The 2020 Xiamen Stone Fair, twice-delayed, is finally off. U.S. hard-surface imports in June made a slight improvement from May, but still lags by a third from last year. And, there's more.
Radio Stone Update is presented on the first and third Wednesdays every month at 9 a.m. everywhere on Earth with the latest news and insights in hard surfaces. Check our archives at www.radiostoneupdate.com.
The 2020 Xiamen Stone Fair, twice-delayed, is finally off. U.S. hard-surface imports in June made a slight improvement from May, but still lags by a third from last year. And, there's more.
Radio Stone Update is presented on the first and third Wednesdays every month at 9 a.m. everywhere on Earth with the latest news and insights in hard surfaces. Check our archives at www.radiostoneupdate.com.
K. Schipper: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest from Radio Stone Update.
After twice postponing the event, organizers of the China Xiamen International Stone Fair 2020 announce that there won’t be a physical show this year. The world’s largest hard-surface event is now scheduled to return next year.
Originally scheduled for this past March, in January organizers announced a new date for early June. In April the show was moved to late October.
In announcing the decision, the organizers of the show stated, “Given the situation, it is difficult to maintain the value of Xiamen Stone Fair when the presence of exhibitors and visitors from all over the world cannot be guaranteed.” They cite visa delays, limited flights and compulsory quarantines among other reasons for the move.
A 2021 date will be confirmed later. In the interim the Cloud Xiamen Stone Fair will continue as an online event.
Also looking ahead to 2021, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) confirms its plans for a physical Kitchen and Bath Industry Show next February in Orlando, Florida, along with an online event.
The tradeshow is scheduled for next February 9-11 at the Orange County Convention Center. As part of the show, NKBA is promoting what it calls a new omni-experience format which will include a live virtual program to provide attendees year-round access to exclusive show content.
Suzie Williford, the organization’s executive vice president of industry relations and chief strategy officer, says an in-person event is intended -- as long as it can be done safely. NKBA and show producer Emerald are in the final planning stages for the new online event and details are expected to be announced shortly.
KBIS 2021 is expected to feature hundreds of returning and new exhibitors across two halls and a full complement of educational offerings. N-K-B-A and Emerald are also working on comprehensive health and safety guidelines and protocols.
Company officials in Almazora, Spain, announce that James Amendola is the new vice president of North America for hard-surfaces manufacturer Neolith. Amendola has spent three decades in the stone-surfacing industry and was most recently director of sales and marketing U.S. for SapienStone. Before that, he was general manager at Cosentino.
Says Amendola, “ I have always been passionate about and dedicated to the surfacing industry. My new role is a fantastic opportunity to continue doing what I love and help raise the profile of the Neolith brand in the U.S. and Canada.”
Amendola’s hiring follows the appointment of Jose Luis Ramon Moreno as Neolith’s CEO in March. Neolith recently launched Neolith Atlanta to strengthen the brand’s network of distributing partners in the southeastern United States.
Nancy Busch began work last week as the new executive director of the International Surface Fabricators Association. Busch replaces ISFA Executive Director Amy Miller, who left the position earlier this summer to take a job with a non-profit in her Ohio hometown.
Busch has experience in construction and distribution, including fourteen years with Willis Supply, the Burlington, Ontario-based North American distributor of building materials including both Corian Solid Surface and Corian Quartz. More recently she managed a sales team covering the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.
ISFA president Augie Chavez says, ”Nancy has real-world experience with the products and processes used by our members. She’s a real champion for the industry, is enthusiastic and has expressed great interest in serving our membership, further advancing the goals of the association.”
The ISFA is a not-for-profit trade association representing professionals in the premium surfaces industry.
Emerson Schwartzkopf: This is Emerson Schwartzkopf, editor of Stone Update Magazine. There’s a … dab of good news with U.S. hard-surface imports in June, as the $247.6 million worth of goods coming into the country marked a 6.1% gain from May. The big help came with worked marble, with customs values of $29 million showing a 7% gain, while porcelain made an astounding 39.7% bounce back in putting $71.4 million in goods through U.S. ports of entry.
