City leaders envisioned the George M. Silliman Community Activity Center in Newark, CA, as the showpiece of the community. According to California-based Glass Architects, the program called for a 36,000-square-foot Community Center to be constructed as the first phase, with provision for a 32,000-square-foot Aquatic Center added as a second phase. In establishing the design, Chinese slate from Echeguren Slate, Inc. of San Francisco, CA, was selected as flooring throughout the public spaces of the facility, as well as for roofing.
In recent years, the Williamsburg community in Brooklyn, NY, has transformed from a busy industrial area to an up-and-coming, chic place to live. Situated along the Hudson River, the city streets are lined with galleries, restaurants, boutiques and high-rise apartments - including Schaefer Landing, which sits on the original site of the Schaefer Brewing Co. plant. And to add a hint of urban sophistication to the lobby design of the residential complex, a colorful wall and floor mural was made from slate.
The Miami Federal Courthouse in Miami, FL - formally referred to as the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Federal Courthouse - one of the largest federal courthouses in the U.S., was recently expanded and now comprises 578,000 square feet, including 14 courtrooms spanning the length of two city blocks. The design completes the judicial campus created by the old courthouse, the courthouse annex tower, the Lawrence King Building and the federal prison. Designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica and national architecture firm HOK, a variety of natural stone was added to the building, including slate flooring from American Slate Co. and Italian limestone from Grassi Pietre s.r.l. It also has a signature waterwall comprised of a number of stone materials.
The Durcon Company of Canton, MI, an industry leader in laboratory work surfaces, is rapidly becoming a major fabricator of kitchen countertops with quartz surfacing. The company credits its success in this endeavor to an aggressive growth plan and a dedicated team using state-of-the-art processing equipment.
When Suburban Marble & Granite of Ivyland, PA, was acquired by current owner John Menarde in 1992, it was a very small operation - processing stonework with a single saw. Today, its line of stoneworking machinery includes the latest technology for sawing and edging as well as three CNC stoneworking centers, and the company has become a leading supplier of high-end work to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and beyond.
It is John Murray’s forward thinking that has led him to build a flourishing stone fabrication business. In less than 10 years, his company, Counter Intelligence, Inc. of Silver Spring, MD, has expanded from 20 employees to 240. It has also outgrown its 35,000-square-foot shop, and as a result, will be moving to a nearby 70,000-square-foot facility before the end of the year. Additionally, the company has recently opened three satellite locations to ensure that it produces high-quality and prompt service to its customers.
There are many choices that face the owner of a stone fabrication shop, and water filtration can seem to be the most complicated, as there are so many options to choose from. Especially with OSHA, EPA and state regulations, you want to be sure that your choice is the best one for you and your specific fabrication process.
The need to ensure quality air and water treatment within the fabrication shop makes a great deal of sense from a personal safety perspective. Moreover, it also ensures that the equipment in the shop will run at optimal levels. And now, with the stone industry attracting more attention from OSHA than ever before, it makes good business sense as well. In order to protect your assets and avoid costly fines, it is critical to maintain certain standards within the shop.
Registered attendance jumped to nearly 37,000 for the four-day Coverings 2007 tile and stone exposition and conference, which was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL, from April 17 to 20, representing an increase of 8% over last year. The sharpest spike in attendance numbers was among architects and designers, which was up a dramatic 87%, according to show management.
In operation for nearly 20 years, RMG Stone Products, Inc. of Castleton, VT, recently expanded the scope of its business with the addition of several slate quarries. The company, which until last year bought its material from local distributors, realized that there was a market for slate countertops as well as landscape stone and roofing tile.
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