Slippery Rock Gazette

 Jack Seiders

Artisan Group

In his letter nominating Jack Seiders for the 2019 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement, Jim Hogan only needed ten words to put Jack’s career into perspective: “Jack Seiders is a titan of the natural stone industry.”

Jack Seiders’ career in the natural stone industry began in the 1970s with his father-in-law Tom Wilson, owner of the small, vertically integrated Capital Marble and Granite. The next forty years would include developing a state-of-the-art stone processing facility, serving as a top sales and marketing executive for one of the stone industry’s largest companies, developing his own company and, finally, becoming a major force in setting strategic direction for what was then the Marble Institute of America.

While at Capital Marble and Granite, Jack oversaw the development of granite gang saws and automated polishing lines while opening several new quarries in Texas and Oklahoma. A sizable project to produce all the granite needed for a project in between Dallas and Fort Worth called Williams Square was a tremendous opportunity to expand their facility with state-of-the-art equipment. 

By 1988, the company was involved in projects around the world. Later that year, the company was purchased by Cold Spring Granite and Jack joined the company, eventually leading their sales and marketing. He later left the company to start the distribution company Architectural Granite & Marble (AG&M). With Jack’s knowledge and entrepreneurial background, the company grew quickly and soon was selling stone products across the country. 

Jack’s impact on the Marble Institute and the industry began when he was elected to the board of directors in 2003, ultimately becoming board president in 2007. He started the Artisan Group with a focus on building membership among successful fabricators across the country. He insisted that all Artisan Group members also become association members and also become accredited. That commitment infused a number of fabricators as early adopters of accreditation. 

While serving on the board Jack insisted on two priorities. “We wanted to be involved in promotion of natural stone and we wanted to be the leaders in technical education of natural stone.”

In 2008, Jack Seiders played a major role in the industry’s response to the radon crisis. He was also a key advocate for the promotion of natural stone and utilization of a check-off program, which remains an industry priority. Some early fruits of that promotional emphasis have been  realized through the association’s Use Natural Stone campaign and education to the design community. 

Additional contributions have included hosting multiple association seminars and supporting the safety committee both financially and with personnel, which led to the creation of a vast library of slab handling and silica training materials. The Natural Stone Institute and the industry at large continue to benefit from Jack’s original strategic vision.

Congratulations to Jack Seiders, winner of the 2019 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“He was absolutely committed to the accreditation program and made a huge difference in the success of that program.”

Scott Lardner 
Rocky Mountain Stone

“A befitting honor for jack’s dedication and tireless effort on behalf of the Natural Stone Industry.”

Guido Gliori
Grazzini Brothers