Spring 2007
Masonry Production and
Repair Database Now Available
The Masonry Society (TMS) is pleased to announce "Masonry Production and Repair," a new online resource for TMS members and the general public. An indexed bibliography citing 160 years of masonry research, "Masonry Production and Repair" is a fully searchable database containing complete citations for thousands of masonry-related articles. Additionally, the online resource contains approximately 2,000 full-text articles.
"Masonry Production and Repair" was developed by TMS member Debra Laefer, of University College Dublin, Ireland. Funding for this resource was provided by the United States National Endowment for the Arts and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.
For more information on the database, or to use it, visit www.masonrysociety.org.
DuPontTM StoneTechTM Professional Launches Improved Water-Based Sealers for Stone and Tile
DuPont's StoneTech Professional of Walnut Creek, Calif., introduced two improved stone and tile sealers at Stone Expo West in Las Vegas. StoneTech Professional BulletProof® sealer and heavy-duty sealer are water-based, environmentally preferable sealers that have been reformulated to improve performance and allow for easier application.
Using Ceramic Tile Institute standards, DuPont research showed that BulletProof sealer and heavy-duty sealer outperformed competing water-based sealers, and showed equivalent or better performance against competing solvent-based sealers. BulletProof sealer and heavy-duty sealer also showed comparable or better oil, water and stain resistance.
Because BulletProof sealer and heavy-duty sealer are water-based and contain low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), they are environmentally preferable and compliant with recently enacted VOC regulations affecting areas in Arizona, California, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The sealers are available nationally in pint, quart, one-gallon, five-gallon and 55-gallon sizes.
Stone Shop International Offers Fabrication Franchise Opportunities
Michigan-based The Stone Shop International announced the first-ever stone industry fabrication franchise business program.
The Stone Shop will provide appropriate equipment packages, fabricator training, sales and marketing, sales training, budgets, forecasts and material supply chains — all streamlined for easy entry into this market segment. All training programs will be conducted using Marble Institute of America-approved materials, technical procedures and resource material.
Estimated to become 200 franchisees strong, the company will provide extreme purchasing power. This purchasing network will provide its franchisees the competitive edge in their local markets, while also providing national name recognition, advertising and marketing.
Forza Introduces Mobile Bridge Saw
Forza Corporation of Burbank, Calif., announced the arrival of the new Spider Mobile Bridge Saw, the world's first mobile saw with an integrated tilt table that also rotates.
The Forza Spider is the perfect saw to take to a job site — requiring no trenching, drains or site prep — and a great saw for any shop that plans to grow.
The new Spider offers a larger cutting area (12-foot length) than the previous model, Forza V, and with the new rotating table, any cut is possible. The cutting blade head rotates in 360 degrees for cutting in both the X and Y axes. Other features include: a 220-volt, single-phase, 10-horsepower Italian motor; variable-speed control joystick operation; laser-alignment guide; self-contained water recycling system; and set-up time in 15 minutes or less.
Devonian Stone Now Offering Educational Tours to Architects
Devonian Stone of New York Inc., a sandstone mining and fabrication company in Windsor, N.Y., recently expanded its facilities and is now offering tours to architects and other building industry professionals. Tours include a visit to the company's production facilities, custom-fabrication facilities and quarry, where blasting demonstrations are offered upon request.
Tours of the Devonian Stone operation are more than just a walkthrough of the company's facilities — they are an educational experience. Owner Robert Bellospirito is a registered instructor with the American Institute of Architects, and has educated architects throughout the Northeast about the use of New York sandstone as a building material. Now the classroom has been moved to the source, and the on-site location makes it easier for visitors to better understand the in-depth information that is being shared. Bellospirito personally conducts each tour and carefully explains various stages of the process of how the stone goes from the quarry to becoming the finished product.
In addition, several recently acquired, high-production stone saws will allow Devonian Stone to not only nearly double its production capacity, but will allow for 12 to 15 more jobs during the next couple of years.
Dagles Appointed Dual
Chairperson to FEWA
Vandra C. Dagles, human resource manager at Champlain Stone Ltd. in Warrensburg, N.Y., was recently appointed dual chairperson responsibilities within the Federation of Employers & Workers of America (FEWA). FEWA provides its members with education and informational resources related to cultural, non-immigrant and immigrant labor recruitment, and management issues.
Dagles joined Champlain Stone in 1999 as operations manager, and now oversees its employee recruitment and personnel, including the H2B/H2R seasonal worker program. Dagles' lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., political networking, and her FEWA member participation concerning the status of federal guest worker programs earned her the appointment to FEWA's advisory board in July 2006.
Dagles will be part of an experienced team, acting as the direct voice to FEWA and its members, insuring the association continues to provide guidance for its members' needs.
