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K. SCHIPPER: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
00:32
The U.S. kitchen and bath market may be cooling off a bit, but it’s certainly not going cold, according to a report from the National Kitchen and Bath Association – the NKBA. The Kitchen and Bath Market Index – the KBMI – for this year’s second quarter still shows growth in kitchen and bath construction, just not as much as earlier estimates from the industry group.
The study shows that for the full year 2022, kitchen and bath sales are expected to increase by 9.4. percent, rather than the 15.1 percent forecast three months ago. However, kitchen and bath sales grew 6.9 percent compared with the second quarter of 2021.
Unfortunately, 59 percent of design firms and 82 percent of building and construction firms report either cancellations or postponements of projects. And while second quarter construction project completions rose 6.2 percent year-over-year, supply chain issues and inflation will remain challenges for the rest of 2022.
Softening demand for remodeling projects has also contributed to a second successive quarter of easing in capacity constraints, with 36 percent of manufacturers reporting that inventories have increased.
The KBMI market index came in at 70.4 on a 100-point scale, the lowest since fourth quarter 2020. It’s important to note that an index score above 50 represents industry growth, while under 50 points is a slowdown. In rating future business conditions, again on a 100-point scale, the number came in at 61.8 points, down from 78.6 in the last quarter.
Says Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO, “These is understandable concern around inflation and interest rates, and the potential import on the industry, but the industry outlook on future business conditions indicates there is still cautious confidence in the ability to navigate a path forward.”
02:43
Florim USA recently won a statewide environmental honor for its use of recycled materials. The Clarksville, Tenn., company is one of nine recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award, given out by Gov. Bill Lee. The honor, for Sustainable Performance, was presented during a ceremony in late July.
Since 2019, Florim used nearly 15 million pounds of post-consumer glass to make Florim Tiles, with 5.6 million pounds recycled in 2021. Last year, the company identified a second post-consumer glass supplier, allowing the facility to nearly double the amount of glass it receives.
As part of the program, Florim reuses the one-ton polypropylene supersacks received in delivery of other aggregate products, repurposing approximately 9,500 supersacks to its recycled glass provider, and keeping approximately 41,000 pounds of waste out of the landfill. Ultimately, the used supersacks are sent on for final recycling.
Last year, Florim also recycled more than 11 million pounds of internal scrap, or 99 percent of the scrap produced at the plant. And the company reuses all of the water used to produce material before it’s fired. Trenches and sumps capture the water, which is used in the ballmills where raw material is ground to a fine slurry. Last year, that amounted to the capture and reuse of more than 19 million gallons of water.
The use of these materials, in conjunction with the recycled glass and water, allows Florim USA to declare a recycled content of more than 45 percent. Says Don Haynes, company environmental and sustainability manager, “Florim USA’s core principals are product innovation, quality, design and ecological mindfulness. We feel as if it’s our duty and responsibility to be mindful of our impact to the environment both now and for times to come.”
06:01
EMERSON SCHWARTZKOPF: This is Emerson Schwartzkopf. BACA Systems will bring back its in-person Going Digital fabrication seminars, beginning Sept. 15th in Houston.
The half-day seminars, set at fabrication shops using the company’s Robo SawJet and other equipment, give attendees the ability to see work in progress and find out more about operations and ownership. The sessions also include demos and presentations on key topics, along with q-and-a with BACA Systems experts and other fabricators.
Tim Burke, BACA CRO says that “even though we offer prospective customers the opportunity to fly to Detroit at our expense to meet our experts, see our shop and visit a local customer, the seminars produce another opportunity that may be more-convenient.”
The current schedule also calls for a Chicago-area seminar on October 19, and a November session in a yet-to-be determined location in the southeast United States. For more information, check the banner at the top of the BACA Systems website at www.bacasystems.com.
07:16
Cambria is one of several businesses joining in the initiative to help launch a state-of-the-art regional workforce center in the Madison, Wis., area to train the next generation of skilled trades workers. Other participants include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County, Wis., and the Madison Area Builders Association, as well as local schools.
The idea for the workforce center came after local developer John McKenzie bought the site of the former Thermo Fisher Scientific Building in Fitchburg, Wis., and donated the building to the Boys and Girls Club. Dubbed the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, the project is expected to be completed in the fall of next year.
