When Stone World first arrived at the Xiamen Exhibition Center for the Xiamen Stone Fair, the first thing we noticed was the huge area in the front of the exhibition center that is under construction.
Through the decades, Stone World has continually evolved to bring its readers an insightful and informative publication for stone industry professionals
Recently, talks have begun between the Marble Institute (MIA) and the Building Stone Institute (BSI) to explore the idea of merging their associations.
The vibe felt throughout the Vitória Stone Fair/Marmomacc Latin America exhibition — held this past February in Vitória, Brazil — indicates positive signs of recovery for the stone industry
In Vitória, Brazil, this year, Stone World attended the annual stone industry gathering in one of the most important stone-producing countries in the world.
The last month has certainly been a busy one. At the end of January, most of the industry headed to Las Vegas for StonExpo and Surfaces (now part of the larger exhibition referred to as the International Surfaces Event).
Oh man, where do I start? For any of you who haven’t heard, our editor for the last 19 years, and my co-worker for the last 21, Michael Reis, passed away on February 7th.
When I opened up my paper of choice, The New York Times, two weeks ago, I saw a headline in the Home Section entitled, “What’s Lurking in Your Countertop?” By now, we all probably know much of what happened as a result of this article. Subsequently, other major news outlets - including radio and network television - have picked up the story. On YouTube, videos appeared showing people holding a Geiger counter against a granite slab - dramatic scenes with jumping needles and lots of noise indicating that something is seriously awry. Stone distributors and fabricators started receiving way too many calls from concerned homeowners - some hysterical; some reasonable but worried.
China’s largest annual stone exhibition, Stonetech, was held at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing from March 4 to 7. Stonetech’s location alternates each year between Beijing and Shanghai, and this year’s event drew a solid crowd, especially considering the timing of the event, taking place immediately prior to the Xiamen Stone Fair. The number of exhibitors at this year’s event was higher than the last Stonetech held in Beijing, which necessitated the addition of one new pavilion that was mainly added to accommodate Chinese equipment manufacturers.