BSI Members Win Nine
MISL Masonry Awards
Building Stone Institute members Leonard Masonry Inc. of Hazelwood, Mo., and Spencer Brickwork of St. Louis received a total of nine awards at the recent 2006 Masonry Institute of St. Louis (MISL) Excellence in Masonry Awards.
Leonard Masonry received six awards, including two Excellence in Craftsmanship honors for continuing work on the Washington University campus; Distinction in Craftsmanship awards for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and Emerson Grand Basin; and Merit of Craftsmanship awards for Arnold Recreation Center and St. John Apostle & Evangelist Catholic Church.
Spencer Brickwork received three awards, including Excellence in Craftsmanship honors for St. Albans Residence and a residential stone fireplace, as well as a Distinction in Craftsmanship award for its work on the Bruning Residence.
The MISL Excellence in Masonry Awards feature projects completed from 2003-2005 by the Bricklayers' Union Local #1 of Missouri.
New Walker Zanger Website
Allowing designers to work with a large set of collections — to see them, to feel them, to organize them into meaningful subsets — has always been a technical challenge outside of an actual showroom. Now, however, Walker Zanger has employed innovative thinking to this age-old challenge, the result of which is the company's new, state-of-the-art website, www.walkerzanger.com.
Unlike traditional sites that work solely on a point-and-click basis, the new Walker Zanger website provides a complete virtual workshop, in which designers can choose, examine, organize, make notes, and find inspiration, all in one place. It is easy to view complete collections and zoom in on specific samples, as if they were being held. In addition, customization tools make it possible to crop specific products, and bookmark certain areas, which are saved on the user's computer for future visits. There is even a revolutionary new "My Notepad" feature, which, as its name implies, allows the visitor to add comments, flag areas of interest, and create a virtual inspiration file online, ready for saving or printing.
StonExpo East Show Appears in Atlanta
StonExpo East conference and expo will be held March 21-24 in Atlanta. The show offers more than 200 exhibiting companies with natural stone, machinery and stone-related products, as well as live demonstrations. The conference offers 41 expert-led courses in five targeted tracks, with continuing education credit opportunities available with several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Architects.
Leonard Masonry Honored
at AIA/CPC Awards
Leonard Masonry Inc. of Hazelwood, Mo., received two awards at the 15th annual Excellence in Design awards, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects' St. Louis chapter and the Construction Products Council of St. Louis. Leonard Masonry received a Merit Award for a residential pool house and an Honorable Mention for its work on the Federal Reserve Bank.
"We take great pride in ensuring that our work is exceptional and unique," said Jeff Leonard, president of Leonard Masonry. "We are always gratified when our efforts are recognized by our peers and clients."
The competition received more than 125 entries in five categories. Supported by two or more judges, the pool house was honored with a Merit award for its precise detail. The owner requested the new pool house match the existing structure, originally built in 1921.
Leonard Masonry also was awarded an Honorable Mention for the tremendous effort of matching new materials with prior masonry work at the Federal Reserve Bank. The mason contractor recommended granite with a thermal finish to blend with the bush hammered and jetted finish of the existing building.
Coverings Show Appears in Chicago
Coverings takes place April 17-20, 2007, at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. Coverings attracts more than 32,000 people from more than 100 countries to see 1,200 exhibits in 510,000 net square feet of exhibit space. In addition, Coverings provides a comprehensive educational conference program, featuring more than 75 free educational sessions.
2006 StonExpo West Breaks
Attendance Records
StonExpo West 2006, which took place Nov. 9-11 in Las Vegas, drew a record total attendance of 7,556 — a 20-percent increase in attendance compared to the 2005 show. The show floor also increased by 25 percent, bringing attendees a total of 102,200 net square feet of the latest stone, stone products, machinery, tools, accessories and more.
New CounterVision Web Tool Simplifies Surfacing Selection
In a joint venture, Chameleon Power of Novi, Mich., and ETemplate System of Atlanta have launched CounterVision, a new online web tool for installers and fabricators.
With CounterVision, the fabricator can upload an image of the client's room online to display countertop options as they would actually appear. It also allows fabricators to measure and quote the customer in the same visit, reducing the cost and inconvenience of multiple home visits during the selection and fabrication process.
Countertop, stone distributors and suppliers can load their own product materials or slab images to the CounterVision tool, allowing their customers to select right from their website, to order online and then request a meeting to confirm the selection in the showroom. CounterVision is integrated into the fabricator or distributor's website navigation and populated with the products and materials the company supplies.
"CounterVision gives fabricators the freedom to offer countertop surfacing, flooring, wall colors and other complimentary surfacing to painlessly expedite the selection process," said Dan Dempsey, CEO of Chameleon Power. "The fabricator can now use one image as the template for the actual countertop measurements and as the selection photograph."
