Page 4 - March 2024 SRG Flipbook

Special Features
in this Issue...
SLIPPERY ROCK GAZETTE ® The Voice of the Stone Fabricator
FloForm: Industry Leader with 14 North America Locations, by Peter Marcucci ................... Begins on 1 Training, Safety and Education
Industry Calendar of Events and Training: April to May 2024 .................................................................................... 5 Are You Still Working IN Your Business? by Ed Young ............................................................................................... 6 Prune Your Tree, by Rick Phelps ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Enhanced Programming Featured in April ISFA Fabricator Forum ....................................................... Begins on 7 Bridging the Gap: From Marketing to Customer Experience for Countertop Shops, by Anthony Milia Begins on 8 TaketheGuessworkOutofProfitableGrowth,byDarleneCampagna............................................................... 10
Industry Topics, Tips and Featured Columns
Weather Report, by Sharon Koehler ................................................................................................................... 11 The Stone Detective: The Case of the Strange Sound, by Frederick M. Hueston ................. Begins on 12 A Few Reproductive Truisms You Never Studied in Science Class, by Sam Venable ............................... 15 Stone Restoration and Maintenance Corner – Pricing Tips: Don’t Undervalue Your Work,
by Bob Murrell ....................................................................................................................................... Begins on 17
Industry News
Manu Shah of MSI Receives 2023 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement ........................... Begins on 4 2023 Pinnacle Awards Announced .......................................................................................................Begins on 13 NaturalStoneInstituteAnnouncesStoneScholarshipRecipients ...........................................Beginson14 Sam Arcot Named Natural Stone Institute Person of the Year ................................................. Begins on 18 Kohler Wins 3 Awards at KBIS 2024 .................................................................................................................... 23
Marketplace ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Classified Ads .......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Contributors & Staff
Rick Stimac .......................................................................................................................................... Publisher Larry M. Hood .................................................................................................. Editor and Design Director G. William Brown................................................................................................................. Graphic Designer Mark Anderson ......................................................................................................... Department of Humor Darlene Campagna................................................................................................................. Direct Opinions. Frederick M. Hueston .................................................................................. Stone Forensics Investigations Sharon Koehler.................................................................................................... Stone Industry Consultant Rufus B. Leakin ........................................................................................................ Guru of Urban Folklore Peter Marcucci ................................................................................................................ Special Contributor Anthony Milia ........................................................................................................................... Milia Marketing Bob Murrell ............................................................................................................... Restoration Consultant Rick Phelps................................................................................................................... Synchronous Solutions Justin Shaw .....................................................................................................................Stone Fabricator Elite Ed Young..............................................................................................................Fabricator’s Business Coach Sam Venable.................................................................................................................... Department of Irony
Read our online edition at www.slipperyrockgazette.net. Use the Classified drop-down menu to browse ads and to place a classified ad, and the article links to view stories in the current issue. Send advertising inquiries to LHood@ slipperyrockgazette.net, and comments c/o publisher@slipperyrockgazette.net. Subscription requests, a classified ad submission form, current and archived back issues and articles are available online at www.slipperyrockgazette.net .
Manu Shah (MSI) has received the 2023 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Manu and Rika Shah started MS International (MSI) in 1975, in the basement of their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The original idea behind the business was for Mrs. Shah to work at home during her pregnancy and still generate additional income for the family. Manu had originally come to the United States to get his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, which he accomplished in 1968.
From 1974-1981, while getting MSI off the ground, Manu contin- ued to work full-time as a mechan- ical engineer at International Harvester, a manufacturer of trucks and farming equipment. During these years, he also worked as a broker selling blocks of gran- ite to U.S. manufacturers, primar- ily in the monuments industry. In 1981, while still operating MSI out of their basement, the Shahs secured the contract to supply black granite for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. With their entire savings invested in this project, they spent endless nights making sure that the project was executed perfectly—and it was.
Manu Shah, 2023 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement
Building on this success, the Shahs decided to develop and grow MSI full-time, and moved the com- pany to Southern California. Until 1987, the business primarily served as a distributor of granite for mon- uments and tombstones. The Shahs soon realized that natural stone for residential and commercial usage had even higher market potential and redirected their efforts toward developing this sector of the indus- try. By 2008, MSI was among the top importers of natural stone in the world, with materials from virtually every major stone sourcing country across the globe, including India, Brazil, China, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Mexico.
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Manu Shah of MSI Receives 2023 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement