The first Stone Fabricators Alliance workshop of the year, hosted by James Donaire of Perfection Connection Marble & Granite, Inc., attracted the largest crowd in the history of the organization’s workshops. Around 200 people attended the event, which was held from June 20 to 21.

If you’ve been in this industry for any length of time, chances are you’ve been to more than a few trade shows and seminars. Looking back at all that invested time, what do you really remember? How much of that information have you used to improve your business?

Rocksolid Surfaces has become a premier fabricator in Cleveland, OH, but the 40-year-old company got its start in the wood business. “Tom Rocks was the original owner of the company,” said J.B. Walsh, president of Rocksolid Surfaces.

In this month’s Industry Perspective, Joey Marcella writes about when attending a trade show, workshop or other industry event, you should walk away with a “couple of good ‘nuggets’ of information.” I couldn’t agree more.

Come back tomorrow wearing some work boots and you have a job.” This is what Buddy Ontra, now owner of Ontra Stone Concepts in Bridgeport, CT, was told in 1982 when getting a job working on high-rise buildings in Houston, TX.

With changing consumer shopping patterns, an accelerated pace of business and the need for real-time visibility, the Information Revolution has created a great need for technological advancement in the stone industry; it is up to all of us to answer the call together or be left behind in its wake.

The natural stone industry is filled with companies of all sizes, but we know that most are small-to-medium size companies. When it comes to marketing and training, I often hear about limited budgets and staff resources.

The Blade5 machine is a 5-axis interpolated CNC working center for cutting, shaping, polishing, sculpting, contouring and can be customized with single or dual tables. It has a vertical axis stroke 2 mt/78,74”. A CNC lathe for carving columns is also an option for this multifunction CNC center.

The recent expansion of Midtown Athletic Club and Hotel transformed what was the largest indoor tennis club in the country into the largest lifestyle center in the country. The hybrid health club and hotel exudes intentional details designed by DMAC Architecture, located in Evanston, IL.

Stone fabricators have to balance the demands of their shop and finding business. There may be issues with trying to search for new employees, dealing with machines breaking down, or with the shop getting backed up. Rob and Julie Foley have been able to find a nice balance for their shop.