The mission of the Marble Institute of America is to promote the use of natural stone and be the world's most authoritative natural stone information resource.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2004, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) is the world s leading information resource and advocate for the natural stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.

Membership in the association is worldwide and includes nearly 1,600 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers — all committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics.

MIA0713: June 27th 2007: VERMONT COMPANY FIRST TO BE ACCREDITED BY NEW MIA PROGRAM

NBC Solid Surfaces of Springfield, Vermont is the first company to earn the Accredited Natural Stone Fabricator designation under the Marble Institute of America’s long-awaited accreditation program.

“After two and a half years of planning and hard work by a number of industry leaders and the MIA staff, we are very pleased to announce our first fully accredited company, NBC Solid Surfaces. This is a milestone event for both our association and the industry as a whole,” said Gary Distelhorst, CAE, executive vice president of the Marble Institute of America. “Within the next several years we expect to accredit hundreds of companies. In fact, more than 100 firms have already requested applications and more are coming in every week.”

NBC Solid Surfaces, which originally started as a home builder in 1984, completed the accreditation process by successfully passing a facility inspection, as well as inspection of several completed projects in the Springfield area. The site inspection is the final steps of the three phase accreditation process. NBC Solid Surfaces and its owner, Don Hinckley, completed the first two phases, which consisted of filling out a detailed application and passing a 200 question examination that covers all facets of the stone fabrication and installation business.

“We congratulate NBC Solid Surfaces on this singular achievement,” said Distelhorst.”

“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Hinckley. “It’s a long process and I am proud that we are the first to achieve accreditation. Vermont has a rich stone heritage and its nice to see a Vermont company on the cutting edge.”

Hinckley said his firm hopes to take advantage of accreditation in its future promotional. “It’s going to help differentiate us in the marketplace,” he said. “It will show our customers that we are a leader in the industry and that we are committed to the quality of the product.”

Originally called Northeast Building Corporation, the company left the home building business in 1995, when it changed its name to NBC Solid Surfaces. The company markets natural stone and other surface materials on a wholesale basis to kitchen and bath dealers and commercial users throughout New England.

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MIA0712: June 22nd 2007: MIA Leadership Workshop Impacts Member’s Success September 12-13, 2007

On September 12 & 13, 2007, the Marble Institute of America will hold its second annual leadership workshop in Chicago, IL. The two day event is geared to provide attendees with a chance to be with people who have proven strategies that will help keep you in business; an opportunity to find someone in attendance who just faced down the Goliath company down the street, and actually increased sales; and the opportunity to be with management experts, as well as stone executives you couldn’t meet any other way.

“The concept of a two day gathering for senior-level stone industry executives was introduced in 2006. The feedback was tremendous,” said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the 1800-plus worldwide organization. He added, “and so it makes sense to offer an even more valuable leadership experience this year.”

“We were pleasantly surprised at the value we received from the workshop last year – we are committed to bringing six key staff members to the 2007 event,” added Allan D. Gowans, Stone Interiors East.

Over the two-day period attendees will be addressed by three of the most sought after experts in the business world. The topics include:

Leadership, Teamwork & Winning

Brand Harmony

A Balancing Act: Walking the Tightrope of Life

These topics and the speakers lined up for this event come highly recommended by fellow stone professionals:

“We invited Jim Beardon to speak at our management meeting, and we all came away impressed with how applicable his advice was to our business life. This is real-world stuff and my company has benefited from his direction. I urge my industry colleagues to take advantage of the program and speakers assembled by the Marble Institute for the 2nd annual leadership workshop!” - Jack Seiders, AGM, 2007 MIA President

“Mikki Williams is dynamic, never boring, and challenges you to think about your entire scope of daily responsibilities - both personal and professional. She gets the audience to pull into perspective how important it is to have balance in one's life between work, and family. If you work yourself into the ground then you become ineffective both at work and at home. There is take-home value in what she offers the attendees! We attended the MIA leadership workshop last year, and are looking forward to the 2nd annual leadership workshop and glad Mikki is on the program this year.” - Richard Booms, Booms Stone Company, 2003 MIA President

“Last year’s event included great business speakers and the attendees were a who’s who in the stone industry. We are exited about the branding message offered by Steve Yastrow this year. I’d definitely plan on bringing a few of your key employees to this leadership workshop!” -Kelly Milligan, VIC International

It is an event where stone companies will want to bring two or three of their key executives. A $50 early registration discount (1 discount per company) is available for registrations received prior to August 15, 2007. The MIA member rate is $695 ($645 for each additional person). Non-members can register for $795 ($745 for each additional person).

