StoneDimensions

I would like to begin my first column as MIA President with a tip of the hat to my predecessors and mentors. They have all given generously of their time and talents during the years that I have served on the Board. Mike Twiss did a fantastic job this last year in leading the board to name a new Executive Vice President. He has built on the successes of G.K. Naquin, Brett Rugo, Guido Gliori and Jim Hogan, to name a few.

As we begin a new year, things in the building industry finally seem to be looking up. We can all hope that this stubborn, vicious recession is on its last legs. Those that have survived the past four years are stronger for it. Those that have prospered are fortunate. Yet, as we know too well, many in our industry were unable to weather the storm.

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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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I was recently at the MIA Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio to meet with the MIA leadership and discuss key objectives for the upcoming year. We met to make sure that the organization has a smooth transition from Gary Distelhorst to Jim Hieb as our staff leadership. In addition, I’m excited about Jonathan Zanger assuming the role of 2013 MIA Board President. I can tell you that the MIA will continue to be in good hands.

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We are now past the half-way point of the year, and on the west coast we are finally starting to see some modest market improvements. With cautious optimism, we move into the second half of the year. Construction activity is robust in some areas of California, while work is still very slow in Oregon and Washington.

I am happy to report that the MIA Board of Directors had a successful mid-year board meeting. All but one board member was in attendance. We also had the participation of 4 past presidents. I feel that this important to note because it represents the commitment from the MIA board to stay focused on matters at hand, and to continue the strategic planning required for a successful association. Board work is completely voluntary. My fellow board members give of their time in promoting the values of the MIA. I for one, am impressed and appreciate all the time and effort that the board members and member volunteers give to advancing our cause. This is just another way that MIA membership provides value to you.

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This month I would like to bring to your attention to the use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. This process helps your website obtain more visibility among the search engines. For those of you not aware of SEO, I want to tell you how this technique helps your website and as a member of the Marble Institute of America you can or are receiving a great benefit by being listed as a member on our website.

During the SEO process, consultants look for what are called back links or inbound links. Back links are websites that people visit and in doing so are able to link directly to your website. For example; if you are a member of the MIA and your contact information, including your website address, is listed in the MIA Member Directory, people that find you on the MIA website can link directly to your site.

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I would like to start my column this month by making sure all our members are aware of the talented staff at the MIA. On May 29, 2012, one of our own was honored by the ASAE for his exceptional leadership.

Jim Hieb whom many of you know, this will be no surprise that he was the 38th recipient of the Professional Performance Award, which recognizes invaluable contributions made by association executives who are at the top level but are not CEO. Jim has been with the MIA for over 9 years, and is currently our vice president of our associations. Jim’s accomplishments would make a long list that include our first accreditation program for members, expanding the very critical safety resource and his tireless effort to expand the MIA education program which has been a very big success. So, if you are reading this, and have not sent a congratulatory note to Jim, please do so. He has worked hard for this recognition and accomplished many things that have enhanced our association.

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This year is flying by and we have now moved in to the second quarter of the year. Recently I attended the Coverings trade show in Orlando. I am happy to report that the general feeling among exhibitors and attendees that I spoke with was cautious optimism. This optimism also was seen in the MIA booth; we had high traffic and the addition of new members continues at a higher rate than the previous year.

The trade show floor appeared to have a higher level of exhibitors than in the past few years.

As a part of the education program at Coverings, my son, Jeremy, and I, participated in a forum centered on running a business with multiple generations. Also included on the panel was another father and son business team, Nick and Nicolas Powers from Metro Stone Works.

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Well, the first quarter of the year is already over and time is flying by. In my first column, I spoke about membership in our association and the second was about accreditation, both topics which I am very passionate about.

Since the beginning of 2012, we have re-instated or signed 61 new members, and received 2 new applications for accreditation. This is a great start, but we can all do more. Everyone must remember that this is our association established by members for members, and to advance the natural stone industry. Our industry is perceived by the association that represents us, so only we can make it great.

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This month I would like to continue my discussion on the valuable services provided by the MIA to increase awareness in our industry and increase benefits for our members.

Several years ago we launched an accreditation program for our contractor members. This program was set up to make sure those companies representing themselves as industry leaders and members of our association were working to the highest standards. Many companies today already strive for these standards and will easily qualify to be accredited. Both of our companies are accredited and we are proud of that accomplishment. When I looked into becoming accredited, I said two things:

1. How will this help me get more projects?
2. I am qualified to do any projects we choose to bid, so why is accreditation right for me and our industry?

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