Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit

Fabricators from the Denver, CO, area gathered at MSI’s facility for education, sharing experiences and networking

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit Fabricators — The event drew fabricators from the area to discuss issues and solutions regarding working in the stone fabrication business.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit “Safety and Your Facility.”

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, Building an Efficient Fabrication Shop — “Building an Efficient Fabrication Shop” sparked interest among the audience. Moderated by Meriaux, the panel included: (from left to right) Josh Dacek of Brekhus Tile & Stone, Inc., Scott Polak of Brekhus Tile & Stone, Inc. and Alex Llanos of CMS North America, Inc.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, Dany Anderson, MSI Denver, accepts certificate for hosting. — Dany Anderson, MSI Denver branch leader, accepted a certificated for the company graciously hosting the Colorado Stone Summit.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, MSI’s slab facility tour — During the lunch break, attendees had the opportunity to tour MSI’s slab facility.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, MSI’s business and what they have to offer. — Anderson explained to some participants a little about MSI’s business and what they have to offer.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, alternative stone finishes and stone care and maintenance. — Joseph Percoco of Percoco Marble & Tile Co. (center) and Scott Higginbot of Dry-Treat, Inc. (right) discussed alternative stone finishes and stone care and maintenance.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, Flexijet demonstration — Flexijet demonstrated its digital templating system to interested attendees during breaks.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, Water Recycling Benefits in the Shop — Perry explained the benefits of water recycling in the shop.

SW 1021 Inside the Shop: Colorado Stone Summit, sponsor, Intermac America — Intermac America was also a sponsor of the event.

Stone World, in partnership with the Natural Stone Institute, has resumed its in-person Stone Summits for 2021. The first one launched in Ohio in July followed by Pennsylvania in August. Most recently, the Colorado event was sponsored by MSI at its Denver, CO, facility on September 23, 2021.

Deviating from its usual format of a morning presentation led by an industry expert and breakout sessions in the afternoon, the Colorado Stone Summit featured separate panel discussions, which encouraged questions and interaction from attendees. The morning kicked off with “Safety and Your Facility.” Among the panelists was Dr. Cecile Rose of National Jewish Health in Denver. Rose spoke about the health risks of Silicosis, what fabricators should be aware of in their shop when cutting stone and how it can be prevented. Also on the panel was Paula Perry of Water Treatment Solutions in Concord, NH, and Jeff “Corky” Courtright of Planet Granite in Colorado Springs, CO.

After a break, where attendees could speak with sponsors of the event and learn about their products, a second panel took the stage to discuss “Building an Efficient Fabrication Shop.” Josh Dacek and Scott Polak of Brekhus Tile & Stone, Inc. in Denver shared their company’s experience with expansion, and Alex Llanos of CMS North America, Inc. joined the panel to give perspective from a machinery manufacturer.

The morning concluded with Dany Anderson, MSI Denver branch leader, accepting a certificate for the distributor of stone, tile and other hard surfaces generously hosting the event. During the lunch break, participants were invited to tour the slab warehouse to view the company’s full in-house collection.

After lunch, Joseph Percoco of Percoco Marble & Tile Co. and Scott Higginbot of Dry-Treat, Inc. discussed alternative stone finishes and stone care and maintenance. They stressed the importance of knowing the characteristics of each stone so that you can educate your customers.

All of the sessions were moderated by Mark Meriaux, accreditation and technical manager for the Natural Stone Institute. The day concluded with a closing reception, which allowed everyone to mingle and further get to know each other and learn more.

Next up is the Arizona Stone Summit – hosted by Arizona Tile at its facility in Tempe. Duane Naquin of Stone Interiors will speak on stone shop management. The event is scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2021.

As Group Editorial Director of Stone World, Contemporary Stone & Tile Design and TILE, Jennifer Richinelli has been covering the stone and tile industries since she launched her career at BNP Media in 1996. Throughout her tenure, she has visited and reported on numerous national and international quarries, stone fabrication shops, trade shows and other industry events. She has also collaborated with members of the A&D community, including many renowned architects, on articles about designing with stone and tile.

Contact Jennifer at richinellij@bnpmedia.com or (201) 245-5204.

The Stone Industry Education series targets stone fabrication industry professionals, including business owners, marketing experts and those eager to expand their businesses, connect with suppliers and glean invaluable 'best practices' for successful operations. The event is hosted by MSI.