K. SCHIPPER: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest from Radio Stone Update
There’s some good news on the major-illness front. No, not that a vaccine for COVID-19 will apparently soon be available, but that researchers are hot on the trail of a cure for silicosis. Doctors in Queensland, Australia, are hopeful they’ve found a way to treat the deadly lung disease that’s often caused by inhaling toxic dust particles inhaled by cutting quartz-based surfaces.
Silicosis cases have been rising rapidly in Australia, but a new procedure that involves washing the lungs with salt water has shown more success than doctors first anticipated. It’s a technique that’s already proven successful in treating some other lung diseases.
So far, six patients with early stage silicosis have received the treatment as part of a study. Researcher Dan Chambers explains it involves literally drowning one lung with a saline solution while the patient breathes off his other lung. The process takes about three hours under general anesthetic, and while the fluid is described as pretty dirty through the first few cycles, it gets cleaner with each new application of the salt water.
Because the treatment does remove crystalline silica from the lungs of the patients, it’s being seen as a potential cure. Results so far have been better than expected, and patients have been able to go home the next day. Says Chambers, “We’re very confident this would be a safe thing to do.”
Meanwhile, there’s certainly a hope that a COVID vaccine will soon return people’s lives to normal. Probably no one is hoping that more fervently than the producers of the industry’s tradeshows.
The latest show to announce a re-scheduling is Coverings, which delayed its 2021 show from mid-April to July 7-9. While the event is still scheduled for the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., attendees will find the show a bit more compact than in previous years. Unlike past years, the show is scheduled for two days, although hours will be expanded to 9:30 to 6 on July 7 and 8, and 9:30 to 2 on July 9.
Show organizers also anticipate taking less floor space at the convention center than in years past. Organizers will be working with exhibitors on exhibition details. Online registration will open in mid-January. Both the Coverings 2021 board of directors and show management company Taffy Event Strategies LLC say their main commitment is to producing a safe in-person event. An online FAQ at coverings.com says, “While the show in July will be smaller than the typical Coverings, we expect a robust showcase of tile and stone industry manufacturers from around the world.”
The delay of the in-person event also opens a slot for another quarterly Coverings Connected online session, with a new date of April 28.
The news is less positive from Nuremburg, Germany, where organizers of Stone+tec 2021 have announced that the International Trade Fair for Natural Stone and Stone Technology will not take place this coming May. While they were confident the event could have met hygiene requirements of the Bavarian state government, due to travel restrictions the number of registrations did not developed as hoped.
While Petra Wolf, a member of the management board said the decision was not an easy one, “The uncertainty in the industry is too great as to whether the accustomed experience character of Stone+tec with products to touch, competitions, award ceremonies and get-togethers can be realized in this way.” For more information, go to www.stone-tec.com
And, there’s a bit of good news out of Minnesota. The Manufacturers Alliance of Minnesota has named Park Industries its 2020 Manufacturer of the Year. Park Industries was selected based on peer recognition and its demonstration of sharing continuous improvement experiences that contribute to the overall strength and vitality of Minnesota’s manufacturing community.
The St. Cloud, Minn.-based fabrication equipment manufacturer was recognized in the mid-sized category. Joan Schatz, Park’s co-president says, “We take great pride in the role we play in manufacturing excellence, sharing knowledge and experience with others, and promoting the great career opportunities in manufacturing.” This is the 24th year the awards have been presented.
Remember, you’ll find all the industry news in our online newsletter, Slab and Sheet. For the latest data on hard surface import, go to Hard Surface Report. And, keep an eye out for the November/December issue of Stone Update Magazine, which will be available at magazine.stonemage.com. For the notes in this episode, go to our webpage for links to everything in this broadcast.
I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update and we’ll see you here again soon.