With a population of nearly 66,000, Eau Claire is the ninth largest city in the state of Wisconsin and it takes its name from the original French name, “Eaux Claires,” meaning “Clear Waters.” This is an appropriate reference, as it sits at the junction of the Chippewa and Eau Claire Rivers.

For those living in Chattanooga, TN, or the surrounding area, November 21, 2016 will always be remembered as a tragic day. The date marks a horrific bus accident that involved 37 students from the Woodmore Elementary School, which took the lives of six of the children.

Coverings returned to Orlando, FL, to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. The international stone and tile exhibition attracted more than 1,100 exhibitors to the Orange County Convention Center from April 9th to 12th. This year’s show presented various interactive experiences for attendees.

Robotic technology is one of the newest options out there for fabricators to cut stone and since its introduction the saw has continued to gain in popularity. Known for their smaller footprint, efficiency and less maintenance needed, as the worker shortage continues for fabricators, turning to this technology has been a great alternative to increase performance in the production process.

Often I ask architects and designers why they favored natural stone for a particular project, and more frequently than not I hear responses such as: “It’s timeless.” “We needed something durable.” “We wanted to use a local material.” These are all excellent reasons, and as members of the natural stone industry, music to our ears. 

With the demand for white marble still at a high, Brazilian stone producer DaPaz is confident its new marble San Pellegrino will soon gain recognition in the U.S. market. Located in in the State of Ceará, the northeastern part of Brazil, the material consists of white and gray tones with a smooth movement.

The 2019 edition of the Vitoria Stone Fair/Marmomac Latin America brought together more than 15,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors from around the world to promote the overall industry and the products that it offers.

Since its inception in 2001, the Xiamen International Stone Fair has exploded. Geared for stone industry professionals worldwide, the scope of the international exhibition has drastically changed from its beginning days.

When a group of fabricators and other stone industry members come together at a fabricator forum, it immediately becomes an arena for an exchange of ideas, experiences, advice and solutions.

During the many years that I have been with Stone World I have sat in on more fabricator forums, workshops and other industry events where ideas and experiences are discussed than I can count.