As president and owner of Northwestern Marble & Granite Co. since 1988, David C. Gramling - named after his grandfather who had also once served as company owner and president - has dedicated himself to continuing to run a successful fabrication business, which has been in his family for more than 100 years. Since its start in 1896, the company has experienced several name changes, actively supported World War II and relocated its facility a few times. Today, Northwestern Marble & Granite Co. operates out of a 20,000-square-foot shop - with an additional 7,000 square feet of office/showroom space - in Edina, MN, and the company works hard to serve both the residential and commercial markets across the U.S.
Located at the base of the majestic Rocky Mountains in Denver, CO, is a thriving mecca of music, art, activity and culture. Blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, rugged terrain, lakes and rivers, few if any metropolitan areas have a stronger connection to nature than the “Mile High City.” This cultural awareness and passion for the arts led to a need to expand the 113-year-old Denver Art Museum, which was originally designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti in 1893. And for the interior flooring throughout the new Frederic C. Hamilton building, Black Pearl granite was chosen for its sleek look and durability.
Serving the Baltimore/Washington, DC, Metro area, including parts of central Pennsylvania, Designer Surfaces Unlimited, Inc. produces an average of 3,500 to 4,000 square feet of stone and quartz surfacing on a weekly basis. The company was founded in 1990 when brothers Greg and Don Fisher realized the value that Corian® countertops brought to the marketplace. Located in Frederick, MD, Designer Surfaces Unlimited began as a fabrication and installation business for Corian, but has since expanded to include other surfaces such as granite and soapstone.
Standing in the heart of the Village of Tinley Park in Illinois is an Arts and Crafts style train station with limestone cladding and a slate roof, which has become the center of attraction in the community. In particular, the station’s three-story clock tower with an observation deck contributes to the overall character of the design. The train station was the first step in a master plan targeted at resurfacing the “Old World charm” of the village.
Located at the southern end of Fordham University's Rose Hill campus, the new regional intermodal transportation facility provides shuttle services to and from the University, the New York Botanical Gardens, the Bronx Zoo, the Belmont-Arthur Avenue neighborhood and shopping district and the Metro North Rail Line. Plans for the structure began in 1998, resulting in the combined effort of the University, city, state and federal government. The facility, which comprises five stories and 1,546 parking spaces, features a thin sawn granite veneer utilizing a prefabricated panel system to match other hand-laid granite block buildings on the University's campus.
Chien Chung (Didi) Pei, AIA, and his younger brother Li Chung (Sandi) Pei, AIA, not only share a family bond, but they also both have a passion for architecture. As a result, they set out on their own in 1992 and opened Pei Partnership Architects in New York City. Before beginning their own endeavor, however, the two gained valuable experience in designing large-scale buildings while working under the tutelage of their father, I.M. Pei, for nearly two decades.
For some time now, the “Fabricator Forums” held at trade shows around the country are among the best-attended events in the stone industry. One of the most recent large-scale Fabricator Forums was held at the last StonExpo trade show in Las Vegas, NV, and attendees discussed a wide variety of topics.
The newly reconstructed Sachkerah Woods Playground at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, NY, features golf-themed play equipment, a spray shower, benches, park paths and a comfort station with stone architectural elements. Architect Richard Robbins with the New York City Parks Department of Architecture, along with Landscape Architect James Mituzas and Resident Engineer Brian Taylor with the City of New York Parks & Recreation Department, collaborated on this project, which was opened to the public on June 28, 2007.
Set on property with a scenic view, a private estate in a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel, takes advantage of its natural environment. The use of Ramon Grey limestone - known in the U.S. as “Jerusalem Grey” - satisfied building regulations as well as creating a beautiful modern design.
In the late 1990s, I was asked by a high school friend to help install some kitchens for a granite shop that he managed. I owned a small home remodeling business that was slow at the time, and I was looking for some “busy work.” We spent the next month installing a few kitchens a day. The more I worked with granite, the more I was drawn to the allure of natural stone. I closed my home remodeling business and went to work for that granite shop full time. Over the next several years, I worked my way from installer to measure tech. I spent a few more years measuring and developing a templating system that we still use today. Meanwhile, my friend Matt, who had gotten me into the business, moved off to another company. This opened a position for me in the office doing bookkeeping and scheduling. Over the next few years, I worked my way to operations manager. The shop grew considerably, and at one point, we were producing 10 to 15 kitchens per day. With that type of volume, efficiency became an issue. Customers became numbers instead of names. We lost the ability to spend the quality time needed to produce a custom product.
