StonExpo 2003

   The trade event, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Marble Institute of America (MIA), also features plenty of education through its Cornerstone Forum series, a stone tour of Atlanta, and other highlights for stone-industry professionals.
   It’s also not too late to plan on attending – but don’t dally if you’re looking to get the most out of the event.
   For many attendees, the Cornerstone Forum educational series provides a wealth of valuable information. For StonExpo 2003, the schedule includes 33 seminars from Dec. 3-6, covering a variety of areas.
   Among the presentations are Countertop Fabrication, a two-part seminar covering material sourcing, templating, fabrication, installation and maintenance. The seminar combination will be offered twice, on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. Other direct fabrication issues will be addressed on Dec. 4-6 with Fabrication Technology Update, Designing a Stone Fabrication Shop, Diamond Tools: Technology Update, Water–Air-Power Requirements for Your Shop and Granite Resin Process: How & Why.
   Fabricators also benefit from two day-starting (at 7:15 a.m.) forums on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. The first day deals with residential projects; the second session focuses on commercial work.
   Stone installation and care receive attention from Dec. 4-6, with Horizontal Surfaces: Proper Installation Techniques, Showers Built to Fail: A Mold Issue, Know Your Stone and Its Needs, Hands-On Introduction to Stone Restoration and Is Sealing Natural Stone Necessary or Snake Oil?
   Other topics address workplace/jobsite safety, shop management and stone sourcing/classification. And, on Dec. 6, Dr. Claude Rust of  California State University/Fresno will offer Understand the Charisma of Stone: Why Natural Stone is the Intelligent Choice.
   Kevin M. Padden, Stone Business columnist, will offer two seminars: How to Sell Stone More Effectively on Dec. 4 and Be Ready When OSHA Comes Knocking at Your Door on Dec. 6. The educational series also includes Stone Tour of Atlanta, a three-hour sojourn through the city on Dec. 3 to feature natural-stone work; all seminars are qualified for American Institute of Architects (AIA) learning units.
   Other events at StonExpo include the MIA’s annual business meeting/luncheon on Dec. 5 honoring the winners of the organization’s 2003 Pinnacle Awards. The MIA will also hold a gala reception for members after trade-show hours on Dec. 4.
   StonExpo 2003’s exhibit hall – significantly larger than last year’s record-setting space in Baltimore – will be open from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 4-5, and from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 6.
   StonExpo 2003 offers a variety of registration packages, including full convention registration (three-day exhibit-hall pass, entrance to MIA events, and up to seven Cornerstone Forum seminars) at $315 for MIA members and $415 for non-members. Individual Cornerstone Forum registration is $85 per seminar, with a $30 additional charge for the Atlanta stone tour or the Put a Touch of Science in Your Business session.
   Daily admission to the exhibit hall is $10 per day, with a three-day ticket available for $25.
   Registration for all StonExpo 2003 events will be on-site at the registration desk within the Georgia World Congress Center. The desk opens at 11 a.m. on Dec. 3, and at 7:30 a.m. for the remaining three days.
  
   The following is a list of exhibitors, as of early October, slated to appear at StonExpo2003:

A
A&S Marble & Granite Imports
A. Lacroix et Fils Granit Itée
ADC Dommel U.S. Inc.
AGM
AGM Imports
Akemi North America Inc.
Align International Inc.
Alpha Professional Tools
Altivo Pedras Ltda.
American Equipment Finance LLC
Ancor Granite Tile Inc.
Aqua Mix Inc.
Architectural Granite & Marble Inc.
Artisan Stone Care Products
Assomarmi
Atlanta Marble Co. Inc.
Auto V Grooving Inc.
AWED Corp.
Aya Associates Inc.

B
Barranca Diamond Products Inc.
Barre Granite Association
Bellinzoni
Beno J. Gundlach Co.
Bergman-Blair Machine Corp.
Bicknell Supply Co.
Blanco America
BLS Enterprises
Bonstone Materials Corp.
Braxton Bragg Corp.
Breton S.p.A.
BVH Gregg Inc.

C
Cam Tech
Canadian Stone Association
Cargotec Inc.
Carter Products Company Inc.
CCS Stone
Cee-Jay Tool Co. Inc.
Chemical Concepts
Chungwoo Co. Ltd.
CMS-North America-Brembana
Cold Spring Granite Co.
Color Stone International Inc.
Consolidated Diamond
Contemporary Stone & Tile Design
Continental DIA Diamond Products Inc.
Continental Placer Inc.
Crystal Marble Company Inc.

