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TRANSCRIPT
K. SCHIPPER: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest from Radio Stone Update.
Feeling like hitting the books again – virtually, of course? Well, Coverings is going to present its free quarterly digital experience, Coverings Connected, on Wednesday, Nov. 18. As always, the program is designed for attendees to discover the latest tile and stone trends, as well as provide access to learning opportunities through a host of webinars, podcasts, and exhibitor product galleries.
The Nov. 18 program begins at 11 a.m., Eastern Time, as moderator James Hieb of the Natural Stone Institute talks about the current state of the stone fabrication industry. He’ll cover such topics as virtual customer meetings, supply chain issues and hiring employees in a Covid-impacted world.
After a half hour break, the next session begins at 12:30 p.m. ET with Edie Cohen, deputy director of “Interior Design” magazine, who will focus on tile, stone, and the state of the specifications market. Joining her will be a panel of specifiers from the hospitality, healthcare, and commercial sectors to discuss how the last seven months have affected their markets.
The last session of the day begins at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, when Bart Bettiga, executive director of the National Tile Contractors Association focuses on opportunities and trends in the remodeling market. With more people spending more time at home, the number of remodeling jobs is up. This panel looks at the prospects and styles happening in the remodeling market, including customer trends and what issues are affecting pricing, scheduling, and access to materials.
Registration for each program is separate. Go to coverings.com for more information and to register.
In news out of Israel, Caesarstone is now the prime owner of porcelain slab manufacturer Lioli Ceramica. The purchase was completed Oct. 13. The deal, for approximately $12 million and assumption of Lioli’s debt, gives Caesarstone a majority ownership in the company, and includes Lioli’s automated slab-production plant in Morbi, India, with a value of $34 million.
Yuval Dagim, Caesarstone CEO says, “We are extremely pleased to announce the completion of this investment.” He adds that it gives Caesarstone immediate access to the fast-growing porcelain countertop market.
Lioli has been exporting products to the Mideast, Brazil, and Mexico under the TechnoSLAB brand name since opening its plant in Morbi in 2018. The company’s factory utilizes Italian technology and is capable of producing more than 100,000 square-feet of material per day.
Three years after a stone fabrication shop employee allegedly killed three coworkers and wounded two more in an Edgewood, Md., stone shop, Radee Prince is being tried for the crimes, according to the Baltimore Sun.
In video camera footage shown in court, Prince is shown motioning for coworkers to gather around him. Then, some begin to fall over, while others run. Later, Prince is show brandishing a gun before walking out of the shop area at Advanced Granite Solutions.
Prince is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first degree murder, and two firearms charges in the Oct. 18, 2017 shooting. He has pleaded not guilty, and defense attorneys are arguing that an untreated mental illness is a factor in the case. Company owners say Prince was a skilled fabricator, hard-working and focused on his job although he did not socialize much with his coworkers.
Prince has already been convicted of attempted manslaughter in a separate incident in Delaware that occurred the same day. The trial is expected to conclude this week.
Coverings is now seeking nominees for its 2021 Coverings Installation Design – or CID – Awards, recognizing projects worldwide featuring tile and stone. The organization is also looking for nominees for its Rock Stars, a salute to the young movers-and-shakers in the industry.
Tile and stone projects completed in the past two years are eligible for CID Awards. Awards are given in both Residential and Commercial categories in four areas: Tile Installation, Tile Design, Stone Installation and Stone Design. Projects are judged on their levels of creativity, craftsmanship, use of materials and achievement in the use of tile or stone within the category. Winners will receive a one-night stay in Orlando, Fla., to attend Coverings 2021, which is currently scheduled for April 13-16, and will have their work displayed onsite.
The Coverings Rock Star awards spotlight young industry talent. Nominees must be 35 or younger and must be employed as architects, designers, distributors, retailers, contractor/installers, fabricators, specifiers, manufacturers, or trade association employees. They, too, will receive a complimentary one-night stay to attend Coverings 2021, as well as professional development opportunities.
To nominate a project for a CID Award, or a Coverings Rock Star Award, go to coverings.com
Australia is known for its tough measures on occupational silicosis, but the state of New South Wales is looking to get even tougher. ABC News is reporting that New South Wales is considering amending its Work Health and Safety Act to establish a dust diseases register similar to that of the neighboring state of Queensland. Back in July New South Wales made silicosis a notifiable disease.
Currently, New South Wales can choose to exchange or withhold information when dealing with a regulator. Under the new proposal, state health must inform the regulator every time a person is occupationally exposed to silica dust and diagnosed with silicosis. The regulator then has to investigate the notification. The numbers also have to be made public.
The New South Wales Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson, said in a statement that in the coming weeks he will announce the state’s first strategy to protect workers from exposure to occupational dusts such as silica, wood and asbestos. There are currently 140 known cases of silicosis in New South Wales, based on the number of workers seeking compensation.
In recent weeks, the Natural Stone Institute’s testing lab has received three noteworthy distinctions. Leading the way is validation by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers – the USACE – for the ASTM C97 test method for absorption and bulk specific gravity of dimension stone. Validation ensures that a facility is equipped, staffed, and qualified to perform material testing for the specified test. Only one other lab in the country has received this designation.
The Portuguese stone association ASSIMAGRA selected the Natural Stone Institute’s testing lab as one of two U.S. based labs to join the new S.Tone network of recommended labs for natural stone testing.
And, the Natural Stone Institute has also been named the exclusive North American Fischer Anchor Pull Test Provider. The lab is the exclusive provider for ASTM stone anchorage tests for North American projects utilizing the Fischer Fixings Systems with natural stone.
The Natural Stone Institute’s lab offers a variety of tests for the American National Standards Institute –ANSI — and ASTM International – formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials. To learn more, visit naturalstoneinstitute.org/lab
Remember, you’ll find all the industry news in our online newsletter, Slab and Sheet. For more information or to register for next month’s Coverings Connected, go to www.coverings.com. .And, for more information on the Natural Stone Institute’s lab testing capabilities, go to www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/lab. And don’t forget to look at the notes on this episode’s webpage for links to everything in this broadcast.
I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update and we’ll see you here again soon.