The initiative aims to raise $35 million to provide a strong structure, a state-of-the-art physical plant and an endowed fund. The workforce center is part of a pilot program to empower America’s young people to build careers in the skilled trades.
Once complete, the facility will educate and support young people ages 11-24 throughout Dane County to pursue careers in trades such as HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and more. The curriculum will also include entrepreneurial classes to show students how they can potentially build a business in the construction trades.
Cambria, like many U.S. manufacturers, is experiencing a strong need for skilled tradespeople. Earlier this year, it was estimated that of the more than 11 million vacant job openings in this country, approximately 785,000 were in the manufacturing sector.
On behalf of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County, Cambria was awarded the 2022 Hearts for Helping Community Impact Award in recognition of its support of the workforce center. Cambria’s Director of Philanthropy, Christina McCormick, says the program aligns well with Cambria’s core values. She says, “In addition to helping kids gain the skills they need to have meaningful careers, this center will help employers across the region recruit and hire qualified workers. It’s a win-win.”
09:24
Orange, Calif.-based M S International, Inc. – MSI – celebrated the grand opening of a new Pittsburgh-area showroom/distribution center on Aug. 31. The 73,000 ft² facility in Bridgeville, Pa., will serve both residential and commercial markets.
The new showroom features products for a diverse customer base developed around lifestyles, trends and budgets – including a state-of-the-art slab area featuring natural stone and Q™ Premium Natural Quartz, as well as bestselling products like Everlife LVT and Arterra Porcelain Pavers. MSI offers thousands of granite, marble and other natural-stone slabs, as well as more than 100 colors of its natural quartz collection.
Founded in 1975, MSI has grown to be a leading supplier of flooring, countertop, wall tile and hardscape products. The company maintains more than 40 showrooms and distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada, with manufacturing facilities for its Q Premium Natural Quartz in Latta, S.C. and Everlife LVT in Cartersville, Ga.
10:36
Online registration is now open for the 2023 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show – KBIS – in Las Vegas Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. The annual event is held concurrently with the International Builder’s Show® — the IBS – as Design and Construction Week. This year it will occur in Las Vegas at the same time as TISE.
Next year’s show marks both the 10th anniversary of the concurrent running of the KBIS and IBS shows, and the show’s owner, the National Kitchen and Bath Association – the NKBA – will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
The KBIS/IBS show is set for the Las Vegas Convention Center and will feature just under one million square feet of space with 420,000 square feet dedicated to the KBIS portion of the show. More than 400 exhibitors are expected for KBIS, including more than 60 new exhibitors. Companies exhibiting at the show come from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, China, Mexico, and Poland, as well as the U.S.
In addition, attendees can register for nearly 80 educational sessions and workshops as part of the industry’s NKBA Voices from the Industry conference. Extra fees will be charged for some educational programs and events.
Through September, registration is free for NKBA members and $50 for non-members. Beginning Oct. 1 and running through Dec. 11, those prices go to $50 for NLBA members and $100 for non-members. To register, go to www.kbis.com
While KBIS/IBS will be at the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 31-Feb. 2, TISE will convene at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. For more information on TISE, go to www.intlsurfaceevent.com/en/home.html.
12:39
And, the Natural Stone Institute recently completed work on another home for a special needs U.S. military veteran through the R.I.S.E. – or Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment – program from the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Institute members provided natural stone and fabrication services for a home in Vista, Calif., for U.S. Marine Corp Staff Sergeant Stuart Di Paolo (ret.), his wife and two daughters. During a 2015 training exercise, Di Paolo was navigating an all-terrain vehicle when he lost control. After jumping from the vehicle and landing on the ground, the vehicle rolled over on its side, with the roll bar crushing his head.
Di Paolo suffered serious injuries leaving him paralyzed on the left side and blind in his left eye. His right eye has limited vision. Today, he serves as a mentor to other wounded service members battling physical and psychological wounds that come from life-changing traumatic injuries.
Institute members Quality Marble and Granite and Andrew Lauren Surfaces assisted in the project. Companies interested in getting involved with future projects are encouraged to email rise@naturalstoneinstitute.org.
Remember, our online newsletter, Slab & Sheet, appears on alternate Wednesdays, and the September/October issue of Stone Update Magazine will be online at the end of the month. For notes and a transcript of this podcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. For Radio Stone Update, I’m K. Schipper, and we’ll see you here again soon.
