CLEVELAND, OH -- The Marble Institute of America (MIA) is now accepting entries for its enhanced 2010 Pinnacle Awards competition, which will include a new element in the judging criteria for this year's competition. This year, judges will be evaluating sustainable design elements in addition to the traditional criteria of beauty, creativity, ingenuity, craftsmanship and suitability of materials. If a submitted project displays superior effort, innovation and execution towards sustainable building goals, the MIA would consider awarding its first MIA Pinnacle Award for Sustainable Design. The Pinnacle Awards program is facilitated by the MIA and made possible by the generous sponsorship of Mapei.

The 2010 Pinnacle Awards project categories will include Commercial Interior, Commercial Exterior, Residential Interior or Exterior, and Renovation/Restoration. The winners will be featured in a special presentation during an awards event at StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas, which will be held from January 25 to 27, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.

The judges will select winners in the various categories and then honor the "best of the best" as the Grande Pinnacle Award Winner. The company winning this honor will then receive the elegant Grande Pinnacle Award as well as a trip to Marmomacc 2011 in Verona, Italy. The Grande Pinnacle Award for 'Best of Show' is sponsored by Marmomacc.

The entry deadline is Friday, August 6, 2010. The Pinnacle Awards are open to all MIA member companies. Project teams must include at least one MIA member company.

"Pinnacle Award winners receive tremendous exposure and recognition both domestically and around the world," said Gary Distelhorst, Executive Vice President of MIA. "In honoring the excellent work of MIA members, we also help design professionals see the endless possibilities of the use of natural stone in virtually any application. The MIA is committed to advancing green building ideals within the natural stone industry and hopes this year to identify a worthy project for an award."

Complete entry information is available on the MIA Web site atwww.marble-institute.comor by contacting MIA at (440) 250-9222.