StoneDimensions

Each month, the MIA profiles an employee from one of our member companies. This month, we welcome Kostas Kioleidis from K & K Marble Importers in Bethpage, NY.
to the Cutting Edge profile page.

Q: Kostas, could you tell us a little bit about your company?

A: Michelangelo was born from an idea and a belief: "There must be a better way to run our business."
Michelangelo is the creation of Nicola Maganuco, former CEO of Stone Capital, a stone yard in Long Island NY, and I. Michelangelo was developed to simplify and expedite our work-flow; to boost our productivity; to help our clients more effectively, engage them in the design process; to close more deals faster; to improve communication channels within our teams and to track every aspect of our business from anywhere, anytime.

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The housing market’s fragile recovery should continue into 2013 and beyond if the economy doesn’t fall off the fiscal cliff and there are not further limitations on the availability of mortgage credit.

That was the consensus of economists attending a major conference of realtors. One especially positive outlook was presented by Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, who said that the market really turned around in 2012.

“Existing home sales, new home sales and housing starts are all recording notable gains this year in contrast with suppressed activity in the previous four years. All major home price measures are showing sustained increases,” Yun said. The economist said he saw no threatening signs for inflation in the coming year, but projects it to be in the range of four to six percent by 2015.

“The huge federal budget deficit is likely to push up borrowing costs and raise inflation by well above two percent,” he said. Of particular interest to the stone industry, Yun said new home sales in 2012 are expected to increase to 368,000 this year from a record low of 301,000 in 2011, and grow strongly to 575,000 in 2013. He predicted that housing starts are forecast to grow to 776,000 in 2012, up from 612,000 in 2011, and reach 1.13 million next year. Yun also said existing home sales will climb 8.7 percent in 2013 to 5.05 million units.

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Q: We’re having trouble interpreting the tolerances for stone panels. In the thickness tolerance, it says “± 1/8” – is this both directions so that the total tolerance is actually ¼”? And then in the face tolerance, it says ”non-cumulative” – what exactly does that mean?

A: Dimensional tolerance is indeed one of the most common areas of questions that we field. Interpretation of them is far from uniform, and trying to reconcile them between different associations and standards writing bodies makes it even more complicated. Then add the conversion factor required because the United States rarely uses SI (International System of Units) units of measure, and we’ve got the perfect recipe for confusion.

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As my term comes to an end in January 2013 at StonExpo there are a few things I wish to reflect on. During my term, the MIA board has been focused on ways to continue to improve the product we give to the members, as well as continuing to get more companies involved in the association. On both fronts we have had success.

Here is the success by the numbers:

• 220 new Members have joined the MIA year-to-date. A new trend has also started, a growing number of companies who dropped their membership during the economic downturn are starting to come back to membership! The MIA is also now represented in 52 countries.
• 3 iPad Apps were introduced for both the design community and stone professionals. These applications keep the stone industry on pace with technology advances.
• 3334 inquiries were fielded by the MIA’s technical support team, but that number doesn’t include the hundreds of leads and questions we pass on to MIA members.

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By: Garis Distelhorst
As I begin the bitter-sweet process of clearing my office of personal items and mementos of my 43+ years as an association executive, including the last 11 at the MIA, it occurred to me that I should do a couple things. First, I must say thanks to those who have helped me succeed, and second I will share a short final report from someone who has spent 11 years serving a very noble industry that has gone from boom years, through a tragic public relations crisis, into a deep recession, and is now hopefully emerging into a better economy and a revived construction industry.

As an association CEO, I have been extremely fortunate to have had the support and encouragement of a great group of MIA presidents and boards of directors. These men and women have listened to me, counseled me, and supported me in some truly challenging times including the radon/radiation-in-granite-countertops crisis, and in some innovative projects and activities. They have provided the kind of feedback that I needed to succeed in my role. This feedback included encouragement to develop education programs for the industry and for the design community; to grow that education into a CEU program MIA members can use locally; to improve and enhance the MIA website to serve all of the industry’s constituencies; to investigate, design, and introduce an industry accreditation program for leading member companies; to produce a series of video training programs as well as videos to educate and inform consumers; to grow the MIA bookstore that supports member efforts to learn and to educate consumers; to initiate an industry safety program and campaign that has included extensive work in the areas of silicosis prevention and safe slab handling and the development of safety training programs for member firms; to expand the MIA awards program to include recognition of the industry’s finest craftsmen; to grow membership through outreach and networking; and a whole lot more. The support and encouragement of the MIA’s elected leadership has been a key to the MIA’s growing reputation, and the boards’ willingness to let the MIA staff try new things (and even fail now and then) is key to innovative thinking and in not being afraid of taking some calculated risks.

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The Stone World (SW) magazine and Marble Institute of America (MIA) are proud to offer a one-of-a-kind event to stone companies from throughout Texas! You won’t be bored with powerpoint presentations because we are bringing you a “town hall” environment that is tailored to the attendee and the topics most important to fabricators!

Much has changed in the stone industry since the 2009 when the SW/MIA were last in Dallas. You will not want to miss this event.

What to expect:

The Stone World/MIA Stone Industry Education Series offers a new format, focusing on topics that the attendees want to learn about. Moderated by an industry veteran speaker, and led by a panel of fabricators willing to share their knowledge and experiences to improve and benefit the entire industry, this interactive approach has been a huge success at our events this year. The "Town Hall" forum style allows for networking with peers and sharing of ideas, often including tips that can improve efficiency and provide growth opportunities for all fabrication shops, large and small, new and established. You can’t afford to miss this opportunity to learn and share your experiences with other shop owners, managers and employees.

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A small delegation from the MIA including MIA officer, Dan Rea (Cold Spring Granite), Rick Dilts (Dakota Granite), Dave Syverson (Syverson Tile & Stone) and MIA Vice President, Jim Hieb, met in late August with U. S. Senator John Thune in his office in Sioux Falls, SD.

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Each month, the MIA profiles an employee from one of our member companies. This month, we welcome Patrick Perus of Polycor, Inc. in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada to the Cutting Edge profile page.

Q: Patrick, you are the first quarrier we have interviewed in the Cutting Edge, can you tell us what is going on in the quarrying side of the stone business?

A: The recent economic crisis has not been kind to our Industry, but 2012 is definitely a year of rebound for quarries in North America. Architects and consumers seem to like more and more the idea of using local products. We are cautiously optimist on economic prospects, and keep loving our job.

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In January 2012, the Cutting Edge delivered news (see below) that the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) was considering reclassification on LTL shipments of stone blocks, pieces or slabs. All recommendations were approved, these decisions include the following new notes: these classification changes “apply to stone blocks, pieces or slabs secured on lift truck skids, pallets or platforms or shipping carriers or racks in a diagonal or vertical orientation. Stone blocks, pieces or slabs tendered for shipment on lift truck skids, pallets or platforms or on shipping carriers or racks must be securely fastened to and must not overhang the edges of the lift truck skid, pallet or platform deck or shipping carrier or rack. Exposed surfaces and edges must be completely wrapped with plastic film or corrugated fiberboard or protected by wood or similar material.”

The result of this decision may significantly raise the rates on LTL shipments of natural stone. MIA’s original article contained an error in the description of how and why the rate increase would be realized (see below). The NMFTA actually has nothing to do with setting of rates, that is done by the individual carriers. All the NMFTA does is declare classifications for commodities to be shipped. MIA apologizes for the misinformation.

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