D
D-Cut Products
Dakota Granite Co.
Davil Travertini SRL
Derusha Supply Inc.
Diamant Boart Stone, Part of Dimas
Diamax Industries Inc.
Diamond Productions Canada Ltd.
Dimpomar-Rochas Portuguesas LDA
Direct Marble & Granite LLC
Dongsin North America
Dry-Treat (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

E
Eastern Marble & Granite Supply Inc.
Elberton Granite Association Inc.
Endless Mountain Stone Co.
Epoca Stone
ETemplate Systems/Tri-Tech Solutions Inc.
Euro Marmol USA
Exotic Granite & Marble Inc.

F
Fieldstone Center Inc.
Fletcher Granite Co. LLC
Fujian Wengui Stone Material Co. Ltd.

G
G & L Marble Inc.
G & M Associated – Diamante A & T
Ghines SRL
Glaze'N Seal
Global Granite & Marble
Globo Technical Solutions
Gramil – Granitos e marmores Itapemirim
Granicor Inc.
Granitas Granit Sanayi ve Pazarlama A.S.
Granite City Tool Co.
Granite Resources Inc.
Granittus USA
GranQuartz
Groves Inc.
Gruppo Editoriale Faenza Editrice s.p.a.

H
H.R.S. Marble Inc.
Halfen Anchoring Systems
Hard Rock Tool Inc.
High Tech Stone Inc.

I
IGE Solutions
Il Giornale Di Carrara
IMER USA Inc.
IMEX International
INCounters
Indiana Limestone Co.
Indiana Limestone Institute
Infinity Diamond Products
Inland Diamond Products Co.
Intarsia Inc.
International Masonry Institute
Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara
Intertool
Italdiamant USA Inc.

K
Kai Lim Marble (USA) Inc.
Klein and Company Inc.

M
Magellan Capital Group Inc.
Marble Institute of America
Marmi Mecca S.P.A.
Marmo Meccanica USA
Marmol Export USA
Marmomacc
Marmomacchine – Promorama
Masonry Magazine
Matrix Stone Products
Mehta Export House
Meshoppen Stone Inc.
Metfab Steelworks LLC
W. F. Meyers Co. Inc.
Miracle Sealants Co.
Mirasco
Mix Right Inc.
MTEG Hydrodrives
Mystic Granite & Marble

N
N-E-D Corp.
N.S.M.T.P.
National Building Granite Quarries Association
Natural Stone Council
Natural-Stone.com
New Mexico Travertine Inc.
Nichols Fleet Equiptment
Northwood Machine Manufacturing Co.
NTC – National Training Center for Stone & Masonry Trades

O
Ocean Diamond Tools Corp.
Omicon Marble Granite & Supplies
One Source Capital Inc.
Ontario, Canada – Ministry of Northern Development & Mines
Owensound Ledgerock Ltd.

P
Park Industries Inc.
Pave Tech Inc.
Pearl Abrasive Co.
Pinnacle Manufacturing Inc.
Plastic Associates Manufacturing
Polycor
Precision Drive Systems – Colombo
Probe Construction Products Inc.
Proneel Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Protecto Wrap Co.
Pyramid Supply

R
Regent Products Inc.
Rock of Ages Corp.
Rolling Rock Building Stone Inc.
Rowan Granite Quarry Inc. / Impala Granite Co. Inc.

S
S.D. International Inc. & Tenlong Machinery Co. Ltd.
Salem Stone
Sampla Belting, NA LLC
Sawing Systems Inc.
Schluter Systems L.P.
Schmidt Monument / Eurocraft Stone
Slabco LLC
SM Diamond Tools Inc.
Solga Diamant
Spectra Diamond Products Inc.
Stearns Bank
Stocon Fasteners Ltd./Picco Engineering
Stone & Glass Technologies
Stone Boss Industries
Stone Business
Stone Care International
Stone Connection Inc.
Stone Depot
Stone Magazine
Stone Pro Equipment
Stone Tool Supply Inc.
Stone World
Stone-sales.com LLC
StoneMar Stone & Marble Co. LLC.
StoneTech Professional
Suhner Industrial Products Corp.
Surtec Inc.
Suzhou Imp. & Exp. Co. Ltd. (Group) China

T
TEI – TS – Stone & Tile Laboratory
Tenax USA LLC
The North Carolina Granite Corp.
Tile EZE
Triple Crown Products
Trow and Holden Co. Inc.
Tuscany Stone Surfaces

U-V
US Granite Inc. Machinery Division
Valley Marbles & Granites
VIC International Corp.
Vinci Stone Products Inc.
VMC Technical Assistance Corp.
Vytek

W-Z
Water Treatment Technologies, LLC
Wilson Industrial Electric Inc.
Windy Ridge Corp.
Woods Powr-Grip Co. Inc.
World Diamond Source
Z. Bavelloni USA Inc.
Zagram Canada Lte'e
Zaijian Decorative Material Co.

This article first appeared in the November 2003 print edition of Stone Business. ©2003 Western Business Media Inc.