The Gallegos Corporation
Receives Safety Awards
The commitment of the employees at The Gallegos Corporation of Vail, Colo., to a safe work environment has been recognized, earning it three prestigious awards. In December, the company received safety awards from both the American Subcontractors Association of Colorado (ASAC) and the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC).
The ASCC recognized The Gallegos Corporation (TGC) for an incident rate that fell well below the national average. TGC's incident rate in 2005 was 3.9; the national average was 4.6 among private industry, and 6.8 for mason contractors. Reporting 775,841 man-hours in 2005, the corporation had only 16 injuries — far below the national average. Also, several of the company's divisions did not report a single accident in 2005.
The ASAC bestowed TGC with two awards: the 2006 Excellence in Safety for a large company with more than 500,000 man-hours worked in one year; and the Most Improved Safety Program, for having an incident rate below the national average.
"I am proud of the initiative my employees take in practicing safe work procedures, and that every year our safety rates improve," said Gerald Gallegos, CEO. "These awards could never have been obtained without the hard work and dedication toward safety from our employees. With insurance costs continuing to rise, it is essential that we maintain a safe workplace."
The Gallegos Corporation is headquartered in Vail, Colo., and has offices in Aspen, Denver and Telluride; Sun Valley, Idaho; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Bozeman, Mont.
OSHA Becomes 'Set in Stone'
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Chicago region and the Marble Institute of America presented a "Stone Shop Safety" seminar at the end of 2006 as part of its ongoing alliance to help create a safe and healthy work environment for the natural stone industry.
Stone professionals from eight states attended the event, which covered topics including: developing a safety and health program, preparing for an OSHA inspection, and slab handling and other safety hazards on the job.
The seminar was well received by the attendees, as they recognized the value of ongoing educational seminars about safety and steps that can be taken to minimize dangers in the workplace.
2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry
Show and Conference
The 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (K/BIS) and Conference, a source for trends, products and ideas for the kitchens and bathrooms of tomorrow, will be held May 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The annual K/BIS event showcases the very latest products and cutting-edge design ideas in the kitchen and bath industry. This captivating event features the largest array of product displays and demonstrations, professional development courses, keynote speakers, interactive roundtable sessions and the opportunity to network with thousands of industry professionals.
The forum for dealers, designers, architects, distributors, retailers, home centers and many other kitchen and bath professionals, K/BIS is the world's largest international trade event dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. K/BIS 2007 will bring together more than 900 companies exhibiting their products and more than 40,000 national and international industry professionals.
Artisan Manufacturing Forms Strategic Partnership with Boston Granite Exchange
Artisan Manufacturing of New York, producers of high-quality sinks, recently announced they have formed a strategic partnership with Boston Granite Exchange of Haverill, Mass. Boston Granite Exchange will carry Artisan's complete line of high-quality stainless steel sinks to compliment its extensive inventory of quality granite and marble.
New Telsmith 3258 Portable
Crushing Plant Delivers
Designed for high-capacity performance in tough applications, the new Telsmith 3258 portable crushing plant is engineered with features that boost production, reduce maintenance requirements, improve safety and enhance mobility.
Ideal for the portable plant operator, the plant is 13'6" high and 10 feet wide. At the heart of the plant is the Telsmith Model 3258 hydraulic jaw crusher. With a 32-inch gape and a 58-inch wide crushing chamber, it out produces other crushers in its class. Unique, finger-tip controlled, hydraulic adjustment cylinders reduce maintenance and increase uptime production, while the hydraulic overload system automatically protects the crusher from tramp metal.
The crusher is fed with a 60-inch-wide and 20-foot-long vibrating grizzly. For optimum portability, the grizzly feeder, loading hopper and grizzly bypass chute comprise of one modular unit. The entire module can be removed as one piece, sliding off the back of the plant and simplifying travel in weight-restricted travel areas. Additionally, the chassis is equipped with a standard tri-axle, air-ride suspension. An optional fourth axle can be pneumatically elevated off the ground, reducing wear and tear during tight onsite maneuvering.
The Telsmith 3258 portable plant offers versatility, and ease of operation and maintenance via a variety of standard and optional features.
Equipped with either diesel or electric power, plants feature an optional variable-speed drive for the feeder. Diesel plants incorporate a 365-horsepower engine with a hydraulically activated trans-fluid clutch. Push-button controls engage the clutch automatically, and a hydraulic belt tensioner is used to maintain a constant belt pressure, eliminating the need to adjust belts. Several leveling systems are available as options. Using an innovative approach, Telsmith has tucked the cylinders under the plant, allowing extra room around the support legs for blocking. Large service platforms are built into the chassis for easy access to the jaw, feeder and engine.
