Other Voices, Other Places

   We’ve known about the downturn for a long time. One easy measure is with any of the trade magazines – Stone Business included – and the Heft Test. Those 2005-2006 issues feel a lot heavier, and it’s not because all of us printed on weightier paper stock.
   Some readers may be surprised to know that we don’t arbitrarily pick the number of pages we’ll print in a month, and then just fill the issue up as we see fit. Magazines run on a ratio of advertising-to-news, and we need to make a profit to keep going. Just like you, we gotta eat.
   The challenge comes with adjusting size and still giving you plenty of information you can use. We’re a part of this industry, and it’s our aim to give as much as we can to its growth and enhancement every month.
   We’re not going to let the “current economic situation” (and, boy, we’ve heard that one time and again in the past few months) stop that effort, either. We’re going to do as much as we can every month in 2009, thanks in no small part to the support of advertisers sticking with us – and you – as we move forward to better days ahead.
   We’ll also redouble our commitment to Stone Business Online at www.stonebusiness.net, where we’re already providing more up-to-the-minute news and expanded coverage beyond what you see in the magazine. And there’ll be even more in 2009.
   When we’ve made space decisions in the past few months, some items kept getting held until the next issue … and the next … and the next. One is a letter to the editor that I tried mightily to shoehorn in our News section, but always kept coming up short. So, I’m making room here. My apologies to the writer for the delay – so I’ll stop here to give him his due.
   Emerson Schwartzkopf can be reached at emerson@stonebusiness.net. His weekly blog can be found at www.stonebusiness.net and stonebusinesseditor.wordpress.com.

A GENUINE CONCERN

Editor:
   My name is Lee M. Wiston, chief operations officer for Valley Marble and Slate Corp. in New Milford, Conn. I’m a third-generation natural-stone professional. I learned my trade from my father, Mark Wiston, my uncle, Michael E. Wiston, and my grandfather Eugene J. Wiston, who started our company over 40 years ago. I’ve used their knowledge in order to continue to make strides and overcome hurdles in this industry, all the while keeping the traditions and know how of people who have come before me.
   My uncle Michael not only was president of StonExpo, but also helped in writing the first Marble Institute of America’s Design Manual for dimensional stone. These standards are ones that, over the years, have started to change.  These changes – some good, some not so good – and the growing number of problems in the industry today, are the reasons I feel I need to voice my growing concern for this beloved industry.
    It seems as if, in today’s society, the words professionalism, morality, honesty, and quality are ones that not only aren’t used very often, but are not upheld.  A large majority of people and businesses are looking for the fast buck. Instead of trying to make their jobs easier, they have succeeded in cutting corners to get a job done the wrong way, rather than inventing ways to be more-proficient. The corners they cut are being taught to others, and are now becoming a standard in the business.
   Just because a number of people are doing something the wrong way does not mean that we, as an industry, should accept this as a new standard. My grandfather would be rolling in his grave if he saw some of these practices that are now being used.
   What ever happened to having pride in your work, and giving the end customer the product they not only deserve, but the product they pay good, hard-earned money to get? These so-called fabricators are hurting this industry in many ways that seem to be going unnoticed. Not only are they giving end customers finished work that is sub-par and unacceptable, but they also hurt the legitimate, quality fabricators with their bargain-basement pricing.
   The only true way of fixing these problems, if there is a way to fix what has gotten out of hand, is to have quality members of the industry stand together and not necessarily rewrite what we will accept , but go back and use the traditions and standards that our forefathers used.
    Don’t get me wrong – a lot of the new technology, environmental issues and safety aspects of the business have made great strides and achievements that cannot be overlooked. The fact of the matter is that we, as an industry, have come to accept and use a lower standard of quality that would never have passed in an age where people took pride in their work.
   Maybe it is just wishful thinking, and these are just different times, but I know personally I will continue to use the teachings and know-how  of a generation that taught me about  excellence and high standards, and being able to take pride in your work and have an end product that I’m proud to put my name on.
   My hope is that this will find the eyes of people that share my view of this beloved industry, and are striving to make it better. And for those that seem to be doing things the easy way; if you only take one thing from this, let this be that nothing in life comes easy, and start taking a little pride in what you do. You will not only help yourself, but you will be helping the entire stone industry as well.

Lee M. Wiston
Chief Operations Officer 
Valley Marble and Slate Corp.
New Milford, Conn.

This article appeared in the December 2008 print edition of Stone Business. ©2008 Western Business Media Inc.