Kansas: In 1803 the United States purchased Kansas from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Known as the "Sunflower State" Kansas also came to be called "Bleeding Kansas" because of the amount of violence the people endured during the Civil War. Kansas entered the Union on January 29, 1861 to become the 34th state.
The Geodetic Center of North America is about 40 miles south of Lebanon at Meade's Ranch. It is the beginning point of reference for land surveying in North America; meaning when a surveyor checks a property line, he is checking the position of property in relation to Meade's Ranch in northwest Kansas.
Civil War veteran S.P. Dinsmoor used over 100 tons of concrete to build the Garden of Eden in Lucas; even the flag above the mausoleum is made of concrete!
People in Kansas need countertops too, and there are plenty of places to supply them! You can find a list of countertop businesses in Kansas here.
This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Kentucky next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.
There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.
In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.
We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.
Let us know what you think!
Friday, August 7, 2015
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Iowa
Iowa: The "Hawkeye State" entered the Union on Dec. 28, 1846 to become the 29th State.
French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to visit Iowa in 1673. Iowa was included in the Louisiana Purchase and came under U.S. control in 1803.
Dubuque is home to the only county courthouse with a gold dome.
Ripley's Believe It or Not dubbed Burlington's Snake Alley as the most crooked street in the world.
Cornell College is the only school in the nation to have its entire campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
People in Iowa need countertops too, and there are plenty of places to supply them! You can find a list of countertop businesses in Iowa here.
This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Kansas next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.
There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.
In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.
We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.
Let us know what you think!
French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to visit Iowa in 1673. Iowa was included in the Louisiana Purchase and came under U.S. control in 1803.
Dubuque is home to the only county courthouse with a gold dome.
Cornell College is the only school in the nation to have its entire campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
People in Iowa need countertops too, and there are plenty of places to supply them! You can find a list of countertop businesses in Iowa here.
This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Kansas next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.
There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.
In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.
We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.
Let us know what you think!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Enjoying Time Off in the Summer
According to surveys, nearly half of all small to mid-sized business owners believe they don't have time for summer vacations and do not take them. However, when these entrepreneurs take advantage of communications technologies, they find they can untether themselves from their offices and shops while remaining available to guide employees through tough waters and emergencies.
With the expansion of mobile technology and cloud services, it's not too difficult to work remotely, as many of you probably already know. However, when you don't give yourself enough of a break from the daily processes of business, you may not be receiving the full benefit of a summer vacation. A full 43 percent of people aged 34 to 48 work during vacations, and those 49 to 67 years of age still work 40 percent of their vacation time.
A surprising fact, however, is that younger entrepreneurs work less than their older counterparts while on vacation, yet they show greater business growth and are much more optimistic about the future of their businesses.
The primary factor to consider when thinking about whether you need a vacation is stress. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized studies in Japan proving that people under chronic levels of stress lose their ability to think clearly and make goal-oriented decisions. The more stress you are under, the more your decisions shift from those that proactively draw you closer to your goals to those that are simply reactions to new situations.
An article published in Forbes details how stress is a large factor in the health of employees and employers. In 2012, the average U.S. worker left nine vacation days unused because they felt they couldn't take the time away from work. In 2012, stress-related healthcare costs reached $344 billion. When you consider all the people you know who've been negatively impacted by stress, that statistic is, sadly, not so surprising.
A full vacation may be able to break you out of your stress cycle, lead you into greater productivity and bring you closer to your long-term goals. However, I have very few suggestions on how to overcome this problem except to make sure your staff have the skills to cover each other's vacations and yours. Trust them for the short time you are away and even consider a retreat into nature where cell phone signals can't reach (or turning your mobile devices off). You may have a few small fires to put out upon your return, but if you have prepared sufficiently, all in all, your business will remain in great shape and be better off because of your brief absence.
If you've had a hard time taking vacations in the past, but have managed to break free from your work on a regular basis, please share your ideas and experiences on how you were able to achieve this important and necessary state. And if you are still trying to figure it out, you might want to start with this article from Bloomberg Business.
Take care, and may you all find a little time away from the job in the remaining weeks of summer.
Sincerely,
Brian Jones, Editor/Content Manager
info@countertopresource.com
Friday, July 24, 2015
MIA Technical Bulletin Simplifies Tolerances Research
The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has always provided high-quality materials and
services to help members and consumers, and the organization is not letting up on offerings designed to make our work lives just a little easier. Although it has been several months, I thought it would be diligent to highlight one of the latest informational releases from the MIA: a new technical bulletin titled Tolerances in the Dimension Stone Industry.