Distelhorst added, “this workshop would not be possible without the generous support of Park Industries, VIC International, OHM International, Water Treatment Technologies, and Stone News Channel/Levy Media Group.”

For more information, or to register for the workshop call MIA at 440-250-9222, or visit www.marble-institute.com.

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MIA0711: June 21st 2007: MIA ANSWERS INDUSTRY NEED WITH SHOWROOM PROMOTION POSTERS

A stunning series of showroom quality posters featuring natural stone marketing messages is the latest offering from the Marble Institute of America. “These products help stone professionals educate consumers while promoting marble, granite, limestone, travertine and other natural stone products in their showrooms,” said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the nearly 1800 member worldwide organization.

“These posters respond to a need cited in our most recent member survey,” continued Distelhorst. “Nearly 60% of the respondents felt that MIA should direct more of its advertising efforts to consumer education. We feel that these posters, with their stone industry specific message, help fulfill this mandate.”

Poster Topics:

Two posters highlight stone as “A Genuine Slice of Nature” with a caption that includes the following statement, “Natural stone comes the way nature has created it over millions of years. After it is quarried, blocks of stone are cut, polished, and custom-fabricated for kitchens, baths, floors, and other residential and commercial applications. Every piece is natural. Every piece is unique.”

One poster features a scientist with the periodic table of elements as a backdrop. The caption reads, “If Mother Nature only knew what they are calling ‘natural’.” This poster emphasizes that natural stone cannot be duplicated in a laboratory.

One “Natural Stone #1 in Value” poster highlights award winning bathroom and kitchen projects. Summarized below the images are results from a recent report conducted by Remodeling Magazine showing that upscale bathroom remodels recoup 85.6% of their cost at resale and upscale kitchen remodels recoup 80.3%.

One “Granite Countertops: #1 in Cleanability” poster features a full-color photograph of fresh vegetables on a beautiful granite countertop. Summarized below the image are results from two recent studies that found granite to be #1 in cleanability when tested against stainless steel, laminate, wood, and other countertop surfaces.

One “From the Quarry to the Kitchen” poster tells the story of natural stone – how it emerges from quarries around the world and is transformed into a thing of beauty in homes and offices.

With the addition of these six eye-catching showroom posters, MIA boasts a wide range of point-of-sale materials, books and other materials to assist in the showroom marketing process.

Suitable for framing (standard frame size 22" x 28"), the new 6-poster showroom set is priced at $90 for MIA members and $150 for non-members. The posters can be ordered on the MIA website, www.marble-institute.com, or by calling 440-250-9222. (Posters shipped in tubes.)

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MIA0710: June 20th 2007: MIA to Offer Children’s Book Assortment

The Marble Institute of America announced the release of a children’s book assortment consisting of seven titles for use in dealer and fabricator showrooms.

“Many showrooms have designated children’s areas where kids can entertain themselves while Mom and Dad take care of paperwork and look at slabs,” said Jim Hieb, special projects director for the nearly 1,800 member trade association. “Business owners asked us to find stone related children’s books for this purpose. We’ve started with three rock and mineral titles to acquaint kids with stone and geology. We felt having a few Dr. Seuss and Disney books would balance the assortment.”

Members may also purchase the stone books separately to donate to their local libraries and elementary schools.

The addition of these seven children’s books further enhances MIA’s already wide range of point-of-sale materials, posters and other items to assist in the showroom marketing process. Members’ price is $49.95 US per 7- book assortment and $54.95 for non-members. The 3-book member price is $24.95; non-member price is $29.95. The books can be ordered on the MIA website, www.marble-institute.com, or by calling 440-250-9222.

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MIA0709: May 31st 2007: MIA Readies Launch of Industry’s 1st Benchmarking Survey

In early June, the U.S.-based fabricator members of the Marble Institute of America will receive the industry’s first-ever benchmarking survey. The survey will help them strengthen their financial position by providing an analysis of how they stand compared to other firms their size.

