Spall: Name Your Place

This won’t be easy, given the hard feelings built up in the past decade. I still hear from the hardliners about even mentioning quartz products in Stone Business. (Curiously, the strongest words often come from vendors and companies that haven’t spent a nickel with us or our competitor to promote their stone products.)

There can be more of a respectful, if not necessarily friendly, attitude. Unfortunately, the industry get-togethers are mostly through for this year, although the International Countertop Expo is set for late this year.

Any quartz producer looking to do the Nixon-in-China act, though, might take the brave step and ask about participating at the Stone Fabricators Alliance Mega-Workshop in October. It’s sure to rankle both sides here, but someone’s got to start somewhere.

Given the results on Google, surrendering some pride may be a lot more cost-effective than a battle that’s not offering a good return for what’s being invested. 

Emerson Schwartzkopf can be reached at emerson@stonebusiness.net. You can read his blog at Tales of the Stone Business Beat. And don’t forget to keep up with Stone Business on Twitter and Facebook.

This article initially appeared in the March 2011 print edition of Stone Business. ©2011 Western Business Media Inc.

 
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