The Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) met with members of the Health and Safety Executive at Porcelanosa in Glasgow to review draft guidelines to improve manufacturing practice, highlighting the need for proper risk management and the dangers of dry-cutting.

This was the first opportunity for members, potential members and sponsors of the WFF from England and Scotland to comment and reflect on the proposed safety guidelines designed to help keep workers safe.

Senior HSE occupational hygiene expert Sue Hamblin and stone industry lead Natalie Tinsley shared the thinking behind the new guidelines, and the HSE’s determination to address the industry’s fears that the actions of a few unprincipled manufacturers might compromise the whole market for engineered stone worktops.

“There is no appetite in Westminster for Australian-style product-bans,” said WFF consultant Chris Pateman. “If the Australian industry had been subject to the kind of regulatory environment we enjoy in the UK, the ban would probably never have come about in the first place.

“All of the UK cases of occupationally-acquired silicosis so far have been among young men who have contracted the disease over a very short time frame, because they have been routinely exposed to many times the Workplace Exposure Limit. The WFF and the HSE are working closely on this, because we have a mutual interest in ensuring good practice is recognised.”

WFF members are all invited to review and share comments on the draft guidelines, before HSE takes a view on how and when to publish a final version – something that will be suitable not only for professional fabricators, but for building site managers, for point-of-sale display next to stone worktop blanks in joinery wholesalers, and for kitchen showroom managers, to remind them that with the decision to sub-contract fabrication of a stone worktop comes a legal responsibility as the lead contractor to ensure that fabrication is undertaken against a properly risk-assessed procedure.

For more information, contact: office@worktopfabricators.org

Stone Automation Ltd has agreed a distribution partnership with Leica Geosystems starting with immediate effect. With more than 200 years of history and experience, Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, supplies premium sensors, software and services to professionals in surveying, construction, infrastructure, mining, mapping and other geospatial content-dependent industries. 

Leica Geosystems recently introduced the new Leica Geosystems software-based and AI-enabled solutions for interior finishing and digital templating tailored to the residential construction market and specifically for the creation of digital templates for countertops, splashbacks and including offsets, roundings and cut-outs.

The brand will join Donatoni, Wodiam, Tesimag and Slabsmith and increase Stone Automation's portfolio to five brands and enhance its offering to the stone, glass, ceramic, tiling and engineered materials processing industries in the UK and Ireland. 

Stone Automation founder Salvatore Caruso said, “Becoming a channel partner for Leica Geosystems is proud moment for everyone at Stone Automation. Their innovative and high precision solutions lead the market and are devised with an incredible focus on the users and an understanding of their daily tasks. We know that Leica Geosystems’ solutions will help a wide spectrum of fabrication businesses work more efficiently, and that is at the core of our business. We are really looking forward to introducing their intuitive products to the region and supporting new customers.”
 

Adhesive manufacturer Kerakoll Group has announced the appointment of two new managers which the company says will help strengthen its organisational structure and guide the business through the process of market development planned at both national and international level.

Ezechiele Galloni is the group’s new chief financial officer (CFO) will be in charge of administration, finance, management control, business planning, treasury management and legal matters, while Gabriele Retucci has been appointed to the position of chief marketing officer (CMO), in charge of marketing including product, brand and communication, and market intelligence.

"The arrival of Ezechiele and Gabriele significantly reinforces the top management team, representing a step forward in our expansion strategy", explained Marco Zini, chief executive officer of Kerakoll Group. "Their expertise and international experience are perfectly in line with our objectives in terms of growth and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team and excited to work together to build a successful future for Kerakoll and for the people who work in the Group".

Ezechiele Galloni, new CFO of Kerakoll, brings with him experience spanning two decades in the industrial and financial sector, together with demonstrable experience in the international sphere. With a degree in Business Economics from Bocconi University and a master’s in administration, Finance and Control from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Galloni began his career in Snap-on, where he became CFO Europe. He went on to obtain important roles as Group CFO in SPAL, Lincotek and later FAAC Technologies, his last position before joining Kerakoll.

During his experience as CFO in FAAC, one of the world’s leading operators in the supply of systems for automation and access control, he managed nine acquisitions in four continents, simultaneously acting as chief compliance officer and, since 2023, M&A Director.

Gabriele Retucci, the new CMO of Kerakoll, boasts a rich, diverse career in marketing and sales. A construction engineer, Retucci began his career in Hilti, where he took on roles of growing responsibility in Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Germany.

