Author: Emerson Schwartzkopf

Conventions / Expos

More in Store at CarraraMarmotec 2007

CARRARA, Italy – An intensive worldwide promotional campaign and the attendance of the world’s industry leaders appears to be paying off for CarraraMarmotec 2007, set for May 30-June 2.
More than 90 percent of the exhibitors who took part in last year’s event have already confirmed their participation. Many are asking for larger exhibition areas to showcase new materials and technology, and a high number of new Italian and foreign exhibitors are sending in their applications.

Company Press

Husqvarna Rebrands Product Lines

OLATHE, Kan. – Husqvarna Construction Products (HCP) will bring several well-known brands under a single name – its own.
HCP will now brand products formerly marketed under the Dimas, Partner and Target names as Husqvarna Construction Products. Some double-branding will occur during 2007 as the parent company, Stockholm-based Husqvarna AB, implements the change worldwide.

Company Press

Bonsal Introduces New Brand

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Some old standby Bonsal American products in the installation trade will get a new identity this spring. ProSpec®, a Sakrete brand, will be the new tag for Bonsal products for tile...

Clean Perspective

Who’s Driving This Bus? (April 2007)

By Tom McNall

How willing would you be to climb into a bus if the driver was wearing dark glasses, had a red-tipped white cane, and saved the shotgun seat for a German Shepherd with a harness? At first, you’d probably think it was a joke – but when you realize he’s really blind, would you put your trust in the driving skills of a blind man, no matter how good his dog is at barking directions?

 

The Installer

So You Want MY Job?

By Jason Nottestad

I first thought up the idea for Midwest Template Services after seeing the ETemplate™ photo-templating system in action at the Coverings show in March of 2003. Photo templating was not new, but it didn’t have much of a presence in Madison, Wis., at the time. I imagined a company using the technology to create more-accurate (and more-profitable) countertops.

JobSight

The Willow School, Gladstone, N.J.

By K. Schipper

Client: The Willow School, Gladstone, N.J.
Architect: Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, Princeton, N.J.
Contractor: Solid Wood Construction, Gladstone, N.J.
Stone Supplier: Wood Natural Restoration, Orefield, Pa.

Technology

Waterjets: Cutting It Real Wet

By K. Schipper

For many stone-fabrication shops, a bridge saw is almost always the first major equipment purchase in a move to grow their business.
However, the old standby is getting some competition these days in the cutting realm: waterjets. The ability to do radius curves – whether for corners or sink cutouts – is making a waterjet an attractive addition to many shops.
Not only is the accuracy impressive, but – depending on the edge – an abrasive waterjet may reduce the amount of time spent on finishing. And, with the right software, it can nest cuts, reducing waste.
Does this mean the bridge saw will eventually go the way of rotary-dial telephones and eight-track players? Probably not, but more shop owners say their next major slab cutter will be doing the job with water rather than diamonds.

Conventions / Expos

VITÓRIA Event Sets New Records Again

VITÓRIA, Brazil – The 23rd International Fair of Marble and Granite in early February continued its record-setting pace, breaking the 35,000-attendee mark.
The event, on Feb. 6-9, drew 35,797 visitors, up 14.7 percent from the 31,202 attendees at the 2006 show. The 2,335 non-Brazilian attendees is also a record mark, up 11.8 percent from last year’s 2,087.

Company Press

Pragma Opens U.S. Arm

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Pragma S.r.l., the Casinalbo, Italy-based manufacturer of technologies for the ceramic and marble industries, recently opened a North American division – Pragma USA.

Conventions / Expos

Stone+tec 2007: The Dynamic Center

NUREMBERG, Germany – For centuries, this Bavarian city offered a historical touchstone to the past. Today – for the international as well as European natural-stone industry – it’s fast becoming a gateway to the future.
Stone+tec 2007, taking place at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg on June 6-9, is literally at the center of a growing market – the European Union (EU) – and an important crossroads for the stone trade. With more than 40,000 attendees expected to interact with more than 1,000 exhibitors, it’s going to be a busy marketplace.