Becker’s Blog #1: The Beginning

I probably need to give blogging a chance. Maybe early some morning I will borrow the company’s laptop and go down to Panera Bread and read blogs about American Idol or the local sports teams.

With this being said, it’s extremely ironic that when Stone Business approached me to do a monthly blog on a large stone project in Sioux Falls, S.D., we recently were awarded, I answered with a resounding “sure, I would love to do it!”.

Why spend the time and write about a stone project in Sioux Falls? It’s because I have a passion for going through the experience of being part of a large stone project. I’ve been through many in my 26 years in the stone business; all the projects are completely different, with many personalities involved.

Our industry magazines are often full of articles about residential stone shops and quarry operations, but that’s the information that sells their magazines. I have no problem with this. However, I happened to get into the industry many years before the countertop explosion of the last decade, and was exposed to commercial stone projects as both a fabricator and an installer. Even if 10 die-hard stone guys read my blog ,I would consider that a success.

I’ll use this blog to offer monthly updates on the project. I’m not being paid, nor am I asking to be paid (though there has been some talk of getting a Stone Business windbreaker when the last article is written). Please let me know your comments and ask any questions. I’ll return them once I get the blogging thing figured out.

Sincerely,

Joe Becker
Twin City Tile and Marble Company
St Paul, Minn.

Joe Becker has been in the natural-stone business for 26 years. He started with Cold Spring Granite as a draftsman and spent time in their stone installation and estimating departments. He is currently Vice President of St Paul, Minn.-based Twin City Tile and Marble Company and oversees their stone operations.