Slippery Rock Gazette

The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is hosting a series of Fabricator Forums in 2024, the first of which was held April 10-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The next event will be held June 11-13 in Sacramento, California. Registration is now open. 

These regional events, formerly known as Industry Roundtables, include expert-led presentations, peer-to-peer discussions, facility tours and networking opportunities. Educational topics include silica safety, fabrication and repair techniques for porcelain and other sintered materials, using artificial intelligence to tap into growth opportunities, carving out additional lines of revenue and other business best practices.  Sponsored by Cosentino, FreePower and Park Industries, the Sacramento Fabricator Forum kicks off at Cosentino Center, where attendees will have a peer-to-peer discussion about recent changes to California’s silica safety regulations. Attendees can also get a tour of the facility, which is designed to support, promote and educate trade professionals by combining exhibition areas, workspaces and classrooms for continuing education. A welcome reception will follow.

Attendees at the Charlotte Fabricator Forum take part in educational sessions including OSHA compliance, using artificial intelligence and more.

On subsequent days, the event will include presentations and roundtable discussions about: 

• Cal/OSHA’s ETS for silica and California’s AB3043, a bill that prohibits using dry methods and requires licensure, among other things. 
  
  
• Understanding the lifecycle of a project: a panel discussion with architects, designers and fabricators. 
  
  
• Using artificial intelligence to tap into growth opportunities. 
  
  
• The power of upselling: carving out new lines of revenue. 

ISFA will also take the show on the road for two fabricator shop tours, during which they’ll have an OSHA overview designed to identify common oversights and live demonstrations featuring FreePower’s award-winning wireless charging solution for countertops and repair techniques for sintered materials, including Dekton. Fabricators can get a firsthand look at what makes these shops so successful and discover ways to improve their upselling game with sessions curated to expand their horizons and arm them with powerful solutions that meet their customers’ needs. 

“We first learned about silica at an ISFA event nearly ten years ago,” said Troy Page of Ellis Page Company. “The silica presentation and overview included some updates that helped me identify some places we might have exposure. I recommend these fabricator forums; there were so many great takeaways at the Charlotte event.”

ISFA Fabricator Forums are open to all fabricators, including nonmembers, and registration starts at $300. Registration includes all programming and meals listed on the agenda. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to reserve their spot as soon as possible by visiting www.ISFAnow.org/fabricator-forums. 

“The Charlotte Fabricator Forum was a huge success,” said Marissa Bankert, executive director of ISFA. “The content is curated to help fabricators improve their businesses in multiple ways, including actionable insights they can use immediately. And with concerns about silica on the rise — especially in California — we’re looking forward to educating fabricators about developing regulations and helping them break down barriers to compliance. Silica safety is worker safety, and ISFA is here to help all fabricators learn about the issue and develop a plan of action.”

ISFA’s third Fabricator Forum will be held September 11-12 in St. Louis. Registration for that event will open this summer.

For more information about the International Surface Fabricators Association, membership and ISFA’s events, visit www.ISFAnow.org.

The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is globally recognized as a premier trade organization serving the architectural surface industry. ISFA exists to help fabricators and other industry professionals increase product quality, improve safety measures, encourage professionalism and elevate profitability by facilitating education, standards and camaraderie. ISFA values innovation, dependability, trust, honesty, ethics and serving others above all else. Learn more at www.ISFAnow.org.