Coverings 2006: Education

  The seminars at the Orange County Convention Center – the site of the Coverings tile and stone trade event – are part of the comprehensive instruction offered in the areas of design, installation trends, safety and business/sales techniques.
  “Stone is an integral part of Coverings and we are committed to being a valued resource for stone education as well as a showcase for new products and machinery,” said Tamara Christian, show director for Coverings and president of Alexandria, Va.-based National Trade Productions (NTP). “Our stone conference track, all free to Coverings attendees, is developed to discuss the latest trends and highlight issues and challenges most relevant to our attendees.”
  Coverings is co-sponsored by the Marble Institute of America (MIA), which also aided in developing the event’s seminar programs.
  “We feel this year’s conference has something for everyone, regardless of position or time in the industry,” said Gary Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president. “We looked for a broad variety of industry experts to provide sessions on timely and topical subjects to bring true value to those who attend.  Things are changing so rapidly in our industry that everyone needs to be continuously learning, and the Coverings conference program is an excellent venue for that.”
  Many of the sessions offer ASID, AIA, or State of Florida continuing-education units (CEUSs). Unless specifically noted, all of the presentations are 50 minutes in length.
  And, all sessions are offered free-of-charge to Coverings attendees.
 
April 4
  The stone track of Coverings education begins at 4:30 p.m. with Selling Natural Stone in Your Showroom. Fred Jackson of Jackson Estudio and Kevin Murphy of KJ Murphy & Co. will offer help in setting up a showroom, including a guide to the  vocabulary, finishes, edges, displays and showroom basics that a retail and wholesale sales staff needs to know about natural stone. 
  Also at 4:30 p.m., Michael Reisinger of Invicon Chemical Solutions presents Stone Repair Techniques – A Look to the Future, focusing on a variety of repair techniques available for natural-stone countertops, flooring and other applications. The presentation will show methods utilizing the power of light for the effective true-to-nature repair of stone surfaces in interior and exterior settings. 
  What Effect Will Natural Stone Have on the Building Green Industry? rounds out the April 4 sessions, also at 4:30 p.m., with Bill Eubank and Dan Ouellette of Luck Stone Corp. tackling the issue of the green-building movement and the environmental impact in building residential, institutional and commercial structures with natural stone. discuss the concept of green building, how stone can be incorporated into green projects, and how to become better educated in the growing sustainable-building industry.
 
April 5
  Shower Basics – What You Don’t Know! – “A Water Management System” starts off the day at 8 a.m., featuring Don Halvorson, CTA, CTC, CMRS, CRMI of Forensic Tile Consultants. In answer to the approximately 40 million U.S. showers that now leak, the course will cover the basic characteristics of water, the shower environment, typical shower installations, design errors commonly found in residential construction and how to construct a shower as a water-management system.
  Showers get a one-two combination on April 5, as the MIA’s Chuck Muehlbauer joins Halvorson at 9 a.m. for Proper Stone-Lined Shower Construction. The session will address stone mounting (adhesive and mechanical), waterproofing, mold and mildew, and how to avoid problems that arise with many shower installations.
  Vince Marazita of Marazita & Associates will offer his always-popular Stone Trends 2006 at 8 a.m., giving his state-of-the-industry presentation on the dimensional-stone market for the eighth consecutive year. He’ll cover information, sourcing, marketing and application trends in the stone industry over the last year, including examples of award-winning projects recognized for natural-stone use.
  At 9 a.m., Diamonds in the Fabrication Process includes a panel of experts with scientific facts on new technologies in the development of applications for industrial diamonds in the stone industry. There’s also a focus on showing better ways of using diamond technology for working faster and cutting cleaner, including how to dress a blade properly and selecting the correct blade for your saw.  Among those presenting will be JC Collins of Diamant Boart and Rich Booms of Booms Stone Co.
  At 4:30 p.m., Countertop Fabrication will be presented en español. Jose Rodriguez of Total Design on Marble & Granite and Rafael Bernal of Great Lakes Granite & Marble will cover fabrication methods, transport, installation techniques, maintenance procedures and follow-up, among other topics.
  Also at 4:30 p.m., Natural Stone Characteristics: Origin, Extraction, Installation Challenges, Protection, Maintenance and Restoration will illustrate techniques, theories and products used for quarrying, processing, protecting, maintaining and restoring natural stone. Presented by Joe Salvo of Miracle Sealants and Tom McNall of Great Northern Stone, it’s a presentation useful to those new to stone products as well as seasoned professionals, with information on impregnators/penetrating sealers, polishing powders and pastes, diamond abrasives and more.
 