“The economy has demonstrated an ability to sustain growth, and with the benefit of sales growth, stone fabricators should be producing higher profits,” asserts Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the nearly 1800 member worldwide organization.

“Unfortunately, higher profits are not automatic,” he continued. “Profits must be earned. One way to help ensure that fabricators reach their full potential is a set of realistic financial benchmarks.”

The information gathered in the survey (sales, payroll and other operating expenses, gross margin, average collection period, etc.) is arranged to provide direct comparisons to other participating firms all based on size.

Profit Planning Group, a well regarded association profitability and compensation analysis firm, will manage the survey for the MIA. Members’ proprietary financial data is kept strictly confidential. Only employees of the survey company will see the data. In over 20 years of conducting benchmarking surveys, Profit Planning Group has an unblemished record of maintaining confidentiality.

The survey results and final reports will be available at no cost to those firms that participate in the study. Non- participants will be charged a fee to receive a copy of the consolidated Performance Analysis Report.

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MIA0707: May 7th 2007: MIA Revises Popular Customer Sales Documents Toolkit

The Marble Institute of America announced the revision and reissue of the most requested of its five Management Tool Kits, Customer & Sales Forms. In keeping with the popular Tool Kit format, the newest version is packaged with a CD that includes all 99 documents in Microsoft Word or Excel.

“This new edition offers natural stone companies 36 new forms in three additional areas of the stone business,” said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of MIA. “These areas contain forms specific to stone restoration, customer slab selection and reservation, and flooring installation. And, as an added bonus, 10 new forms reinforce the 5 areas of the original version.”

The five original areas cover pre-sale documents, contract/terms of business proposals, pre-installation and installation documents, post-installation correspondence and problem resolution.

Citing that the original publication contained mostly residential countertop related forms, Distelhorst added, “The new edition better represents the total scope of today’s natural stone business. It is another excellent example of one of the many ways MIA continues to help natural stone companies succeed in their businesses.”

MIA members can purchase this or any of the management tool kits for $69 each. The non-member price is $99. For more information, contact MIA at (440) 250-9222, e-mail: MIAinfo@marble-institute.com, or visit www.marble-institute.com.

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MIA0706: April 10th 2007: MIA ANNOUNCES 2007 CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR ROCKY ADVERTISING AWARDS

The Marble Institute of America is now accepting entries for the Third Annual MIA “Rocky” Advertising Awards competition.

The purpose of the competition is to honor superior advertising produced by MIA members, their advertising agencies, design studios and broadcast producers. The competition will focus on entries in print (newspaper and magazine), broadcast (radio and TV), collateral material (brochure, poster, direct mail piece and/or campaign) and point-of-sale (trade show booth design, counter top display and free standing display) advertising. Winners will receive the coveted “Rocky” award or certificate.

Returning this year to the competition is broadcast and point-of-sale categories. The web categories will be accepted again in 2008.

Judging will be done by a panel of advertising experts all of whom have no direct association with the natural stone industry. The MIA Advertising Awards competition which began in 2005 has drawn hundreds of entries from MIA members around the world.

For the third consecutive year, Salem Stone of Winston-Salem, North Carolina is sponsoring the competition.

Deadline for entries is July 2, 2007. Winners will be presented at StonExpo 2007 in Las Vegas on October 19, 2007 at a special MIA awards luncheon.

Winning entries will be publicized on the web and on the new MIA Stone News Channel which is distributed via the Internet and on DVD in the November issue of the MIA newsletter.

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MIA0705: March 27th 2007: NEWEST MIA MANAGEMENT TOOL KIT FOCUSES ON SAFETY MEETINGS

A management tool kit offering natural stone companies 65 safety meeting topics in paper and electronic format has been developed by the Marble Institute of America and is ready for distribution.

“This is the fifth in a continuing series of MIA Management Tool Kits,” said Jim Hieb, director of special projects for the nearly 2,000-member organization. He added that this toolkit not only includes 65 safety meeting outlines, but comes packaged with three MIA safety videos.

In producing the kit, MIA solicited and received input from over a dozen companies throughout the industry. Hieb explained that the safety outlines are written with suggested talking points for the presenter and recap questions to help stimulate discussion.

