ATLANTA, GA – Imago Trade Shows, a division of Atlanta-based Imago Productions, Inc., and BNP Media have joined forces to launch a new trade show serving the Disaster Reconstruction Industry. The National Disaster Reconstruction Expo (NDRExpo) will launch June 17-18, 2009 at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LI. The NDRExpo was developed to unite the numerous vertical markets associated with disaster reconstruction preparation, response, recovery and rebuilding.
The Marble Institute of America (MIA) announced that it has created the "Truth About Granite Fund" to help finance a campaign to stop spurious allegations attempting to link granite countertops to the threat of cancer.
A fire broke out at Ancient Stone of Brentwood, CA, on May 5, causing heavy damage to the fabrication shop. According to Bob Opsal, owner of Ancient Stone, the fire began in a 150-square-foot office adjacent to the shop. The flames passed through an office window that looked onto the shop, and then spread to the lamination station, where the adhesives ignited and greatly accelerated the blaze.
DITEQ Diamond Tools & Equipment has recently released a 10-page, full-color pamphlet featuring the company's complete line of diamond blades, core bits, grinding wheels, masonry, concrete and tile saws, hand grinders, polishers, Shibuya core drill machines and floor preparation equipment.
The need for industry education in the stone industry has been well documented, and to help fill that need, Stone World has been presenting its Stone Fabrication Workshops since 2005 -- hitting a total of 24 cities in all. These day-long sessions were extremely well received by fabricators of all sizes and experience levels, and based on the success of these original Workshops, Stone World will be offering a completely new educational series beginning in 2008. The "Fabrication Management Clinics" will be geared towards fabrication shop managers, supervisors and owners, with in-depth sessions on topics for operations of all sizes.
In an industry first, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has entered into a formal alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Among several initiatives being taken by the two organizations is a series of seminars for stone fabricators. These one-day sessions educate stoneworking professionals on OSHA standards, and they are specifically geared towards the stone industry. In addition to classroom instruction, a shop “walk-through” educates participants on specific hazards within a stoneworking facility that can be cited by OSHA. Earlier this year, Stone World documented one of these OSHA/MIA presentations, which took place at the facilities of Alpha Professional Tools in Oakland, NJ.
J. Vic Green, a veteran of more than five decades in the natural stone industry, has been awarded the 2007 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Marble Institute of America (MIA).
Park Industries has introduced three versions of the FusionTM CNC Saw & Waterjet System. The FusionTM series machines are based on the same ultra-rigid fabricated bridge structure, which is precision machined for superior sawing and waterjet cut accuracy.