Briefs – April 2005

• The International Stone Institute (ISI) is offering its members a 15-percent discount on the Basic Five Testing package of ASTM C 97, C 99, C 170, C1353/C241, and C 880. The package, which normally costs $800, has been reduced to $680. Testing is performed by the stone and tile laboratory of Testing Engineers International Inc. in Salt Lake City.
• ITSS Expos received the endorsement and sponsorship of ACIMM (Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machines for Marble and Stones). The Italian trade association has become an official sponsor of all the ITSS shows in Las Vegas, New York and Miami.
“ACIMM is an important and fast growing association in Italy’s stone-machinery industry,” says Richard Caires, ITSS Expos president. “The stone industry is global in nature and companies must adjust to the realities of the market. This sponsorship will greatly assist Italian manufacturers to effectively reach the United States market.”
• A new marble- and granite-processing plant in Omaruru, Nambia, is slowly taking shape, according to The Nambian. The $9.25 million plant will reportedly be one of the larger stone facilities in the region; while investors say that machinery is slow to get up and running, other sources told the Windhoek, Nambia-based publication that financing may be a problem.