April 6
  The MIA’s Muehlbauer returns at 8 a.m. with Introduction to Stone Design, a Stone 101 course especially designed for architects and members of the design community. Topics will include stone selection, engineering considerations, ASTM testing, aesthetic considerations, horizontal substrates, designing for wet areas, stair treads and vertical cladding.  He’ll also cover useful tips and techniques in stone sourcing and design.
  Also at 8 a.m., Fabricators and Installers Forum: Residential Projects features a panel of MIA industry members in an open give-and-take on questions or problems concerning residential fabrication and/or installation.  It’s a chance to discuss items that may not be covered by other seminars; the panel includes Scott Lardner of Rocky Mountain Stone and G.K. Naquin of Stone Interiors, along with fellow fabricators Rich Booms and Jose Rodriguez. This session will be a full and robust 165 minutes.
  Marc Rosenkrantz of Schechner Lifson Corp. and the MIA’s Kevin Padden offer Safety Initiatives in Your Shop and Insurance Do’s & Don’ts at 4:30 p.m., showing the importance of taking an inventory of the basic safety measures and resources available that can be incorporated into a safety program (including the new Basics of OSHA Compliance video). Other topics include the details of property/casualty insurance and how to handle general liability, as well as the resources available to help a company’s safety program.
  Managing Homeowners’ Expectations at 4:30 p.m. offers guidelines on how to better meet customer expectations right from the start to ensure their happiness and a shop’s success. Rafael Bernal of Great Lakes and Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors East provide the instruction.
 
April 7
  Expand your Fabrication Business Beyond Countertops – The Possibilities Are Endless at 8 a.m. shows the many diverse applications of stone as well as hot, new consumer trends in profiled ornamental stone. Find out about some virtually untapped markets with Mark Lindell of Park Industries Inc. and how to diversify for increased prosperity in the stone marketplace.
  Also at 8 a.m., Jim Callaghan of Marmo Machinery USA offers Making an Investment in a CNC and/or Waterjet Machine – What to Know Before You Buy. Learn the right questions and what anyone needs to know before making the commitment on these major capital purchases.
  OSHA/EPA Compliance Review – Dry vs. Wet Dust Collectors at 9 a.m. offers information on the latest OSHA information about nuisance dust and the very strict Crystalline Silica standards.  Mike White of VIC International will cover the pros and cons of the different types of dust collectors and how to properly install and operate them, as well as exploring OSHA Point Capture requirements and other alternatives.
  The stone track wraps up with Natural Stone vs. Manmade Countertops at 9 a.m., and Jessica Rose of Visions magazine/G&L Marble Inc. and Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors East will work dispel the many myths associated with natural stone including natural stone's effect on the environment, bacteria and sanitary questions, sealing natural stone, stains and durability, variations within natural materials, cost and how different natural-stone finishes can affect wear and tear,
  Organizations sponsoring Coverings 2006 include ASCER (Spain’s Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association), Assopiastrelle (Association of Italian Ceramic Tile and Refractories Manufacturers), TCA (Tile Council of North America), CTDA (Ceramic Tile Distributors Association), and NTCA (National Tile Contractors Association).
  In addition to MIA, Coverings is also co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (Orlando Chapter), The American Society of Interior Designers (Florida North, Florida South and Florida West Coast), International Interior Design Association (Florida Chapter), the Terrazzo Tile and Marble Association of Canada, the Tile Contractors’ Association of America and the Tile Heritage Foundation.
  Coverings features 1,200 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and attracts more than 32,000 distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors and specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers
  For more information on attending Coverings, go to www.coverings.com or contact NTP at 866-285-3691.
 
This article first appeared in the February 2006 print edition of Stone Business. © Western Business Media Inc.