2014 MIA Accreditation Class Honored

Contact:
Marble Institute of America
(440) 250-9222
networking@marble-institute.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(MIA0091)

Oberlin, OH, February 2, 2015 — Nineteen (19) companies were honored at the MIA annual meeting / awards ceremony in Las Vegas, NV, for earning the MIA accreditation credential in 2014. MIA Accreditation for natural stone fabricators and commercial contractors recognizes those companies that meet the industry's highest standards for business activities, product knowledge, fabrication and installation.

Receiving the MIA Accredited Natural Stone Fabricator credential:

• AHI Stoneworks of Hot Springs, AR
• Artistic Counters, Inc. of Garden Ridge, TX
• Dee Brown, Inc., of Garland, TX
• INcounters of Abilene, TX
• KG Stevens, Inc. of New Berlin, WI
• Lakeside Surfaces, Inc. of Norton Shores, MI
• Morningstar Marble & Granite, Inc. of Topsham, ME
• Paramount Stone Co. of Stamford, CT
• Picasso Tile & Design of Tempe, AZ
• Pure Granite Rocks! of Vernon, BC
• Quality Surfaces, Inc. of Spencer, IN
• Sims-Lohman of Cincinnati, OH
• Smokey Mountain Tops of Knoxville, TN
• Stoneshop of Cherry Hill, NJ
• Surfaces of New Britain, CT
• Tennessee Marble Company of Friendsville, TN
• U.S. Granite of Tyler, TX

Receiving the MIA Accredited Commercial A Installer credential:

• Camarata Masonry Systems of Houston TX
• Dee Brown, Inc., of Garland, TX

Receiving the MIA Accredited Commercial B Installer credential:

• Stockett Tile and Granite Co. of Phoenix, AZ

MIA Accreditation Commission Chairperson Rodney Harvey, Curtain Wall Design & Consulting Inc., shared “this was the largest single year for newly accredited companies since the program launched. It is great to see companies embrace the stone industries highest credential.”

Jim Hieb, MIA’s Executive Vice President/CEO, added that “the growth of the program is largely attributed to an improving economy and launch of the popular accreditation program immersion classes.”

Several program enhancements are planned for 2015 including more immersion classes, work with the design community to reference “MIA accreditation” in design specifications, and continued work on creating an accreditation program for the care and maintenance segment of the industry. For more information about becoming accredited or the next immersion class (April 15th in Orlando, Florida) go online to www.marble-institute.com/programs/accreditation/accreditation-archive/becoming-accredited/.

The MIA is also thankful to the support offered by several program sponsors: Artisan Group, Coldspring, Kohler, Laticrete, Marmo Meccanica North America, MS International, Park Industries, Schechner Lifson Corporation, and Rock of Ages.

NOTE: Mountain Marble and Granite, Inc., Asheville, NC, successfully completed all phases of the Natural Stone Fabricator program late in 2014, and will be officially recognized at StonExpo 2016. Additionally, Carnevale & Lohr Inc is the first accredited company (Commercial A Installer program) in 2015.

About the MIA
The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has served as the authoritative source of information on standards of natural stone workmanship and practice and the application of natural stone products for 70 years. Membership in the association is worldwide and includes over 1,700 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers in 55 countries committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics. MIA offers an industry accreditation program for fabricators and installers, markets a range of technical publications and consumer pamphlets on natural stone, sponsors business and technical meetings and seminars on industry-related topics, provides educational programming for architects and construction specification professionals, and conducts the annual Pinnacle Awards competitions recognizing outstanding natural stone projects worldwide. More information can be found on the association's website: http://www.marble-institute.com.