This Stone of the Month is supplied by Dakota Granite Co. of Milbank, SD. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. Because stone is a product of nature, testing to determine specific physical qualities should be repeated for each project.

I think we can all agree, there is an inherent beauty to natural stone that most people find desirable for both residential and commercial designs.

The twelve winning projects of the 2018 Tucker Design Awards were honored during a ceremony at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, TX on February 25. The recipient of the 2018 Bybee Prize, Carol R. Johnson, FASLA, was also celebrated during the ceremony.

This Stone of the Month is Double Brown quartzite supplied by Cereser Marmi S.p.A. of Verona, Italy.

StoneExpo, which is part of The International Surface Event (TISE), provides an arena for fabricators from various regions of North America to gather together to share ideas and experiences, learn about new products on the market and to meet new people.

For the second consecutive year, voting for Stone World’s Fabricator of the Year was opened to an online audience – and the turnout was impressive. Close to 4,000 readers casted a vote in favor of the person they believed was deserving of the award.

As 2018 began, Mapei Corporation closed out its 80th anniversary (1937 – 2017) celebrations by announcing the winners of its 80th Anniversary Giveaway contest.

Prussiani introduces the new Champion 5 NT+CA version — a revolutionary high-production full CNC-controlled bridge saw designed for the maximum speed in cutting and eliminating all down times for loading slabs, programming jobs and unloading pieces.

Thousands of visitors from around the world turned out for the international flooring exhibition – comprised of StonExpo, TilExpo and Surfaces – which was held from Tuesday, January 30 to Thursday, February 1.

I write this stone column on the heels of TISE and a few weeks before I leave for the Xiamen Stone Fair. Trade show season is in full spring, and judging by the positive turnout in Las Vegas, 2018 kicks off with a positive vibe for the stone industry.