Natural Stone Council: 2004 Update

   The first initiative is to host a major presence featuring natural stone at the 2004 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention and Exposition in June at McCormick Place in Chicago. The 2,500 ft² booth will be one of the largest at the trade show, and will showcase natural-stone applications in residential, commercial and landscape projects.
   The NSC selected this exhibition for architects as its initial project because of the importance of educating and influencing the professionals responsible for selecting products used in residential, commercial and institutional construction applications. Architects are the most influential group of design creators, responsible for selecting up to 95 percent of the products installed on an average project. Architects and design professionals need to understand the many varieties of natural stone and their properties, use, cost, installation and care, and it is the industry’s responsibility to provide objective and authoritative information to this important market.
   The booth design features nine sections that focus on a specific aspect of the use and application of natural stone. Formal landscaping with dry-stack walls, bluestone and sandstone flooring and a limestone column feature will welcome guests into the booth. As they walk across a floor of granite tile toward the central reception area, they will see educational stations with information on the environmental or “green” aspects of the use of natural stone, and the value of real natural stone and the difference between it and man-made alternatives. Industry experts will be working in the booth to answer questions and offer recommendations on residential, commercial, institutional and landscape applications.
   Another section of the booth will feature the use of automation from the quarry to the finished product. Photographic depictions of quarry and fabricating operations will acquaint architects with the steps required to get natural stone from rough stock to finished tiles, wall cladding, countertops and the many other stone applications and products that may be specified. This section will also include demonstrations of how stone-processing equipment works, and a stone sculptor will be at work on limestone carvings.
   Marble, travertine and slate tile flooring will be the background for the other sections that will include displays of stone slabs in a variety of types and colors; dimensional and architectural veneer displays; and stone specifications and details. A photographic historical stone timeline will take visitors through thousands of years of stone building structures from ancient Egyptian temples to present-day architecture, graphically illustrating the durability and lasting qualities of natural stone.
   Visitors to the booth will receive a CD/DVD that presents the story of natural stone from quarry to installation; provides industry sources for technical information on natural stones and their applications; and lists contact information on the stone companies and organizations that support the Natural Stone Council. The CD/DVD will also be available on request after the convention.
   The NSC has been approved by the American Institute of Architects as an official education provider and will be offering for-credit education programs in the booth. Three programs, developed especially for presentation in the booth, will be offered: “Natural Stone – Edging and Finishing,” “Defining and Specifying Natural Stone,”,and “Natural Stone Masonry Veneers.” The education section of the booth will offer seating for the scheduled sessions and will be surrounded by granite privacy panels.
   The Natural Stone Council was formed to take on the challenge of promoting the value and unique characteristics of real natural stone. Made up of a diverse group of stone-industry businesses and trade associations, the NSC’s mission is to raise the level of awareness and education of natural stone in the North American market. By pooling resources in the Council, the stone industry can collectively make a difference in promoting its products to consumers and decision-makers in the construction design community.
   As part of its vision to increase natural stone awareness and education, the Council is developing a branding program that will identify authentic natural stone as a “real” material.  Targeted to end-use consumers, specifiers and builders, the branding program will help to identify real natural stone and differentiate it from other materials.
   The work that the NSC is doing is funded by generous donations from the natural stone industry’s businesses and trade associations including the Marble Institute of America, Indiana Limestone Institute, Allied Stone Industries, National Building Granite Quarries Association, Building Stone Institute, Elberton Granite Association and American Monument Association.
   The StonExpo Federation, a non-profit organization supporting the stone industry and the conduct of the industry’s business, contributed $100,000 derived from revenues generated by the StonExpo trade shows. It will continue to support important industry initiatives that promote the use of natural stone.
   Over $300,000 has been raised thus far, and fundraising programs are on-going. The Council’s success depends on the support of the industry.  All of the individuals working with the NSC do so on a volunteer basis, and 100 percent of contributions goes toward funding its programs and initiatives.
   With your financial support, the Council can succeed in powerfully promoting natural stone and ensuring the continued success of the natural-stone industry.
   Pennie L. Sabel is executive director of The StonExpo Federation.
  
This article first appeared in the March 2004 print edition of Stone Business. ©2004 Western Business Media Inc.