Check out the latest issue of ISFA's Countertops & Architectural Surfaces magazine

Check out the Latest Countertops & Architectural Surfaces Buyers' Guide issue

ISFA Annual Conference
Sponsored by GranQuartz, Crossville, BACA, Cosentino, Infinity, Galleria of Stone, Gemstone, Integra Adhesives and Park Industries, Oct. 20-23
Scottsdale, Ariz.

mDesign Live
Oct. 28-29
Grand Rapids, Mich.

NBMDA Annual Meeting
Nov.12-14
New Orleans, La.

ISFA Synchronous Flow Roundtable
Sponsored by MSI & Park Industries
Nov. 12-14
Tampa, Fla.

Greenbuild
Nov. 20-22
Atlanta, Ga.

ISFA
PO Box 627 Ingomar, PA 15127

Phone
(888) 599-ISFA

Email
info@isfanow.org

Do you want to:

• Improve Net Profit?
• Reduce Process Lead Times?
• Enhance Stability and Control of your Business Operations?

This November, renowned trainer, Ed Hill will provide a full day Synchronous Flow training for ISFA in Tampa, Florida.

Synchronous Flow is an overall business operations system that brings control and stability to an otherwise chaotic process. It is a professional approach to business management. It is particularly well suited for the custom fabrication industries because it provides a system to deal with the variety of events that can occur every day. It is ideal for the business that has grown to the point that it must adapt an overall management and control system in order for the company to continue its growth. It is particularly well suited for a rapidly growing business.

This event is suitable for business owners and production/shop managers and supervisors responsible for increasing productivity and reducing expenses and waste in the manufacturing/fabrication process.

This training is being held during the Tampa Roundtable Event. 2 hours of Roundtable dialog will still take place, and 2 networking events are also included in the price of Registration.

CLICK HERE to register or learn more about  the event.

prompted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue warnings. The report put out by the CDC on Sept. 27 goes into detail on the dangers and the particular cases that occurred, which included the deaths of several workers. Most of the injured workers predominately worked with engineered stone.

In response, National Public Radio (NPR), put out an expose on the subject, interviewing several industry sources, including ISFA, about the problem. The article was relatively thourough, and did mention that permissible exposure limits (PELs) to silica dust were been halved by OSHA regulations in 2016. However, OSHA did give fabricators more than a year to get in line with the regulations and the article did not mention that silicosis generally is a result of extended exposure, meaning the new rules have not had much time to take an extensive effect.

That said, ISFA's Countertops & Architectural Surfaces magazine, working with OSHA experts TechneTrain, have put out extensive information on how to meet the new OSHA guidelines. ISFA believes that safety regulations are key for a healthy industry and supports worker safety to the full extent of federal and state regulations. As such, ISFA offers various resources on meeting OSHA safety guidelines, including a "Crystalline Silica Employee Safety Training Program."

In coming months, ISFA will work with OSHA and other sources to continue to educate the industry on this subject, and we urge all fabricators make this potential hazard a priority.

Cosentino Group has become the first company, both in its sector and worldwide, to obtain ISO 20400:2017 certification as in accordance with the guidelines of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM), a grouping of 48 worldwide purchasing and supply management associations. This achievement recognizes the responsible management and strict principles of sustainability of the purchasing pepartment of the company.

ISO 20400:2017 is the most recent development of UNE 15896:2015, also known as the "European Purchasing Standard," which was established in 2007 with the aim of bringing together the best business practices and providing a guide to help all purchasing departments lead their companies to excellence. ISO20400:2017 on Sustainable Purchasing was issued in 2017 and aims to highlight and establish the contribution of purchasing to sustainability and corporate social responsibility policies, by requiring such policies to be applied both internally within the company and by its suppliers and clients. Click here for more information.

ISFA's primary purpose is to provide education and networking opportunities to the Surfacing industry. Our Industry Roundtable events are an excellent opportunity to take advantage of both benefits!  Join us in Guadalajara, Mexico in December to receive education from industry professionals and engage in meaningful dialog with industry peers. Click Here or email info@isfanow.org.

In case you missed these informative articles:

• ISFA Fabricator Profile: Carolina Custom Surfaces
• The Power of Listening to Make Sales

• Generation to Generation, Behavioral Drives are Different

• Infinity Shades of Gray

Find many more useful articles in our Online Archive.

repeatedly and efficiently drill holes with the correct dimensions for use with the Keep-nut anchoring system*. Using an array of compatible bits, the machine can prepare holes in a variety of hard surfaces including granite, marble engineered stone, UHPC, porcelain, Dekton^®, glass and composites. The vacuum foot allows secure attachment to rough surfaces including unpolished granite and textured ceramics. This water-cooled, pneumatic machine requires only a single airline and a water feed to operate. Keep-Nut is a press-in threaded insert that mechanically anchors to provide permanent threads in panels or countertops made of marble, granite, composites, carbon, Corian®, HPL, glass and others solid surface materials. For more information, CLICK HERE.

color matches. The glue is suitable for seaming and edging solid surface, granite, quartz, and other engineered countertops and surfaces. It provides an even, consistent cure, is easy-to-apply and achieves aesthetically pleasing seams. It is Greenguard Certified low VOC, and usually ships the same day from five strategically-located warehouses around the United States. Color matching charts and more information is available HERE.

thermoformed, and contains 93 percent recycled content. elementAl LIGHT is well-suited for tabletops, furniture/benches, partitions, shelving/cubbies, doors, and even artwork. elementAl LIGHT is made in the U.S and contributes to more sustainability in commercial and residential structures, assisting in managing the recycling issue in the United States. the material, available in 13 colors with options for custom designs, contains a "frosted” finish which can be backlit, showcasing a colorful glow. It can  be thermoformed to a specific shape in a mold and cooled to create a unique finished product. It is suitable for hotels, restaurants, office buildings, retail stores, schools, customized homes and other installations.

fabricator that has been in business for at least 2 years, and you have a need and an interest to be mentored by a veteran fabricator, our Million Dollar Mentorship program may be right for you.

Click here for more details and a link to apply for the program.