The Natural Stone Institute is pleased to announce a new industry recognition award for 2024. The Thor Lundh Quarrier Award will recognize a Natural Stone Institute member who has made an extraordinary contribution to quarrying natural stone. The recipient will be recognized at either the NSI Study Tour or Marmomac. The jury panel will include representatives from both the North American Quarry Advocacy Group and the Global Advocacy Group.

Joanne Bish, director of marketing for DuBois Granite & Quartz for the past four years, is the recent recipient of the 2023 Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship.

Over 100 members attended NSI’s annual study tour, which took place in western Colorado, September 10th to 14th. Highlights of the event included a rare glimpse inside Colorado Stone Quarries’ historic Pride of America marble quarry and fabrication facility and a trip to the Gallegos stone yard and marble shop in Gypsum. During the Gallegos visit, attendees enjoyed a fun Poker Run activity featuring their suppliers. 

After postponements do to the pandemic, the China Xiamen International Stone Fair recently celebrated its 23rd edition with a positive number of attendees and exhibitors.

Registration is now open for the 2023 Natural Stone Institute Colorado Study Tour, beginning Sunday afternoon September 10^th and continuing through Wednesday night, September 13^th.

The 23rd China Xiamen International Stone Fair is scheduled on June 5th to 8th at Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center. The total exhibition space reaches 170,000 square meters with 22 exhibition halls structured as eight area for domestic stone, international brands, artificial stone, machinery & tools, outdoor, design, media and natural stone varieties collection.

Stone World recently had the opportunity to ask several leading industry professionals about the latest trends in quartz and porcelain slab lines, as well as the education being provided to fabricators about cutting and installing these materials.

Recently purchased by the owners of Meshoppen Stone, Endless Mountain Minerals in Susquehanna, PA, has grown to be the largest Bluestone fabricator and distributor.

Bre Covell, general manager of Pacific Shore Stones in Springdale, AR, shares her experiences so far as a woman in the stone industry, including being a part of Women In Stone.

The Natural Stone Institute has announced the recipients of the 2022 Natural Stone Scholarship and Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship. Both recipients will be celebrated during the association’s annual Awards Ceremony at StonExpo in Las Vegas on January 31.