The newest kit contains outlines on OSHA, personal protection equipment, electrical safety, hazard communication respiratory projection, equipment operation procedures, slab handling, compressed air safety and a number of general safety issues. Marc Rosenkrantz of Schechner Lifson Corporation, one of the contributing companies, added, “safety starts at the top and stone professionals have access to numerous safety related resources. The newly created safety meetings program assists management in implementing a formal safety program and assigning accountability. The end result will be a safer more profitable shop.”

Jack Seiders, 2007 MIA president added, “This new resource is an excellent example of just one of the many new resources being developed by MIA to help natural stone companies succeed in their businesses. We believe safety is such a critical issue in our industry that we are exploring the option of providing a Spanish version of this important tool kit.”

MIA members can purchase this or any of the management tool kits for $69 each. The non-member price is $99. For more information, contact MIA at (440) 250-9222, e-mail: MIAinfo@marble-institute.com, or visit www.marble-institute.com.

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MIA0704: March 16th 2007: AQUA MIX, DALTILE, & SCHLUTER SYSTEMS TEAM-UP WITH MIA TO PRODUCE NEW WET AREAS TRAINING VIDEO

Daltile, Aqua Mix Inc., and Schluter Systems have teamed-up with the Marble Institute of America to produce a powerful new training addressing the most perplexing problems facing the design and installation of natural stone in wet areas like baths and showers. The “Basics of Design and Installation of Natural Stone in Wet Areas” video is now available from MIA.

This new video highlights the importance of eliminating negative slopes where water can migrate, causing mold and structural damage. Viewers will witness popular and effective installation techniques and a variety of design considerations regarding materials, setting materials, and much more.

“This video would not have been possible without the support of three major suppliers to the natural stone industry,” stated Garis Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president. He added, “the assistance of Don Halvorson and Lindell Lummer, two of the industry’s most knowledgeable and respected experts in dealing with wet area design and installation, was also an important ingredient of this new video.”

“The MIA has produced a powerful series of training videos over the past few years and Aqua Mix has been proud to support a number of them,” said Doug Hayes of Aqua Mix.

Peter Nielsen of Schluter Systems added, "we believe that when there is consistency of training throughout the marketplace, it eventually benefits the entire industry. The only way to achieve it is through continuing education."

"An effective wet areas installation involves more than just the right stone choice – the installation knowledge gained from this video and others like it in the MIA ‘Basics of’ training series are a welcomed edition to the stone industry,” said Lou Romano of Daltile.

The Basics of Design and Installation of Natural Stone in Wet Areas is available on-line at the MIA bookstore at www.marble-institute.com for the retail price of $69.00 ($39.00 for members). For further information, call 440-250-9222.

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MIA0703: March 7th 2007: MIA Launches Accreditation Program; Begins Accepting Applications

The Marble Institute of America announced today that it is now accepting applications for its new accreditation program. The program, which was in the planning stages for more than two years, is expected to draw hundreds of applicants as they take advantage of an independent program that will eventually allow them to use a coveted MIA accreditation seal in their marketing.

"Accreditation will be available to all fabrication/installation companies within the natural stone industry, not just MIA members,"” said Scott Lardner, MIA Past President and Chairman of its Accreditation Commission.

Three forms of accreditation are available: Natural Stone Fabricator, Commercial A Contractor and Commercial B Contractor. Lardner said, "The MIA intends to explore expanding the program to other sectors of the natural stone industry upon successful implementation of the first three."

"A great deal of time and effort has been spent ensuring that this accreditation program is the real deal," said Tony Malisani, member of the Accreditation Appeals Committee. "The MIA accreditation seal will not be a rubber stamp: rather, it will lend instant credibility to firms that earn it."

The process of becoming accredited consists of three equally-weighted phases. Phase one requires the completion of a lengthy application which will ensure that the company is in compliance with the ten standards of accreditation as laid out by the MIA Accreditation Task Force. The second phase is a two hundred question multiple choice examination, testing the applicant’s knowledge and application of material usage, installation, fabrication, restoration, care and maintenance, administration, legal/contracts and jobsite and shop safety. The third phase is a comprehensive site visit, which will include a facility review, document review, and one or more installation visits.

Accredited natural stone fabricators consist of residential-oriented companies that have successfully completed two hundred projects in a minimum of three years, amongst other requirements.

Commercial accreditation is broken into two categories. Commercial A is for companies doing large commercial work, while, Commercial B is for firms that handle smaller scale commercial stone installations such as hotel lobbies, bank lobbies and low-rise interior/exterior cladding.