He guided successful projects as head of product marketing Central Europe and head of marketing South Europe and, from 2022, as head of sales and marketing Europe for Hilti’s 'Construction Software' Business Unit, and he managed the post-acquisition integration of Fieldwire in Europe. Previously, he worked as product leader in Hilti on product development projects, and as technical service leader at international level.  

More than 50,000 visitors attended the 58th edition of Marmomac in Verona during September. During the four-day event held at Veronafiere, it attracted visitors from 140 countries, 66% of those from outside Italy.

During the event, attendees were able to meet with representatives from 1,485 companies from 55 countries, spread over an area of 74,000 sqm occupying in all 12 show halls and four outside areas.

These figures confirm the show as a leading event for the entire global natural stone community, representing in every segment of the supply chain, from unhewn stone to processing technologies, and experimental applications in architecture and design fields.

Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere commented: “The 58th show highlights the leading role of Marmomac as a model of internationality and innovation, as clearly pointed out by the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Hon. Urso, during the opening ceremony. Such success is the outcome of strong collaboration with Confindustria Marmomacchine, the ITA Trade Agency, the MAECI and MIMIT Government Ministries, trade associations and institutions in the local area."

In terms of attendance by international visitors, the show was a litmus test for trends on the main destination markets for Made in Italy natural stone and technology.

Managing director of Veronafiere, Maurizio Danese added: “Marmomac is the absolute landmark for the entire global natural stone industry, and as such also reflects changes in economic and geopolitical tensions. Confirmation of this emerges from the composition of the top 5 international buyers: in order, Germany, Spain, USA, France and India. Compared to 2023, we saw a downturn in attendance from Germany and France, consolidation for Spain and the United States and a 10% increase for India. Mention must also be made of the two-figure performance by the United Kingdom at +20%.”

It has also been announced that there are to be new initiatives to further support the natural stone agenda.

“During Marmomac, we signed the renewal until 2029 of the framework agreement between Veronafiere and Confindustria Marmomacchine for joint international promotion of the Made in Italy natural stone system," said Adolfo Rebughini, CEO of Veronafiere. “This is joined by the launch of Marmomac Brazil, a new trade fair platform that will make its début in São Paulo in 2025 to consolidate our positioning in the Americas. These two initiatives are part of a long-term vision designed to expand penetration by Italian and international companies into strategic markets."

This year, the show offered plenty of opportunities for learning with more than 40 conferences and workshops in The Plus Theatre and A Matter of Stone, culminating with the Marmomac Academy courses for architects.

Marmomac 2024 also highlighted female entrepreneurship in the natural stone sector with four women being awarded Masters of Stone for the first time at the National Women of Marble Association and the Masters of Stone ceremony.

Marmomac 2025 will take place on 23-26 September 2025.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has worked with NBS to deliver a new and improved website aimed at specifiers looking to engage with RIBA-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials.

NBS has been supporting the construction industry with free, RIBA-approved CPD content for more than 30 years by RIBA CPD Providers and this is the latest development for the partnership. The RIBA CPD Providers Network offers architects and other built environment professionals with highly relevant product and specification CPD, helping their ongoing competency and supporting quality in the built environment. All manner of experts, from manufacturers to advisory bodies, make up the members of the RIBA CPD Providers Network, helping architects to work, design and build safely and to enable safe and informed specifications. 

Each year, RIBA Chartered Members are required to achieve 35 hours’ worth of CPD, as part of their ongoing development. Importantly, the new website will make it easier for users to meet CPD requirements and automatically tracks their CPD activity on the site via ‘My CPD history’. 

The new platform offers enhanced search functionality, a simplified classification system, and a refreshed design. Now integrated with NBS Source and NBS Chorus specifiers can easily find RIBA-approved CPD materials. The launch includes a redesigned RIBA CPD Showcase featuring 60 CPDs monthly for increased visibility for RIBA CPD Providers. With over 1,000 CPD resources, the new platform offers a more intuitive user experience, improved filtering, tracks users' CPD history, and can manage favourites.

Helen Frame, director of product at NBS said: “We’re proud to support RIBA in our joint mission to make CPD materials more accessible, encouraging specification brilliance and confidence when designing. CPDs make a huge contribution to ongoing learning and are needed more than ever to meet new regulations and standards. The new platform’s integration within NBS Source and NBS Chorus will give RIBA CPD Providers more visibility while allowing specifiers to search for products and find relevant CPD materials, helping them with their project specifications.

