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TRANSCRIPT
00:19
Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
00:33
Cosentino will invest €90 million in a new plant designed to increase sustainability through reuse of industrial waste at its manufacturing campus in Spain. The announcement was made in Madrid last week.
Circular Technology — or CT — Quarry aims to be the first-of-its-kind industrial scale plant to produce innovative and sustainable raw materials for construction glass and ceramic purposes in the European Union.
The project facility will consume more than 100,000 tons per year of the industrial sludge from Cosentino production and, with other materials, produce more than 240,000 tons annually of raw materials. Applications for those materials are already defined.
It will also integrate the use of renewable fuels and electric energy, and recover process heat. The plant is expected to achieve GHG emissions reduction of more than 1 million tons of CO2 over 10 years.
CT Quarry is funded by the European Commission’s innovation fund. The innovation fund is one of the world’s largest financing programs for the implementation of innovative net-zero and low- carbon emissions technologies.
In 2023, Cosentino invested 22 million euros in R&D&I projects and assets, raising this figure to more than €100 million over the past five years.
CT Quarry follows the path of more than four decades of constant product innovation at Cosentino. Last year all Silestone® production was under the Q 40 version with a maximum of 40% silica in its composition. Cosentino is also producing several collections in Q10 with between 1% and 10% crystalline silica.
03:31
Polycor is investing $15 million in advanced manufacturing facilities at two of its sites in Canada and the United States. The move will consolidate manufacturing and add production lines to increase volume, improve efficiency and enhance quality.
The company will invest $8.5 million in its Saint-Sebastian-de-Frontenac, Quebec operation. The move will create 30 new jobs and consolidate current manufacturing activities while closing two other Quebec plants. Employees at Riviere-a-Pierre and Ogden will be offered the chance to move, or will be assisted in finding jobs in their own regions. The closures are expected in mid-December.
Polycor is also investing $6.5 million in its Oolitic, Ind., fabrication plant to increase capacity with the installation of modern high efficiency equipment.
Brian McManus, Polycor executive chairman, said he’s convinced these investments will enhance Polycor’s sustainable growth for years to come. Matt Howard is president of Polycor’s North American limestone and marble business. He said, “We are excited about the expanded capacity that will result from these investments in our central Indiana operation.”
Founded in Quebec City in 1987, Polycor employs more than 1000 people, with more than 80 quarries and 20 manufacturing plants in Canada, the United States and France.
05:04
Pokarna Engineered Stone Limited – PESL — will expand its manufacturing facility in Mekaguda, India. The company will invest approximately $52 million to set up a third Bretonstone production line from Breton, S.p.a.
The new line, which should be operational by March 2026, will add 8.7 million square feet of production capacity.
PESL Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Chand Jain says “This new chapter empowers us to champion sustainable innovation, creating premium services that honor our commitment to quality and environmental responsibility.”
PESL launched its second production facility at Mekaguda in March 2021. The facility was designed with scalability in mind, and PESL will be able to integrate the new production line seamlessly, ensuring minimal disruption to existing operations.
PESL CEO Paras Kumar Jain called the new technology a leap forward to elevate the company’s standards of innovation, automation and sustainability.
06:16
StoneLift, a new concept developed by two Brazilian companies offers a new way of shipping Brazilian stone to the United States while cutting shipping times in half.
The first test run of StoneLift was able to deliver 86 tons of granite to a Texas port in 21 days, including a route diversion due to Hurricane Milton.
Fabio Cruz, CEO of Cruzzto, the company behind the innovation, explains that the system cut transportation time on a route that has taken more than 90 days to just 21 days to reach the United States.
The system is the result of a partnership between two companies from the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. Spinola specializes in port equipment and operations and Cruzzto, which patented the product and will oversee its commercialization. The packaging serves as an alternative to conventional containers, allowing for the safe and efficient transport of up to 28 tons of natural stone slabs per unit.
The system follows more direct maritime routes, reducing the environmental impact of the operation. The test shipment was actually delayed by an extra stop in Mobile, Ala., caused by Hurricane Milton.
Jose Ernesto Conti, one of the engineers responsible for the creation, explains the structure was created to meet the needs of the Brazilian natural stone sector. Felipe Conti, another engineer involved in the project, added that it took more than three years of studies, analysis and the development of four pilot structures to perfect the system.
“There’s a lot of research behind this, and we believe this innovation will bring real advancement to international transportation in Brazil’s natural stone sector,” Conti said.
08:03
The world’s largest stone event, the China Xiamen International Stone Fair, is expected to bring more than 150,000 attendees to this coastal city next March to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
More than 2,000 companies will exhibit at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center next March 16 – 18. The Xiamen Stone Fair has become a prime meeting point for key decision makers in all sectors of the stone industry.
The China Stone Materials Association, along with provincial stone associations in China, will join the fair with industry practitioners and government agencies. Designers and stone enthusiasts from at least 18 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America are expected to be present. For more information, go to info@stonefair.org.cn.
09:48
Although scheduled on Dia de Muerto, organizers gave birth to a new event for the United States stone industry. The first Latin American Fabricator Expo was held outside Dallas on November 2nd.
The daylong event attracted a mix of fabricators from around the Dallas area from large production shops to small operations. Presentations were given in Spanish with topics covering such areas as growing a business and digital marketing. Stone Update publisher Emerson Schwartzkopf spoke on trends and technology in the surfaces industry.
The event also included an exhibition featuring companies such as BB Industries, Benjamin Moore, Canteras Portolino, CaraGreen, Farnese, GranQuartz, Laser Products Industries, Park Industries and Spark Capital. In addition, Cambria sponsored a pre-event dinner on November 1st.
One of the organizers, Laura Salazar Grandlienard, owner of ROCKin’ teriors in Cary, N.C., said, “My passion is to give Latin American fabricators a voice. Together with our corporate sponsors, we placed an initial stake in the ground. More to come in 2025.”
For more information on future events. Email Carey@Latinofabnetwork.com.
10:23
Marble and Granite, Inc., a supplier of natural stone surfaces, announces the grand opening of a showroom in Georgetown, Mass., its fourth such location.
The new showroom offers a wide range of natural stone including marble, granite, quartz and more in a wide range of colors, textures and finishes. The new facility has more than 300 quartzite and granite slabs, 100 quartz options, 90 marble pieces, 40 large ceramic slabs, and several options of soapstone and slate.
“We are excited to announce that we’re expanding our inventory and services to be closer to you,” says Gian Luca Fiori, president of Marble and Granite Inc. The company was founded in 1990 and serves a network of more than 600 stone shops across the Northeast.
11:16
MS International, Inc. – MSI — announces the grand opening of a new, expanded MSI Minneapolis area showroom and distribution center. A grand opening celebration was held Nov. 12.
With 195,000 ft2 of space, the larger facility features more products in its well-lit, climate-controlled showroom. Along with highlighting the latest trends in quartz, natural stone, porcelain, LVT, hardwood, turf and landscaping, the showroom offers the opportunity to work with MSI experts to select from a wide variety of surface options for countertops, flooring, wall tile and hardscaping products.
“We’re excited to offer our customers an even better experience with our expanded showroom and inventory,” says Jeffrey Krusina, branch leader at MSI’s Minneapolis location.
Based in Orange, Calif., MSI was founded in 1975 and has grown to be a leading supplier of flooring, countertop, wall tile and hardscaping products in North America. The company maintains more than 50 showrooms and distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada.
12:33
Look for the latest issue of Stone Update Magazine in early December at www.stonemag.com. For a transcript of this broadcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com.
For Radio Stone Update, I’m K. Schipper and we’ll see you here again soon.
