Nearly three years ago, an idea surfaced among stone industry professionals to create a platform to promote the use and benefits of natural stone above all alternative building materials. The concept soon flourished into a well-driven campaign, which is now recognized worldwide.

The new Converge education program at The International Surface Event (TISE): Surfaces | StonExpo/Marmomac | TileExpo will offer the industry a whole new way to gain training, knowledge and information.

Too often, after an accident occurs, we receive inquiries from stone companies asking what safety training resources are available. Others may know we have developed a vast array of resources over the past 10 years, but just simply haven’t taken the time to utilize what is available.

Universal Granite & Marble (UGM) graciously opened their doors to 30 fabricators, in addition to other members of the stone industry, for the Wisconsin Stone Summit, which is organized by the Natural Stone Institute (NSI).

While shop safety has always been important, in recent years, it seems that it has become a top priority among fabricators and other industry members.

As I write this, I am touring Italy with a group of fabricators from the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA).

I just returned home from StonExpo -- part of The International Surface Event (TISE) West -- in Las Vegas, and I am happy to report that spirits were high among those in the stone industry.

Once again, Stone World presents the results of its annual Fabricator Purchasing Plan Survey, a survey of American stone fabricators, which polled owners and managers of shops -- large and small -- from across the U.S.

In this edition of the Stone World Fabricator E-News, Atlas Marble and Granite of Springfield, NJ, is featured in "Inside the Shop."

A few weeks ago, I met Jonathan Mitnick, vice president of CCS Stone, Inc., managing partner of Marble Devices, U.S. and current chair of the Marble Institute of America (MIA) Safety Committee