Cold Spring Granite Co. dates back to 1886, when Scottish stoneworker Henry Alexander formed a partnership with several other stonemen from his native homeland. Through the years, the company continually expanded. In 1958, Cold Spring Granite purchased the Melrose Granite Co. of St. Cloud, MN. The property where the company sat included a large fabricating plant and several older quarries, including the Carnelian quarry just east of Milbank. Today, this site operates as “Carnelian No. 1 Quarry.”
In terms of education in the stone industry, it seems the one area that is a bit lacking is information on perfecting countertop installations and unexpected issues on the jobsite. With this in mind, the “Installer Forums” that take place at StonExpo are particularly lively, as attendees are able to discuss their problems and experiences with fellow countertop installers. The most recent session was presented by Mark Lauzon of Stoneworks in Hubbard, OR, and Jim Isaminger and Terry Isaminger of DMI Tile and Marble, Inc. of Birmingham, AL.
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.
After spending years on the West Coast and in New York City, Charles Burke, artist, interior designer and architectural guru, now makes Newtown, CT, his home and the hub for his work. In late 2005, Burke hosted the grand opening of his business, Charles Burke Interior Design, in Western Newtown. “I decided on Newtown because it was close to New York, Boston and lower Fairfield County,” he said. In renovating the space, Burke’s design choices included a range of innovations, including thin stone veneer for a striking fireplace wall in the master bedroom/theater room.
When remodeling a lakefront home in Newport, CT, natural stone became an important material selection for many aspects of the home in order to give an overall “fortress” effect to the space. And, to achieve the desired look that homeowners Steve and Cindy LaPorta were looking for, approximately 1,400 square feet of Old Spruce ThinStone™ in a “mosaic” cut - supplied by Connecticut Stone Supplies of Milford, CT - was selected for both interior and exterior features of the space.
Although the International Marble and Granite Fair has only been taking place in the city of Vitória since 2002 (where it has been dubbed the “Vitória Stone Fair”), it is actually the 25th edition of the event, since a second stone fair has also taken place in the stoneworking center of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim since the mid-1990s, and continues to be held there annually today.
For the design of The Art of Richard MacDonald Presented by Cirque du Soleil, an 8,500-square-foot sculpture gallery found inside the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, thin limestone pieces played an integral role in completing the job in a timely fashion.
For the recent design of the 400,000-square-foot Lowe’s Corporate Headquarters in Mooresville, NC, architects from the firm of Calloway, Johnson, Moore & West incorporated sandstone, Bluestone and fieldstone into the exterior design. The materials were selected to meet the client’s request that the character of the building be timeless and blend with its 157-acre wooded valley surroundings, as well as to achieve the goal of setting the building apart from competing work environments.
In order to blend a 3,500-square-foot private residence located in Massachusetts into its environment, Luna Design Group of Lynnfield, MA, selected New England Fieldstone Thin Veneer in a combination of round and “mosaic” cuts - supplied by Stoneyard.com of Littleton, MA.
In order to design a private residence in Pennsylvania with modern amenities and Old World charm, natural thin stone was deemed an obvious choice. More specifically, over 3,000 square feet of Weathered Edge Thin Veneer fieldstone from Meshoppen Stone Inc. of Meshoppen, PA, was implemented for thick columns, parapet walls and chimneys. In addition, Bluestone was used as paving on the porch and front walkway.
With an exterior of several Georgia marble varieties, the new Emory School of Medicine building at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, is a monument to refined classic style. Etowah Fleuri marble trim - consisting of pinkish hues - lines the building at regular intervals, contrasting beautifully with the Cherokee White and Pearl Grey blocks of stone that form the facade. The deep red tile roof further sets off the radiant tones of the marble, which was quarried by Polycor Georgia Marble of Tate, GA.
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.
The Supra Auto Cut gantry saw by Matrix Stone Products was engineered to offer high-level automation and shop floor simplicity, combined into one very powerful package. Whether a business is high-end custom fabrication or repetitive dimensional cutting for commercial projects, the Supra has been designed to deliver. Supra is designed on the field-proven Matrix Sebring platform and incorporates all of the performance features of this gantry saw.
AGR Diamond Tools, a leading manufacturer of diamond tools for the construction industry, has engineered and produced a long-lasting polishing pad. With patented manufacturing technology, AGR pads are able to process any natural stone surface that needs to be polished, including granite, marble and concrete.
Laticrete, a leader in the manufacturing of innovative systems for the installation of ceramic tile and stone, has announced the launch of Laticrete® PermaColor™ Grout, offering the maximum performance available in a cement-based grout, with premium color consistency and resistance to stain causing mold and mildew with antimicrobial protection from Microban®, according to the company. GREENGUARD Certified for better indoor air quality, Laticrete PermaColor Grout contributes to LEED Certification with low VOC content. In addition, Laticrete PermaColor Grout is Kevlar® reinforced for superior strength and flexibility, making it well suited for both interior and exterior floors and walls in both residential and commercial applications.
