Once again, the lineup of educational sessions at the Coverings exhibition included a Fabricator Forum, where stoneworking professionals were able to submit specific issues to a panel of industry veterans as well as the audience at large. This year’s panel for the forum, which was intended for stone fabricators with five or more years of experience, included GK Naquin and Mark Blanda of Stone Interiors in Loxley, AL, and Brandon Maldonado of Maldonado Tile & Marble of Fullerton, CA. The following is a recap of some of the issues raised during the session, along with the solutions and answers that were discussed:
One of the most established companies in the Vitória region of Brazil, Vixtiles Marmores e Granitos S/A of Serra, Espírito Santo, began as a specialist in tile production, and it now focuses on slab production - exporting traditional Brazilian granites as well as more exotic materials.
Upon entering the stoneworking facilities at Latina Vitória in Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil, one of the first impressions is the level of organization and efficiency within the plant. Stone materials move through the machinery like parts in an automobile assembly plant, and the company’s large indoor storage facilities are impeccably arranged to make slab viewing as smooth and easy as possible.
Last year, Brazil exported a record $538.2 million worth of granite to the U.S. market, far eclipsing 2005’s total of $392.8 million. With this in mind, the timing of the Vitória Stone Fair has made it an increasingly popular destination for Americans and other international visitors, who come to Brazil not only to tour the many stone varieties on display at the exhibition, but also to visit the many stoneworking plants in the Vitória region.
When Suburban Marble & Granite of Ivyland, PA, was acquired by current owner John Menarde in 1992, it was a very small operation - processing stonework with a single saw. Today, its line of stoneworking machinery includes the latest technology for sawing and edging as well as three CNC stoneworking centers, and the company has become a leading supplier of high-end work to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and beyond.
The need to ensure quality air and water treatment within the fabrication shop makes a great deal of sense from a personal safety perspective. Moreover, it also ensures that the equipment in the shop will run at optimal levels. And now, with the stone industry attracting more attention from OSHA than ever before, it makes good business sense as well. In order to protect your assets and avoid costly fines, it is critical to maintain certain standards within the shop.
Earlier this year, I made my annual trip to Brazil for the Vitória Stone Fair, which has very quickly developed into one of the most important international stone fairs in the world. As I walked the show floor and met with the exhibitors on hand, the overall feeling was a bit different than the past few years. Although the pace in the exhibit hall was brisk, and containers of slabs were certainly being purchased at a solid rate, many owners of Brazilian stoneworking plants cautioned me that the rapid growth they enjoyed over the past few years has slowed down a bit in recent months. It hasn’t exactly plateaued, but the 20 to 30% growth rates seem to be less common than before.
Before the U.S. Air Force Memorial was dedicated in Alexandria, VA, in October of 2006, the Air Force was the only branch of service without any Memorial in the Washington, DC, area. Now that it has been completed, the Memorial can be appreciated through the region, due to its 270-foot-high steel spires that appear to be soaring in to the air. And while the spires are the most noticeable aspect of the project from a distance, the Memorial is also a showcase of three-dimensional stonework - with Jet Mist and Absolute Black granite being used for a variety of applications.
Considered to be part of the “North Dallas” region of Texas, the City of Frisco is the second-fastest growing urban center in the nation - second only to Las Vegas. To accommodate this rapid growth, the city needed new municipal facilities. The focal point of this updated city center is the new Frisco City Hall and Library, which was designed by Holzman Moss Architecture and makes extensive use of Texas granite and limestone.
Located beyond the vineyards of Verona, Italy, the Margraf Group of Chiampo, Vicenza, has steadily invested in its stone production. Not only has the company added in a high-tech line for resin-treated slab production within the past few years, but it has also invested in a broad range of equipment for state-of-the-art production of resin-treated marble tiles.