Granos S/A of Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil, near the city of Fortaleza, was founded 20 years ago by Francisco Silveira, whose background included work in the residential construction sector. In the course of his work, he became interested in the granite industry. The company began by supplying stone for commercial projects in Brazil, and it started exporting slabs to the U.S. in 2002. This included a range of exotic materials.
Founded in 1989, Granistone has developed into one of the largest granite and marble extraction companies in Brazil. The company headquarters are located in Fazenda Lagoana, Santa Quiteria, in the middle of inland Ceará, about 150 miles from the capital city of Fortaleza. Among its many endeavors, Granistone extracts material from its massive Ceará White granite quarry in Santa Quiteria, and it also extracts a variety of exotic materials from neighboring states.
The state of Ceará, Brazil, is situated on the Northeastern coast of Brazil along the Atlantic Ocean, right below the equator. And while the general public may recognize the state for its beaches and warm weather, the stone industry knows Ceará for its wealth of natural resources - including a broad range of exotic stone materials.
In many cases in the past, the method of setting up a granite or stone processing shop was to simply place equipment in any available open space - with no thought given to material flow. Usually, the material slab would be loaded onto the bridge saw for initial shaping, cut to size and then unloaded from the same side and transferred to the next operation for edging, profiling, polishing, etc., wherever the next processing operation was located in the shop.
In speaking with Dick Clark, principal of Dick Clark Architecture in Austin, TX, it is clear that the architect has developed an interest in finding new and innovative applications in stone, while still being inspired by historical uses of the material. Clark's work has included multi-family housing and developments, interior design and more than 150 private residences, and he is perhaps best known for his award-winning restaurants and entertainment venues in Austin's downtown Warehouse District and throughout Texas.
While stone and tile have been known to create a certain feel for a space, the use of innovative decorative tile products offer architects and designers the opportunity to really incorporate material that truly reflects the setting in which they are creating. Whether designing a residence to reflect the hobbies of the homeowner, or using interesting materials to capture the allure of a commercial setting, the decorative tile and mosaic options in today's market provide endless choices.
While the use of natural stone and tile continue to be mainstays when it comes to hospitality design, it seems architects and designers are considering more than just aesthetics when making their material selections. Although thought and planning are given to creating attractive spaces within hotels or restaurants, today's designs extend beyond developing an eye-pleasing environment. They are about creating an overall quality experience for patrons, which encompasses aesthetics, function and comfort.
The variety of decorative tiles being produced continues to provide architects and designers with unlimited design options. The following is a collection of some of the newest product lines in today's market:
Technology and creativity are two of the driving forces behind product development, and judging by the stone and tile collections that have been introduced this year, manufacturers have been diligently working to create unique product lines that intrigue and inspire architects and designers. An assortment of the newest stone and tile products to hit the market were on display at two large exhibitions that took place this spring -- The Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (K/BIS), which was held at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, and Coverings, a stone and tile exhibition held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
Already a major player in the international marketplace, the Pemagran Group has recently undergone an investment campaign that has resulted in a considerable increase of its operational structure. The strategy of the company, which was founded in 1979, is to prepare for long-term growth within the international stone industry.
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