Working in the granite-rich Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, Granitos Itapoama Ltda. of Rio Novo Do Sul was founded in February of 1990, and its principal owners are Elimario Peterle Fiorio and Estevan Antonio Fiorio, Jr. And over the past 16 years, the company has become a specialist in slab production.
Despite the bustling level of activity at Front
Range Stone’s fabrication plant in Englewood, CO, there is clearly an order to
the stoneworking process. Workers, machinery and material seem to move in
perfect unison, allowing the company to work at a high level of efficiency.
As the stone industry continues to grow, the lineup of machinery available to fabricators has been continually advancing. From more efficient sawing and polishing lines to computer numerically controlled (CNC) stoneworking machines, these new offerings are giving fabricators an edge in a marketplace where competition is ever-increasing.
In 1960, John Hoffmann set out on a mission to
build a stone operation that was characterized by quality workmanship and
“hometown” customer service. While the company, which was named Dixie Cut Stone
& Marble, Inc., started out small, it has continued to thrive in the more
than 45 years that it has been in business.
Capitalizing on the popularity of Brazilian stone, Adalia Imp. & Exp. De Granitos Ltda. of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, was established in 2005 as a supplier of Brazilian stone materials to an international client base, and it has recently increased its product line with a collection of quartzite.
For over 10 years, you have fabricated an average of three granite
countertops per week. Your bridge saw has been the only piece of
machinery in your shop. You’ve cut hundreds of sinks out by hand and
profiled the edges. Now, technology has taken off in the industry, and
you’re feeling the “pinch” because your competitor down the road has
recently installed a CNC stoneworking center. You’re a little
apprehensive to take the “technology leap” to buy a CNC, but after
hours of analyzing, you decide to make the investment.
In this Online Stone Fabricators Forum - conducted at
www.StoneAdvice.com - fabricators discuss their practices in hiring,
training and retaining workers in their shop
Does your shop cut, grind or hone stone dry? If so, you should consider the fact that the dust created from cutting and grinding certain types of stone will emit silica in the air. If you or your workers are not using the proper respiratory protection, you could be exposing yourself and your workers to serious health problems - and potentially devastating lawsuits. Breathing silica dust can cause a disease known as silicosis. More than 250 people each year die from this disease, and over 1 million workers in the U.S. are exposed to silica dust.
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