GerrityStone Names Alan Weiner Director of Sales and Marketing
GerrityStone of Woburn, Mass., one of New England's largest importers and fabricators of marble, granite and limestone, announced that Alan Weiner was appointed sales and marketing director for the company. Weiner oversees all internal and external sales and marketing communications strategies and programs for GerrityStone and its three locations in Woburn, Mass., Rockland, Mass., and Salem, N.H.
Weiner comes to GerrityStone from Fordham Marble of Stamford, Conn., where he served as director of sales and marketing since 2005. Prior to that, he was general manager at Stone Technologies of Woburn, Mass.
A seasoned veteran of the residential and commercial stone business, Weiner is active in numerous industry-related organizations, including the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the American Society of Interior Designers.
Superior Industries Expands Truck Unloading Product Line
Superior Industries of Morris, Minn., has added another model to the RazerTail® truck unloader product line. The 48-inch RazerTail has a six-foot discharge height, 50-horsepower motor, is 44-feet in length and capable of 1,000 tons per hour.
Superior's RazerTail is road portable and can be moved from job to job easily, only taking minutes to set up. This patent-pending truck unloader includes hydraulic ramps for quick and easy clean up of material spillage, eliminates contamination of material from multiple handling, and will reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for loaders.
The 10th North American
Masonry Conference
The 10th North American Masonry Conference will be held June 3-6, 2007, in St. Louis. The conference provides an excellent educational forum for engineers, architects, contractors, producers, suppliers and others interested in masonry. Over 90 papers will be presented at the conference, as well as other informational and enjoyable general sessions, seminars and tours.
For more information or to register, visit www.masonrysociety.org/NAMC.
W.F. Meyers Introduces
New Pneumatic Tool Accessories
W.F. Meyers Co. of Beford, Ind., has improved its stone cutting products again, this time with its disposable LO-DI muffler and Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) end mill. Both products are designed to make stone work faster and quieter.
Designed for use with pneumatic tools only, the new LO-DI muffler, weighing just 13 ounces, effectively reduces sound levels by 25 percent without restricting air flow or horsepower — producing a mere 95 dBa at 90 psi.
Adaptable to a variety of shank lengths, the newly-improved PCD end mill ensures the proper length shank for every job. Unlike segmental grinding tools that change shape over time, PCD tools retain shape with every use, providing the same cut job after job.
Stonexpress Announces New Distributor
Stonexpress Inc. of Kennesaw, Ga., is proud to announce the newest distributor for its exclusive "Laura Ashley Home" stone, porcelain and ceramic tile collection.
Space Flooring is one of the south's leading flooring and supply distributors, with a total of 15 branches. Partnered with 43 quality, full-service retail flooring stores, Space Flooring will feature the entire Laura Ashley Home line throughout North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
"We are very proud to bring Space Flooring into our Laura Ashley family," stated Bill Reid, vice president of sales and marketing for Stonexpress. "We are confident that they will exceed expectations held by Laura Ashley Home."
Stonexpress is an Atlanta-based organization, supplying natural stone and ceramic for residential and commercial use, providing nationwide express deliveries.
New Telsmith Primary Impact Crusher
Telsmith of Mequon, Wis., has introduced the new Telsmith PA6060 primary impact crusher. Engineered to maximize crushing hours while minimizing maintenance, the new PA6060 (46- x 60-inch feed opening) is a top-performance primary Andreas-style impact crusher designed to tackle large quarried stone with ease — and at lower costs per ton.
Delivering the durability to handle up to 40-inch feed, the new Telsmith PA6060 is loaded with innovations that boost production, service life and ease-of-maintenance beyond typical industry standards. Its advanced features and benefits include: a solid-type sculptured rotor for higher inertia and greater blow bar backing support; a hydraulic tilting feed plate that safely eliminates bridging; interchangeable, reversible mono-block aprons for wear parts cost control; oversized, 220-millimeter-wide bearings; an automatic apron reset that continually returns to defined settings; and advanced hydraulic controls that allow operators to do more crushing and less maintenance.
For versatile operation in new or existing plants, or within portable or stationary setups, the new Telsmith PA6060 can be mounted on portable plants or placed in a fixed location with truck-dump feed arrangements.
VIC International Launches
Smaller Water Filtration System
Designed for stone fabrication shops, VIC International has introduced a new, compact water filtration system that can handle up to 50 gallons per minute.
Designated as the VIC MicroCLEANTM, the newest water clarification system is a mud dehydrator-clarifier, delivering water that is suitable for use in most shops. Designed with similar technology of its big brother, the VIC SurryCLEANTM system, the smaller system is ideal for any shop wanting to recycle its water but having tight space requirements.
The VIC MicroCLEAN eliminates bag over-flow problems in bag systems, while eliminating the need for chemicals or flocculents. The nominally priced unit is easy to install and maintain, and helps to meet EPA requirements. Providing water for most shop applications, the system is more effective than cyclone systems and less expensive than filter press systems.
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