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Happy New Year! I have to say, I couldn’t be happier to shut the door on 2020. I’m hoping 2021 will bring all of us better times. While the past year has definitely made for trying moments, it seems that many of the fabricators I have spoken with are finding themselves busy.

The company, which is based in Little Rock, AR, has evolved through the years – ultimately becoming a fully automated shop 15 years ago. Advanced technology has allowed Goodson to grow the business and find its niche in producing custom remodel work for luxury homes, as well as mass producing quartz shower bases.

The opening day of The International Surface Event (TISE), including StonExpo/Marmomac, drew a countless amount of visitors who eagerly waited in a seemingly endless line to register for the stone, tile and flooring exhibition.

I don’t care if you are a one-man shop or you are producing 4,000 square feet a day.

I don’t care that you are fully digital and automated, or 100% manual.

What you and I all face is exactly the same, only different; and they are OUR problems.

Everyone likes to win, and most don’t enjoy failing. This becomes magnified in one’s professional life. People don’t show up to work each day and tell themselves, “I can’t wait to fail today.” Their struggle to find success may very likely be a consequence of working in a role that doesn’t fit their skillsets. I recently read a news publication claiming 72% of employed people are unhappy with their jobs. WOW! 72 out of 100 people are working in jobs they dislike. Why?

We can never talk too much about shop safety and the proper procedures that are necessary for handling slabs. Unfortunately, from time to time, we hear about a tragic fatality that most likely could have been prevented if more attention was paid to the handling process. Because safety should be considered with the upmost importance, Stone World makes it a focal point once a year. But for those working with slabs, safety should be a daily reminder.

MAPEI’s Tile & Stone Installation Systems now include Keraflex™ Super, a new highly versatile mortar with polymers designed for installing large and heavy tile on floors, walls and countertops. The new mortar features the outstanding trait of providing a high transfer of material to the backs of tiles while retaining impressive non-sag/non-slump properties.

My favorite thing to say about us is: ‘We are not the best stone company in Chicago because we are the oldest. We are the oldest, because we are the best,’” said Tom Van Etten, when speaking about his family owned business Galloy & Van Etten, which was started in 1899.

OSHA and NIOSH have identified exposure to silica as a health hazard to workers involved in finishing and installing natural and manufactured stone countertop products, both in fabrication shops and during in-home finishing/installation.