For many stone fabricators in the U.S., the past few years have been the roughest on record. Not only have they been struggling to withstand an economic recession that has lingered far longer than expected, but they are also facing continued competition from low-cost competitors.
After more than a decade of planning, L.A. LIVE - a 4 million-square-foot, pedestrian-oriented entertainment and retail district in downtown Los Angeles, CA that sits adjacent to the Staples Center - has become a reality.
Taking place in locales across the U.S., the Marble Institute of America/Stone World “Stone Industry Education” program drew hundreds of fabricators, shop managers and business owners over the course of 2010, and it offered a diverse lineup of topics.
Nearly two decades ago, when the stonecutters at Owen Sound Ledgerock of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, learned that the company was making a serious investment in CNC mills and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software, the group concluded that their jobs were in jeopardy.
Design of dimensional stone veneer is a straightforward process when the stone sizes are similar, utilize the same material and are connected to an appropriately framed structural backup. However, if stone panels of different sizes and shapes are part of the architectural vision and the existing backup wall limits the location of anchors, the designer must be creative and meticulous in the cladding design.
This article illustrates one way the data in the “Compendium of World Dimension Stone Data” can be analyzed. It uses an advanced statistical technique - several regression projections - to estimate the production of dimension granite for two major producing countries, Spain and India, in 2014.
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