It’s not just a factor of two anymore to install a countertop. Also, Stone Update rides along on a tour of hard-surface-industry vendors in Italy.

U.S. hard-surface imports in 2022 set another record in total values … but shipment volumes tell a different story. Also, a son follows his father’s lead in fabrication shop, and the 2022 Pinnacle Awards show the best of natural-stone projects

Industry leaders share their views on 2023 — and the most-valuable thing learned in 2022. Also, OSHA’s main complaints with fabricators in fiscal 2023, and the Stone Fabricators Association takes a look at smudging on black quartz surfaces.

Silicosis continues to be a hot topic in fabrication workplace safety, with a focus on shops handling quartz surfaces. Also, the best hardscape projects get their due, with natural-stone jobs judged by the of the Natural Stone Institute.

If inflation’s eating your earnings and the job backlog is getting softer, take a look at how a few fabricators are forming up slowdown strategies. Also, the Tucker Design Awards are on full display, as well as this year’s Coverings Installation and Design winners.

Cook right from the countertop with undermount induction elements? Yes, but not all surfaces are equal in performance. Also, the 2022 NKBA Design Awards show how designers are using hard surfaces — and what they’re paying.

Skyrocketing natural-gas prices and the Russia-Ukraine war are causing problems in European tile manufacturing, including porcelain slab. Energy costs should a concern much closer to home, too.

The best of natural stone is celebrated with the 2021 Pinnacle Awards. Also, U.S. hard surfaces imports recorded a banner year in 2021, and standards are still vague on thicker porcelain-slab installations.

Can machines fill today’s labor gap in fabricator backshops? Also, dealing with a small town’s Zoomtown boom times, and more on the Natural Stone Foundation.

What’s the future of granite? We asked several designers, distributors and quarriers. Also, a Toronto coffee shop goes all in with travertine.