a group of volunteers, and the effort they put in is incredible.
 And a big thank you to Tenax as well—Tatiana and Danielle especially. Without them, this trip wouldn’t run as smoothly as it does.”

However, the team also received bittersweet news while overseas.

“We found out that Tatiana will be leaving Tenax,” said Richinelli. “She’s been such a professional and driving force behind these trips.
 But the silver lining is she’s staying in the stone industry and moving over to Donatoni. It’s a great match—Donatoni is such a clean, organized facility, and they’re a wonderful family-run business.”

As the conversation turned lighter, Kamery brought up a recurring question: pizza. “Everyone always asks how often we get pizza on these trips,”

“That’s the thing—people assume we’re eating pizza every night, but the schedule’s so packed we don’t always get the chance,” said Richinelli.
 “I made a point to grab one on the last day, just so I could say I had it more than once!”

Looking ahead, the podcast hinted at several exciting features coming up in Stone World, including expanded coverage from the Italy trip, insights into family-run fabrication shops, and the latest trends from leading suppliers. Kamery closed the episode by teasing, “There’s a lot coming up in the next few months. We’re excited to share more stories that highlight the strength, innovation, and community within the stone industry.”