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TRANSCRIPT
K. SCHIPPER: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
0:34
A funny thing happened on the way to a more-open tradeshow season in 2022. For the second time in three years, the Xiamen International Stone Fair is rescheduling its dates. The show – initially set for March 16-19, will now take place May 5-8.
The move comes in light of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in China, according to a statement put out last week by the show’s organizers. The statement says, “We deeply apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. No matter what challenges we face, the health and safety of our exhibitors, visitors and partners is always the top priority.”
Organizers took the action to abide by the government’s strict regulations and requirements on large-scale activities – such as tradeshows. In light of the omicron variant, the Chinese government is quarantining whole cities.
In 2020, the Xiamen event, originally scheduled for March, was postponed twice before being called off. The online Cloud Xiamen Stone Fair will continue and organizers will continue preparations for a show in May 2022. Before the pandemic, the Xiamen Stone Fair became the world’s largest event dedicated to hard surfaces. In 2019, the show drew more than 150,000 professionals from 148 countries.
02:05
The old song contends that “everything’s up to date in Kansas City,” and these days that includes MS International Inc.’s – MSI’s – facility there. The Orange, Calif.-based supplier and distributor recently began construction of a new showroom and distribution center to serve the Kansas City area.
The 200,000 ft2 facility going up in Lenexa, Kan., will replace the company’s current 34,000 ft2 location there that opened in 2013. Opening date for the new custom-built facility is scheduled for early next year.
Mark Chaney, MSI Kansas branch leader says, “Throughout the years, we’ve experienced significant success in this market, and I’m pleased to be part of this growth opportunity and excited to build a new facility that will support the local community and the demand of our customers.”
Located in the Lenexa Logistics Centre North, the new facility will be open to both trade professionals and consumers as they make product and design decisions. It will feature products developed around lifestyles, trends and budgets. The state-of-the-art indoor slab area will feature Q Premium Natural Quartz and natural stone, along with other MSI products.
The new facility will join more than 35 other state-of-the-art showrooms and distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada.
03:38
EMERSON SCHWARTZKOPF: This is Emerson Schwartzkopf. U.S. imports of hard surfaces in November 2020 totaled 433.2 million dollars, which is a small step back – about four percent – from October. However, November’s total ended up being a 10 percent step up from the same time in 2020 … and a giant leap of 30 percent past November 2019.
Quartz slabs continue to lead all hard surfaces with $155.3 million in import values in November. The. The 18 million ft² moving through U.S. ports of entry marked a year-to-year increase in volume of 24.5%. And that’s with two of the major exporters to the United States – Malaysia and Vietnam – shipping less than in previous months.
Loads also got lighter from Brazil in nearly all sectors of natural stone. November 2021 granite shipments for example, declined from the same time in 2020 by 14.4%.
You can get all the details in every issue of Hard-Surface Report. Look for it in your mailbox by the 15th of every month … and, if you’re not getting it, go to www.hardsurfacereport.com.
6:15
K. SCHIPPER: The International Surface Event – or TISE – isn’t just about products, although there will be plenty of them at next week’s show in Las Vegas. Education is also an important component, and the National Tile Contractors Association – the NTCA – is bringing one of its training vans to the TISE expo floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
The van’s presence will help the trade group’s 75th anniversary in 2022. The 2018 Ford Transit – extra tall, extra-long and emblazoned with company logos of NTCA Training and Education sponsors – is the day-to-day vehicle of NTCA Trainer Robb Roderick.
Although Roderick normally tours the country, offering NTCA workshops and training programs, the van will be outfitted just like when Roderick is on the road. However, for its stop at both #4751, there will be small van tours, and contractor attendees coming to see the van will receive an NTCA 75th Anniversary T-shirt.
Jim Olson, assistant executive director of the NTCA who oversees the training programs and schedules says he wants contractors who are not familiar with the organization’s programs to see the van and ask questions.
Other NTCA events at the show include the meeting of the NTCA Technical Committee on Jan. 31, a session that is open to the public. The organization will also offer demos on the show floor on cutting and installing tile. For more info, check out the TISE schedule of events at www.intlsurfaceevent.com.
08:02
Also happening at TISE next week is the presentation of Natural Stone Institute scholarships to three stone-industry professionals. It was announced in mid-January that Noe Cortez is the winner of the 2021 Natural Stone Scholarship, while Andrea Carlson Claus and Kristen Cannon are the winners of the 2021 Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarships.
Cortez is a customer solutions manager for Quality Marble & Granite in Ontario, Calif. At TISE, he will have the opportunity to gain technical and practical knowledge of the industry while meeting and networking with leading stone professionals.
Women in Stone winners are given a choice to attend one of three major industry events: TISE, Coverings, or an institute study tour. Claus, senior account representative at Mont Surfaces in Grand Rapids, Mich., will attend TISE, where she said she hopes to leave Las Vegas more inspired and well rounded.
Cannon, project coordinator for Continental Cut Stone in Florence, Texas, will attend the institute’s Bluestone Study Tour in September. She said she’s grateful that programs like this exist to help women in the industry grow and succeed.
The recipients will be honored as part of the Natural Stone Institute’s annual awards ceremony at TISE at 4 p.m. Feb. 1, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
In other industry news….
9:36
Durham, N.C.-based IPS Adhesives – also known as IPSA – announces the hiring of new executives for its North American and European markets. Anne Hultgren joins IPSA as vice president of sales and marketing, focusing on IPSA’s global sales and marketing strategy while overseeing the North American sales team and manufacturers’ representatives in the United States.
Hultgren bring more than 20 years of experience to the job. She worked most recently as Director, Masco Operating System at Masco Corp., where she was responsible for driving commercial excellence and growth in 13 business units and corporate headquarters. She has also held marketing and sales leadership roles at Ingersoll Rand and United Technologies.
Philippe Belot has been hired at managing director of IPSA Europe and will be based in the company’s European headquarters at Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
10:41
Evan Cohen, president and CEO of Quality Marble & Granite in Ontario, Calif., is the newest member of the Natural Stone Institute’s executive committee. He joins the committee as board secretary and is slated to advance to the institute’s board presidency in 2025.
Cohen calls his selection a great opportunity to help influence and drive the direction and strengthen the community of the organization. Cohen joins President Buddy Ontra of Ontra Stone Concepts, Vice President Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors East, and Treasurer Katie Jensen of Triton Stone Group on the executive committee.
11:24
And, Dal-Tile Corp. and its three product brands are part of the newly released Mohawk Industries Environmental, Social and Governance Report – or ESG. Many of the Mohawk Industries achievements in sustainability come from the company’s journey to improve the sustainability of its products and operations.
Among other steps, the company utilizes bio-based fuel, has invested in solar and wind energy, has reduced water usage and recovers and reuses waste material to produce high-quality materials. One hundred percent of its manufactured tile products contain recycled or reclaimed material, and 10 of its 12 North American tile manufacturing plants recover and reuse 100 percent of the generated process water, recycling more than 125 million gallons of wastewater in the process.
Look for the just published Jan/Feb issue of Stone Update Magazine at magazine.stonemag.com. Our online newsletter, Slab & Sheet appears on alternate Wednesdays. For notes and a full transcript of this podcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com.
For Radio Stone Update, I’m K. Schipper and we’l see you here again soon.
