Ever since the Vitória Stone Fair began taking place in the stoneworking region of Vitória, Brazil, in 2002, the show’s growth and energy has mirrored the explosive growth of Brazil’s stone industry. This past edition, however, took place at a time when the nation’s industry is facing its first real challenges since becoming a major player in the international stone industry. Because Brazil relies heavily on the U.S. as an importer of its finished stone products - particularly granite slabs - the downturn in the U.S. housing market has had a noticeable impact on the Brazilian stone industry.
Although Brazil’s granite exports to the U.S. saw a decline for the second half of 2007, the Vitória Stone Fair still saw steady traffic on the show floor for the most recent edition, which took place from February 19 to 22, 2008, at the Carapina Expo Center in Serra - just on the outskirts of Vitória and where many major stoneworking plants are present. The 2008 Vitória Stone Fair had a record number of exhibitors, as the total of over 400 was a 15% increase over 2007. Moreover, attendees at the event were able to see a broad range of materials - many of which are being targeted specifically at the U.S. market.
The latest Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA) Workshop was held from March 27 to 29 at Cadenza Granite & Marble of Concord, NC, and it was attended by approximately 100 fabricators from around the country. After a brief greeting and introductions by Ron Hannah and Melissa Hannah, owners of Cadenza, attendees at the event had the option of watching product demonstrations and presentations in the reception area, or they could watch the various stages of projects being fabricated on the shop floor.
For many stone industry purists, the stoneworking region of Carrara, Italy, is the heart of our industry. As the home of Carrara White marble - Michelangelo’s material of choice - it has a built-in history in stone. More importantly, it has been home to generations of stoneworking professionals who are passionate about stone and its place in architecture, art and culture. I’ve been traveling to this region for over 10 years, and every time I visit, I am reminded that this dedication to the artistry of stone remains alive and well today.
Although not generally considered part of the stone “trade,” the work of sculptors around the world offer an innovative look into the three-dimensional aspects of the material. Their work manipulates stone in ways that utilize light, shadow and texture, and they are continually searching for new materials.
Located in Soave, Italy, amid the world-renowned vineyards for Soave white wine, Piero Zanella s.r.l. crafts architectural stonework for prominent projects around the world, and it recently purchased a quarry in Serbia to extract multiple varieties of marble.
Scheduled for May 29 to June 1, 2008 in the renowned stoneworking center of Carrara, Italy, the CarraraMarmotec exhibition has historically served as a venue to exhibit and see some of the latest introductions in natural stone products as well as stoneworking technology. It has also been a forum where natural stone suppliers can collaborate with architects and designers, and organizers are looking to expand on this aspect of the fair as it adapts to a new biennial format.
When Bob Costa established Cadillac Stone Works in North Las Vegas, NV, he relied on his background in building and manufacturing operations in the Detroit, MI, area. This meant placing an emphasis on automation and efficiency, and this vision has taken shape as a large-scale, state-of-the-art stone production facility.
In this issue of Stone World Magazine, our “Re-Emerging U.S. Stone Industry” subject is the Cold Spring Granite Co.’s Carnelian granite quarry, which is located in Milbank, SD (page 38). This quarry has made a name for itself by supplying material for prestigious projects across the country, perhaps most notably the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC, which utilized 6,000 tons of Carnelian granite. This fact alone entrenches Carnelian granite’s place among the historic materials of our nation.