For installation crews, the new All-Terrain Install Cart by Omni Cubed, Inc. offers a solution to the challenges associated with large and cumbersome carts. This U.S.-made product is constructed from aluminum tubing, so it is strong and lightweight - at less than 50 pounds.
Chemical Concepts has introduced two new pieces of overhang support equipment - the CounterBalance plate and the IslandBalance bracket. The CounterBalance plate is designed to attach to stud walls supporting overhangs on raised bar countertops, and the IslandBalance bracket is designed to support overhangs on island and peninsula countertops.
The U.S.-made Lam-Clamps by Omni Cubed are ideal for natural and engineered stone countertop edge laminations, reports the company. The updated model for 2008 features a new upper clamp jaw with concave sides, which lightens the product and creates an easy-grip surface.
Laticrete, a global leader in the manufacturing of innovative systems for the installation of ceramic tile and stone, has published the industry’s first-ever technical design manual for the long-lasting installation of ceramic tile and stone in animal health and wellness environments. The Laticrete published “Animal Health and Wellness Facilities Technical Design Manual,” provides guidelines and recommendations for the design, specification and installation of tile in veterinary/animal and arts/kennel applications requiring specialized tile installation materials. Architects, designers, installers and distributors can request a copy by visiting the Web at www.Laticrete.com/tools.
Custom® Building Products, an industry leader in tile and stone installation systems, has announced the new generation of backerboard with the high-performance, ultra-lightweight EasyBoard®. Engineered for strength and backed by Custom’s lifetime warranty, EasyBoard installs like other backerboards, yet a standard 3- x 5-foot, ½-inch board weighs only 6 pounds and cuts easily and cleanly with a simple utility knife, reports the manufacturer, adding that a fiber cement backerboard of the same size weighs up to 45 pounds and requires special tools for scoring and cutting.
Transform any bathroom with Venetian Natural Stone vanity tops from Domain Industries. These pre-fabricated natural granite vanities are available in five sizes and eight popular stone colors.
Granite City Tool has made announcements on several new products, including the ICS 633GC chainsaw, the AC-DC Seam Master, Snail-Lock Evolutions and Vincent Tyrolit portable router bits.
Taking advantage of the continued growth of the Internet as a business tool, Applet3D company has been working in this area for two years and has developed several innovations for the stone industry. The first one is a “3D Showroom” that can display a kitchen in a three-dimensional view on a Web page. With help of the “3D Showroom” Web site, visitors can design their own kitchens by changing colors of countertops, cabinets, backsplashes, floors, ceilings, walls, doors and windows. Additionally, the user can “walk” through the kitchen in real time. An example of this can be found at: http://www.applet3d.com/Applets/3DShowroom.html on the Internet.
On March 12, 2008, Braxton-Bragg announced that Rich Hassert has been appointed CEO. The new CEO is excited about the “opportunity to build on a solid foundation.” His first objective is to “carry on the legacy of the company founders by offering the lowest prices and the best service, delivered by the friendliest people for the tools and materials you want.”
The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has announced that its third annual leadership workshop will be held Monday, April 28, 2008 - the day before the start of Coverings in Orlando, FL. The speakers and the content of the event have consistently attracted senior level executives and business owners. The timing of the session is intended to add value for professionals planning to travel to Orlando for Coverings.
BERGAMO, ITALY - Pedrini recently installed resin plants for two major stone-production plants in Italy - at Graniti Carobbio and at Fratelli Madaschi in the factories of Carobbio degli Angeli.
FARMINGTON, MI - Robert A. Hund died at his home in Farmington, MI, on March 11, 2008, surrounded by his family after a brief battle with cancer. Hund, who had an advertising/public relations/trade association management company, served as the Managing Director of the Marble Institute of America from 1980 to 1995.
LEE’S SUMMIT, MO - DITEQ Diamond Tools & Equipment has announced the appointment of Mike Orzechowski to the position of Engineering Manager. Adding a seasoned professional to the engineering and product development team is a move calculated to bolster DITEQ’s capabilities on the equipment side of the business.
Interceramic, Inc. announced the acquisition of substantially all the assets of IMC, Inc., a leading distributor of granite, marble and other stone products in the Southwest. In business for over 20 years, IMC operated its business from locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX, as well as in the Phoenix, AZ, area. The former business of IMC will continue to be operated at all three locations by a new Interceramic subsidiary, Interceramic Marble Collection, Inc.
ANKILIMIAVOTRA, MADAGASCAR - The new “Gianluca Marcolini” Elementary School has just opened in the village of Ankilimiavotra, Madagascar, as a tribute to the memory of Gianluca Marcolini.