The good news ends when looking back farther than one month, however. June’s total hard-surface value is 36.3% behind the same time last year. Hardest-hit is quartz-surface imports, with this June’s $65.5 million in goods taking a 46.9% dive from June 2019. Go back three years and all hard-surface imports are down 42%, with the value of granite shipments sliding 62.8%.
You can get all the details in the next edition of Hard Surface Report that comes out later this week. Check your email for the announcement when the new issue goes live.
K. Schipper: In our last podcast, we promised more information on what was then a late-breaking story on the naming of a new CEO for LATICRETE. The Bethany, Conn.-based company had just named Patrick Millot to that position. Millot takes over directing day-to-day operations of the company from David Rothberg, who remains as LATICRETE’s chairman of the board.
Millot most recently served as CEO of Abrasives and Composites Systems for the French-based San Gobain. Before that, during his 24-year carrier with San Gobain, he served as president of that company’s Ceramic division and as vice president of corporate planning strategy and finance of the high-performance materials sector. He holds degrees in engineering, economics and international and European law.
LATICRETE is a family owned company founded by David Rothberg’s parents. Rothberg says he expects Millot’s experience running a larger globalized business to accelerate all the work done to date at LATICRETE.
Says Rothberg, “We will ensure continuity of our culture and values while he takes our innovation, customer centricity and globalization to the next level.”
Jeff Robertson II joins Majestic Kitchen and Bath Creation as vice president of manufacturing for its Youngsville, N.C., facility. In his new role, Robertson will lead Majestic’s initiatives to optimize precision, production and first-time-right performance standards.
Robertson comes to Majestic from G-E Aviation where he held several positions, most recently serving as senior manufacturing projects and initiatives manager. In that role he collaborated with supply chain suppliers and cross-functional teams to integrate output and increase on-time product delivery performance.
Prior to going into business, Robertson served on active duty with the U.S. Army Special Forces Regiment. He is currently a major in the North Caroline Army National Guard. He holds a B.S. degree from Clemson University, an MBA from Liberty University and is pursuing a PhD in Leadership Studies from North Carolina A and T State University.
Majestic has seven facilities including showrooms, production and distribution operations and service centers in North and South Carolina.
Westwood, Mass.-based supplier Marble and Granite Inc. celebrated its 30th anniversary last month by sending out a message thanking its partners, vendors and customers for their on-going support.
Marble and Granite Inc. operates distribution centers and slab showrooms in Westwood, Mass., Milford, Conn., and Albany, N.Y., and serves all of New England and upstate New York. Product offerings include a wide range of natural-stone products from basic granites to high-end marbles, as well as three quartz brands, Vadara, Radianz and Santa Margherita, and its newest product – sintered stone by Neolith.
In a statement, company executives said, “Since July 1990 we continue to pursue the delivery of the highest level of customer satisfaction through expert product knowledge and outstanding service. We leverage technology in every aspect of our business to maximize efficiencies and to consistently deliver on our commitments. Thank you for being part of this great milestone.”
MS International’s newest showroom and distribution center is open for business in Hatboro, Pa. The new 70,000 ft² space will serve residential and commercial clients from its location just north of Philadelphia.
The new space offers the company’s complete line of flooring, countertops, decorative mosaics, wall tile and hardscape products. The indoor showroom features a state-of-the-art indoor slab area showcasing natural stone and Q Premium Natural Quartz, Everlife LVT, and Arterra Porcelain Pavers. A designated quartz gallery houses the Q-Premium Natural Quartz collection, now available in one hundred different colors and an array of finishes.
Headquartered in Orange, Calif., M-S-I maintains more than thirty state-of-the-art showroom and distribution centers across the United States and Canada.
Remember, you’ll find all the industry news in our online newsletter, Slab and Sheet. And, don’t forget to look at the notes on this episode’s webpage for links to everything in this broadcast.
I’m K. Schipper for Radio State Update and we’ll see you here again soon.