While high school best friends Geoffrey Gran and Bill Heuer went their separate ways for college and followed different career paths afterwards, they reunited in July of 2015 to open The Countertop Factory Midwest in Addison, IL.

Pokarna, a leader among stone producers in India, recently opened its Cream Cashmere granite quarry in Buduruvada Village, Parvathipuram Mandal, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The almost 25-acre site currently produces three shades/patterns of the material.

Founded in 1992, Jianming Stone Group has set out on a course to improve its processes for stone production, including becoming "green." The company, located in Xiamen, China, has recently installed a new water filtration system at its plant to help improve operations and the environment.

A delegation of 41 members of MIA+BSI: The Natural Stone Institute attended the Xiamen Stone Fair, which was held from March 6 to 9, 2017 in Xiamen, China. This was the second year MIA+BSI participated at the exhibition, and participants were eager to experience the trade show, and Chinese culture.

Located in the heart of the city of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil — a region rich in the production of ornamental stone — Maq Stone has been among the leading producers of marble, soapstone, granite and quartzite for 16 years.

CFRP Natural Stones is a company that specializes in the extraction and commercialization of granite blocks. Founded by brothers Carlos Fernando and Lino Marcos da Paz in 1989, in Caldas, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, the company is now the largest exporter of Imperial Coffee granite.

Zucchi Stones, a leading exporter of luxury stone in Brazil, recently opened a marble processing plant. The new division, located in Serra, a city in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, will guarantee the production of more noble marbles, with quality processing.