Company Notes – March 2008

• Universal Marble and Granite (UMG) opened a new 18,000 ft² facility this year in La Vista, Neb., after a year of planning and development. The Napierville, Ill.-based company plans to stock its UMG-Omaha operation with more than 1,200 marble and granite slab by year’s end.
• Hood River, Ore.-based Italstone-US will open a new 8,000 ft² facility in Yakima, Wash., this summer, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic. Company president/owner Gjino Ilias noted the showroom/shop will generate at least 25 new jobs.
• G&L Marble recently leased 56,000 ft² of warehouse space near U.S. 1 and Interstate 540 in Raleigh, N.C., according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
• Crews began work in February to restore and repair the limestone exterior of the west side of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. The effort is part of the Arkansas State Capitol Exterior Stone Restoration and Repair Project, which previously included cleaning and repair of the building’s north entrance stone and restoration of the capitol’s limestone dome. Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels noted that Roberts-McNutt of North Little Rock, Ark., is doing the current work, which will take a year.
• The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), announces QEP as the first sponsor of the association’s 2008 Trailer for Education during NTCA’s educational and training stops around the United States this year. Boca Raton, Fla.-based QEP will offer instruction during the tour on its products, such as the new LASH system for spacing tile and minimizing lippage.