This technical bulletin was actually released in September 2014, but a press release was not issued until March 14 of this year. We here at CountertopResource.com would’ve loved to bring this to you earlier, but it has been a busy year for all of us in the industry, and there is just too much information to cover in depth at all times. However, we believe that this bulletin is so valuable that it is better to talk about it now rather than not all.
MIA Technical Bulletin Volume VII, Issue II was primarily written by Chuck Muehlbauer, technical director of the organization, and was designed with not only fabricators and installers of natural stone in mind, which includes countertop fabricators, but also with designers and architects in mind. The document pulls together installation and fabrication tolerances from several sources, which makes it easier to research and obtain published tolerance standards.
Nothing in Manufacturing or Construction Is Exact
One of the great strengths of this bulletin is that, from the very beginning, it admits that “nothing in manufacturing, construction or commerce is exact.” Although new technologies have allowed us to reduce the level of error, nothing measures exactly as it was specified. Because of this, all manufacturers have provided for allowable deviations from their specified values, and this includes the dimensions that affect the structural integrity and aesthetics of natural stone.
Unfortunately for those in the natural stone industries, tolerance variations for installation and fabrication are not easy to find. It can take uncounted hours to find the specific information required to take the guesswork out of a job. The value of the new technical document was best defined by Muehlbauer when asked about the MIA bulletin:
“The recently published MIA bulletin on fabrication and installation tolerances for natural stone has simplified the lives of both the specifier and the provider,” stated Muehlbauer. “Previously, one would have had to sift through more than 1,000 pages of published documents to find all of this information. Now, it can be easily referenced in a matter of minutes.”
New Voluntary Standard
The Stone Tolerances Technical Bulletin from the MIA is considered to be a voluntary standard for anyone working with natural stone. It has been cross-referenced with tolerance levels provided from a wide range of sources and organizations, and it has been reviewed by stakeholders in the industry as a consensus of their opinions. When no specific documents are available to cover a natural stone project, the MIA encourages this bulletin to be cited as an appropriate industry standard.
Under normal circumstances, this document can be considered an authority on the subject of stone tolerances. However, buyers and sellers may agree to alternate standards, and under extreme conditions, these tolerances may not be appropriate.
The complete technical bulletin is available free of charge at the MIA website, and it can be viewed, downloaded and printed by clicking on the following link: MIA Technical Bulletin on Tolerances in the Dimension Stone Industry.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Indiana
Indiana: The "Hoosier State" entered the Union on Dec. 11, 1816 to become the 19th State.
True to its motto, "Cross Roads of America" Indiana has more miles of Interstate Highway per square mile than any other state. Today more major highways intersect in Indiana than any other state.
The first long-distance auto race in the U.S. was held May 30, 1922, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner averaged 75 mph and won a 1st place prize of $14,000. Today the average speed is over 167 mph and the prize is more than $1.2 million. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the site of the greatest spectacle in sports, the Indianapolis 500.
Peru Indiana was once known as the "Circus Capital of America".
All of those people in Indiana need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them! You can find a list of countertop businesses in Indiana here.
This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Iowa next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.
There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.
In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.
We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.
Let us know what you think!
True to its motto, "Cross Roads of America" Indiana has more miles of Interstate Highway per square mile than any other state. Today more major highways intersect in Indiana than any other state.
The first long-distance auto race in the U.S. was held May 30, 1922, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner averaged 75 mph and won a 1st place prize of $14,000. Today the average speed is over 167 mph and the prize is more than $1.2 million. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the site of the greatest spectacle in sports, the Indianapolis 500.
Peru Indiana was once known as the "Circus Capital of America".
All of those people in Indiana need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them! You can find a list of countertop businesses in Indiana here.
This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Iowa next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.
There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.
In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.
We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.
Let us know what you think!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Going Green in 2015
Sustainability and, more specifically, sustainable living is becoming increasingly important in the consumer and commercial sectors, and this is making a direct impact on countertop fabricators. At the very least, it should be providing food for thought about how to tap into this growing market and earn additional profit simply by giving the people what they are clamoring for.
One of the biggest problems connecting the people to the environmental products they want is a lack of organization and effort to implement environmentally sound materials and systems into residential homes and commercial businesses. However, the tides are rushing in from around the world, from Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
A quick Internet search tells the whole story on sustainable development in the United States. Statistics regarding sustainable homes and commercial development are conducted by government agencies and are readily available to the public in Europe, the United Kingdom. and New Zealand, but are largely based on volunteer organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in the United States.
The only statistics you can easily find are from the United Nations, which reports that the United States has more voluntary initiatives for sustainable development than any other country in the world at 157. The next highest is France at 110, and after that is the United Kingdom at 89. It is quite odd that the United States has so many voluntary initiatives underway without central leadership or organization like we see in other countries.
