More MIA Accredited Companies

CLEVELAND – Three more companies are now Accredited Natural-Stone Fabricators, as noted by the Marble Institute of America (MIA).

And, they’ll be joined by many more, judging from the amount of companies now in the qualification process.

Radtke Tile and Marble of Carson City, Nev., Solidtops LLC of Easton, Md., and Great Lakes Granite and Marble of Redford, Mich. joined NBC Solid Surfaces of Springfield, Vt., in gaining the industry certification.

“Professional accreditation is extremely beneficial in our industry and worth the effort,” says Fred Radtke, owner of Radtke Tile and Marble. “In the marketplace, differentiation is paramount. We understand the competitive edge accreditation brings to our marketing strategy.”

Great Lakes Granite and Marble, meanwhile, is the first company in Michigan and the first granite shop headed by a past MIA president — Richard Booms – to gain this accreditation.

The route to becoming accredited consists of three equally-weighted phases. Phase one requires the completion of a lengthy application which ensures that the company is in compliance with the ten standards of accreditation as laid out by the MIA Accreditation Task Force.

The second phase consists of a 200-question examination, testing the applicant’s knowledge and use of materials, installation, fabrication, restoration, care and maintenance, administration, legal/contracts, jobsite and shop safety. The final phase is a comprehensive site visit, which includes a review of the facility, documents, and one or more installation inspections.

“Qualifying companies have one year to pass the exam and another year to complete the site visit … although so far, everyone has finished everything in one year,” says Garen Distelhorst, MIA’s executive vice president and accreditation program manager. “Currently, over 100 firms are in various stages of completing the process.”