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Special Features
in this Issue...
SLIPPERY ROCK GAZETTE
The Voice of the Stone Fabricator
®
Kitchen Creations, Inc. – 25 Years of Innovation, by Peter Marcucci ......................................... Begins on Training, Safety and Education
1 Industry Calendar of Events and Training: February 2024 to March 2024.................................................... 5
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members to its board of directors in 2024. Fabricators Todd Scott, Smokey Mountain Tops, and Troy Ellsoos, The Countertop Factory Midwest, will serve as directors, while Meagan Hegland, Park Industries, will serve as associate member representative.
Originally from Muskegon, Michigan, Todd Scott now calls Knoxville, Tennessee, home. A University of Tennessee alum, he cofounded Smokey Mountain Tops with his brother Tim. Todd intro- duced Tessaro, a unique solid sur- face material, to the marketplace. Shifting from lab casework, he and his team embraced residen- tial and commercial countertop markets, fostering local relation- ships for growth. Today, Smokey Mountain Tops thrives with a focus on retail, kitchen and bath, builder and commercial countertops across Tennessee. Todd’s insight into the challenges that today’s fabricators face, including silica safety, demon- strates his commitment to progress and his ability to represent the best interests of the association’s core membership.
Troy Ellsoos is the operations director for The Countertop Factory Midwest in Addison, Illinois. He
ISFA Announces 2024 Board of Directors
Maximizing Growth Through Customer Referrals, by Anthony Milia ...................................... Begins on 5 Reduce Chaos In Your Business, by Ed Young .................................................................................................... 6
Five Things Your Shop Should Focus on in 2024 to Get Leads, by Stephen Alberts ............................... NationalStoneInstituteAnnounces2024StoneIndustryEducationSeries.............................................. 9 Getting from Point A to Point B, by Rick Phelps ............................................................................ Begins on 9
Industry Topics, Tips and Featured Columns
This is Happening... by Sharon Koehler .......................................................................................... Begins on 13 Stone Restoration and Maintenance Corner – Consumables for the Restoration Professional,
by Bob Murrell ..................................................................................................................................... Begins on 19 The Stone Detective: The Case of the Stubborns Haze, by Frederick M. Hueston ................................ 12 Readin’, ’Ritin’ and ’Rithmetic Now Taught With Different Schtick, by Sam Venable ............................ 21
Industry News
NSI’s 2024 Stone of the Year .................................................................................................................................... 3 ISFAAnnounces2024BoardofDirectors ........................................................................................Beginson4 Sims-Lohman Announces Florida Acquisition .................................................................................................. 12 National Stone Institute Announces New Board Members ........................................................................... 13 ISFA Appoints Marissa Bankert New Executive Director .............................................................................. 14 Brazil Celebrates the Diversity of Its Natural Stone at Big 5 Global Tradeshow .................................... 16 Natural Stone Foundation Board Update ........................................................................................................... 17 BACA Systems and Comandulli Forge Stratetic Partnership ....................................................................... 17 Polycor Announces Fabrication and Distribution Division ............................................................................ 18 Blake Christensen Appointed to NSI Executive Committee ......................................................................... 20
Marketplace ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Classified Ads .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Contributors & Staff
Rick Stimac .......................................................................................................................................... Publisher Larry M. Hood .................................................................................................. Editor and Design Director G. William Brown................................................................................................................. Graphic Designer Stephen Alberts................................................................................................... Countertop Marketing Co. Mark Anderson ......................................................................................................... Department of Humor 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 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 .
he International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) welcomes three new
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Troy Ellsoos, Operations Director, Countertop Factory Midwest
Todd Scott, Smokey Mountain Tops
is an experienced leader with a proven track record of success. A strategic innovator skilled in cost optimization, Troy has reduced labor expenses by over 20% through streamlined pro- cesses. He has been recognized for capacity enhancement, lead- ing facility relocations to increase revenue potential by up to 50%. Proficient in Lean methodol- ogies, Troy is adept at qual- ity improvement and decreasing remakes to less than 5% through rigorous quality control. He is an accomplished team leader, co-owning and co-lead- ing teams to achieve budget and financial targets consistently.
Meagan Hegland is the national sales director for Park Industries. With a decade in industrial manu- facturing and a specialized focus on stone fabrication, she excels in sales and operations.
Meagan holds certifications in sales leadership and Six Sigma, underlining her commitment to continuous learning and opera- tional excellence. She seamlessly transitions between spearhead- ing sales and optimizing oper- ations, infusing a relatable and human touch into her leadership approach.
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