A decade ago, I traveled to the famed Giallo Veneziano quarry in Brazil -- via helicopter -- and immediately counted it among the most interesting places I visited while doing this job. To see an entire mountain of granite being worked by nearly 100 people was a sight I will not forget. 

With fabrication shops working on tighter margins than ever before, many shop managers and owners are eliminating unnecessary cost by increasing efficiency. Recently, I conducted a roundtable on increasing shop efficiency with members of the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA), which can be found on page 62 of this issue.

This Stone of the Month supplied by Stony Creek Quarry Corporation, Branford, CT. Technical details provide a frame of reference only.  

While the design of a young girl's bathroom in an upscale home in Demarest, NJ, is vibrant and full of personality, it is also an example of designing with the environment in mind. Tile and stone designer Anna Marie Fanelli of Floor & Décor in Tenafly, NJ, introduced her client to custom glass mosaics and recycled glass floor tiles that are not only fashionable, but are also considered to be green products.

With the objective of creating an upscale resort that reflects its natural surroundings, The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, OR, is an   extensive showcase of stone throughout its exterior and interior designs.

This Stone of the Month supplied by Antolini Luigi & C., Sega di Cavaion, Verona, Italy. Technical details provide a frame of reference only.

The new Tomahawk Stone Splitter from Braxton-Bragg offers an economical concept in “green” fabrication by using leftover slab pieces to create beautiful stone products.

As I walked around two of the major international trade fairs earlier this year - Coverings in the U.S. and the Vitória Stone Fair in Brazil - major exporters were telling me that sales to the American market had decidedly increased for the first quarter of 2010.

Once again, members from both the stone and tile sectors gathered together to share their latest product introductions at Coverings, the largest U.S. stone and tile exhibition.  This year’s event was held from Tuesday, April 27 to Friday, April 30, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

A palette of natural stone was selected for the exterior of a private residence in Texas to create a contemporary look, while at the same time unifying it with its neighboring landscape.