Latin American Fabricators Network Builds Momentum with Coverings 2026 Debut
Photos courtesy of Laura Grandlienard
The Latin American Fabricators Network made its first appearance at Coverings 2026, using the show's Fabricator Stage to introduce a grassroots organization aimed at giving Latino stone fabricators a seat at the industry table.
LAFN was founded to serve what its organizers describe as a long-underserved community. Latin Americans account for roughly 82 percent of stone fabricators in North America, with members hailing from countries including Peru, Brazil, Spain and Mexico, said Laura Grandlienard, owner of ROCKin'teriors in Raleigh, North Carolina, and one of the network's founders.
"There was no place for, really, the Latin American stone fabricator," said Grandlienard. "We want to reach out to the fabricator, whether not just a stone fabricator. They could be anybody within the Latin American community. The tile, the masons. We want a place where they have a place at the table to talk, in their language. They could talk Portuguese. They could talk Spanish. Catalan."
The organization grew out of conversations among Grandlienard, Jim Callaghan of GranQuartz, and marketing consultant Massimo Balluchi.
Callaghan, who runs the capital equipment division at GranQuartz and has spent 20 years working with small- to mid-sized fabrication shops, said language barriers and a lack of mentorship were holding back Latino-owned businesses trying to grow.
"With the language barrier, and them trying to get mentorships to not reinvent the wheel and be able to drive their business correctly, we basically were starting to consult with them," said Callaghan. "I realized that there was a need for that community to try to bring them together and help educate them, and build a mentorship program with other companies that have already done that."
LAFN partnered with Caesarstone in Houston for porcelain fabrication training led by one of the manufacturer's top trainers, said Callaghan. The session emphasized safety practices, including proper filtration when cutting porcelain.
Word of mouth has driven much of the network's early growth, said Grandlienard, noting that one attendee traveled from Mexico City for the Houston event.
At Coverings 2026, LAFN partnered with the Natural Stone Institute on the Fabricator Stage, where the network presented sessions on how the digital world can help fabrication shops and on collaboration between fabricators and designers.
"We still have strategic topics of conversation," said Balluchi. "Yesterday, we had the digital, how the digital world can help your fabricator shop, and it was very well attended. Today, we have another topic of conversation between the fabricator and the designers, because as soon as you work together at the beginning of the stage of the project, you will achieve more success."
The network is building out a calendar of events in multiple cities for the coming year, supported by newsletters, social media and a growing roster of corporate sponsors, said Balluchi. LAFN plans to return to Coverings in 2027 in a similar format.
More information is available at aboutlafn.com. Membership is open to anyone in the industry, said Grandlienard, not only Latin Americans.
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Jason Kamery is the Managing Editor and Group Digital Editor of Stone World. With more than a decade of experience covering the stone and countertop industry, he has conducted hundreds of interviews with fabricators, manufacturers, and industry leaders, and hosts the Stone World. podcast. He reports from events worldwide, including TISE, Coverings, and Marmomac, and his coverage extends to worker safety and silicosis, trade policy and tariffs, and fabrication technology. Kamery has also served as a speaker and panel moderator at The International Surface Event (TISE). He graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Mass Communication.
email: kameryj@bnpmedia.com | office: (248) 833-7356
