Whenever I attend a major U.S. stone industry event, one of the first things I circle on my calendar is the “Fabricator Forum,” where industry members gather and present their issues to a panel of industry experts. These forums generally do not have a rigid agenda, and they sort of follow a “Town Hall” format, where people share their problems (and hopefully solutions) with their peers.

In general, the education program at stone trade shows such as Coverings will include a “Fabricator Forum,” where attendees discuss current issues with a panel of industry experts. Historically, these sessions have focused on practical concerns, such as fabrication methods and installation challenges.

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.