It is my firm belief that the U.S. environmental movement is about to grow some seriously long legs, and it is going to start running. The idea of using sustainable materials in the home, and especially in the busiest room of the house - the kitchen - is already catching on in the suburbs and in the country, far away from the progressive strongholds in large cities. It looks as though it is only a matter of time before the movement hits a crucial tipping point, and the number of people looking for sustainable surfaces swells to even greater proportions.
While laminate and granite remain the most popular choices for countertops, quartz has been making strong gains, partially because it is viewed as more sustainable. However, a long list of "green" surfaces is now available, including concrete, recycled paper composite, recycled solid surface, reclaimed wood, and sustainably grown and harvested bamboo, as well as recycled glass, tile and stone.
We are certainly taking steps to meet the growing demand for sustainable surfaces, and we would like to hear how you are doing the same. Drop us a line with your stories about green surfaces or just to say hello, and look for more soon.
Sincerely,
Brian Jones, Editor/Content Manager
info@countertopresource.comMonday, June 15, 2015
A Good Sign for the Countertop Industry
As the second quarter of the year nears its end, the outlook for the countertop industry remains bright . According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), new home sales rose by 6.8 percent this April at a seasonally adjusted rate of 517,000 units, and confidence in the multifamily market remains steady.
Home Sales on the Rise
New data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that home sales increased, but results in the nation vary widely in different markets. In the Midwest, home sales increased by 36.8 percent, but the Northeast experienced a decline of 5.6 percent while the South witnessed a decline of 2.3 percent.
Tom Woods, chair of the NAHB said, “Sales are moving forward, and our builder members are telling us they are starting to see more activity as more buyers get off the fence and enter the marketplace.”
Chief economist of the NAHB, David Crowe, concurred, stating, “Following an unusually low sales report in March, today’s numbers are consistent with other data we’ve seen recently and indicate a continuing, gradual improvement in the housing market.”
Housing Starts Increase
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in addition to an increase in sales, housing starts jumped by 20.2 percent in April for an adjusted annual rate of 1.135 million homes. This is the highest increase we’ve seen in the U.S. since the recession first began to hit in November 2007.
Breaking down the numbers, we see that single-family housing starts rose by 16.7 percent while multifamily starts increased by 27.2 percent. “Our builders tell us that consumers are slowly returning to the market,” said Woods. “This month’s report shows release of pent-up demand and evidence of a sustainable housing recovery.”
Crowe also applauded the numbers but pointed out that single-family housing is still only about half it what is should be in a fully recovered market. “With low interest rates and affordable home prices, we expect more upward momentum in the months ahead,” said Crowe.
Even though sales have dropped in the Northeast, this region accounts for an 85.9 percent increase in starts while residential building starts fell by 1.8 percent in the South. In the Midwest, starts rose by 27.8 percent, and the West saw a gain of 39.0 percent.
Multifamily Production Index Holds Steady
Another article from the NAHB reports that the national multifamily market has held steady through the first quarter of 2015 as measured by the Multifamily Production Index (MPI), which was at 54 at the beginning of April. This marks 13 consecutive months the MPI has had a score of 50 or higher.
The MPI was designed to measure the confidence of builders and developers in the current market, and the scale runs from zero to 100. Any score that is higher than 50 reflects that a greater number of reports show that conditions are improving rather than declining.
“Multifamily developers remain positive about the market,” said Dean Henry Stanton, chair of the NAHB Multifamily Leadership Board. “We’ll continue to see increased demand as new households form and the job market improves.”
June Is National Homeownership Month
As National Homeownership Month comes to a close, it has become evident that the increase in sales and starts may be because of the increased affordability of homes across the country. According to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, 66.5 percent of homes sold in the first quarter of 2015 were affordable to families with median annual incomes as low as $65,800.
At the end of March, the median home price in the U.S. was $210,000, down from $215,000 at the end of 2014.
First-time home buyers are also taking advantage of special programs, including those that offer low down payments, which is helping to push up sales. In some instances, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are underwriting loans for first-time home buyers with as little as 3 percent down. In addition, the average interest rate on mortgages fell from 4.29 percent to 4.03 percent.
The NAHB has been pushing Congress to ease restrictions on credit conditions for some time, and in April, Chairman Tom Woods testified before the Senate Banking Committee at a hearing on obstacles to obtaining new mortgages.
Woods is a strong advocate of the Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act, which he said “is intended to ease the ability to repay requirements for community lenders who may fear originating non-qualified mortgage loans.”
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