To request an application go to www.marble-institute.com/accreditation, scroll to the bottom of the page and click: Application Request Form.

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MIA0702: March 1st 2007: "Destination Vermont" To Provide Quarry Tours And More

In its ever-expanding array of educational programs, the Marble Institute of America will literally take one of its newest concepts on the road May 16-17, when it stages the first of two “Quarry Tours and More” in Vermont.

Called “Destination Vermont,” the seminar/bus tour is packed with visits to four quarries, three stone museums, and a number of other points of interest to stone professionals. In addition to Vermont the trip will take attendees to Stanstead, Quebec, famed as the granite capital of Quebec.

Quarries to be visited include the Bethel White Quarry, Danby Quarry and E.L. Smith Quarry in Vermont and the Stanstead Gray Quarry in Quebec. “There is no simpler way to summarize this 2-day seminar, it is going to be fun!” stated Jim Hieb, MIA special projects director. He added, “the exposure to so many quarries and other points of interest will be a great educational experience for the attendees.”

Registration fee is $369 for MIA member employees ($419 for non-members) with discounts available for early registration and additional people from member companies. The deadline for the early registration discount is April 18, 2007. Hotel space is also limited so it is recommended that you book your accommodations early – see the MIA website for more information.

The second “Quarry Tours and More” event will be held in Minnesota and South Dakota, August 23-24. For a complete agenda and information about these seminars, go online on the MIA web site at www.marble-institute.com or by calling MIA at 440-250-9222.

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MIA0701: 15th January 2007: Marble Institute Offers New Safety Technical Guide:

As part of its three-year-old safety initiative, the Marble Institute has developed Safety in the Stone Business, a new technical guide that features a wide range of information on safety issues in the natural stone industry

“The new publication is an important source of guidelines on safety procedures for personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, hazard communication, equipment operations, slab handling, OSHA compliance and much more,” said Jim Hieb, director of special projects for the 1800-member trade association. “The guide builds on a string of other safety initiatives developed by MIA over the past three year. The key to this publication is that it incorporates the content of the four MIA safety videos so that employers can utilize a hardcopy training tool that compliments the videos,” Hieb said.

Potential uses for the new guide include: making it an integral part of each employee’s orientation packet; using individual sections for a series of toolbox talks; and conducting training for office employees on safety protocol when they and their clients enter a distribution and/or fabrication facility.

“The entire package of safety tools now available from the Marble Institute can really help stone companies maximize their safety outreach to employees,” he added. In 2007, the Marble Institute also plans to introduce a new management tool kit featuring safety meeting outlines.

Copies of Safety in the Stone Business are available to MIA members for $11.00 each (Retail price is $16.00) and can be ordered on the MIA web site at http://www.marble-institute.com/ or by calling MIA at 440-250-9222. Volume discounts are available for larger orders.

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MIA0620: 8th December 2006: Marble Institute Of America Elects New Officers And Directors:

Jack Seiders of Architectural Granite & Marble, Inc. of Austin, Texas has been elected president of the Marble Institute of America, the 1800-member global organization for the natural stone industry.

Seiders formed AG&M in 1992 and serves as its president. He previously was executive vice president of sales and marketing for Cold Springs Granite Company from 1988-1991. Prior to joining Cold Spring, Seiders was president and owner of Capitol Marble and Granite, founded in 1978 and sold to Cold Spring Granite in 1988.

the same time as the Seiders election, Jim Hogan of Cararra Marble Company of America, Inc. of Los Angeles was chosen as vice president of MIA, Guido C. Gliori Grazzini Brothers & Company of Eagan, Minnesota was elected secretary and Brett Rugo of Rugo Stone of Lorton, Virginia was elected treasurer. The elections took place at StonExpo in Las Vegas, Nevada, the major domestic trade show for the stone industry.

MIA members also elected three new members of the association’s Board of Directors. Giovanni D’Angiolo of Lu, Italy was chosen to represent Europe, Gautam Chand Jain of Pokarna Limited in Secunderabad, India was elected to represent Africa, Asia, Australia and the Philippines and Gasper (GK) Naquin of Stone Interiors of Loxley, Alabama was elected to represent the Southeastern United States.

For more information, contact MIA at (440) 250-9222, or visit www.marble-institute.com http://www.marble-institute.com/