“Our investment in this new platform reflects our commitment to a digital-first approach, delivering an intuitive, user-friendly platform that empowers specifiers to access essential content quickly and effortlessly.”

RIBA’s head of CPD standards, Joni Tyler, said: “At a time when CPD and competence are more critical than ever for construction professionals, we are immensely pleased with the new, modern website. The new RIBACPD.com will make a difference to both specifiers and RIBA CPD Providers. We are very proud to be continuing to collaborate with NBS in this partnership and in supporting their digital innovations. We are especially pleased to be able to bring the RIBA CPD Providers Network into the information fold with NBS Source and NBS Chorus.”

The RIBA CPD Providers Network offers RIBA members and other construction specifiers access to high-quality, RIBA-approved CPD content, available in various formats, including seminars either in-person or online, factory tours, on-demand webinars or at RIBA CPD Expo events. All content undergoes a thorough assessment by RIBA and its chartered architect team of assessors and is designed to be trusted, helping to support safe and informed project specifications.

To find out more, see: https://www.ribacpd.com/

 

Nominations for the Emerging Talent Awards are now open and are open to those under the age of 40 and working for firms operating in the UK’s stone and hard surfaces industry.

These include, but are not limited to: building professionals (architects, interior designers etc), stonemasons, wholesalers/importers, fabricators, conservators, retailers, CNC machinery and tool specialists and others.

The Awards are about recognising and rewarding the achievements of those at the beginning of their career in the sector – as well as shining the spotlight on the organisations that are helping develop and foster the future of the industry. Whether in training or apprenticeship, sustainability or innovation, design or manufacturing, each nominated Emerging Talent will have demonstrated the ambition and success required to progress their career.

By nominating someone for the awards, not only will you help to acknowledge the current achievements of young people in the stone and hard surfaces sector, but you’ll be helping to encourage and inspire the next generation of industry leaders.

To nominate, you'll need to complete a form including some basic details about the individual you’re nominating, along with a headshot and short 250 word supporting statement. Once nominations have been received a shortlist will then be selected from which a panel of judges will decide the winners.

All nominations must be submitted by the end of January 2025, with winners being notified in March 2025. There is no limit on the number of nominations per company, however, previously shortlisted nominees are excluded.

The chosen winners will be presented with their award, along with a voucher to the value of £250, at The Stone Show & Hard Surfaces, May 7-9 at ExCeL, London.

For more information and to enter, visit: https://www.stoneshow.co.uk/emerging-talent-award-submissions

Our columnist, stone carver and sculptor Zoë Wilson talks about her new collaboration – from concept to completion.

I recently embarked on a fascinating collaboration with a perfume brand to launch four new fragrances in their creative range. Discussions began in early summer 2023, and by June 2024, we had successfully introduced four captivating scents to the market; Sculptura, Dominus, Aequale and Enigma.

My primary role in this collaboration was to design and create unique caps for the bottles. I developed four distinctive geometric patterns that functioned cohesively as a group while standing out individually. 

My task was to carve the original pieces, after which moulds were made, and Jesmonite casts were produced for the final caps. These fragrances transcend traditional gender categories, falling instead into a creative spectrum. I was thrilled to participate in the selection of the actual fragrances, gaining in-sights into the complex combinations of scents and their varying appeal across different nationalities and audiences.

Once the fragrances were selected, it became evident that geometric patterns would beau-tifully complement the range. These patterns are universally appealing, irrespective of gen-der or age, and culturally versatile. Each cap design was inspired by elements I learned about the scents, making the project a true fusion of aroma and form.

Sintered stone brand Neolith recently hosted a live panel event called 'Creating Spaces for the Future' as part of the official London Design Festival programme.

This event which was chaired by interiors editor, Pip Rich, took place at Moley Robotics in Wigmore Street which is clad floor to ceiling in Neolith Calacatta.

The panel included 2024’s Scottish lifestyle influencer of the year, Wendy Gilmour; senior designer for Bristol based kitchen company, HUSK, Freya Gibbons; and Toni Black, interior director and partner of commercial design firm, Blacksheep.

Early on in the discussion, Toni Black said: “For me, timelessness is about being forward thinking and more responsible, rather than leaning into a particular aesthetic. It can mean repurposing timber from a derelict home or using suppliers that will provide long term maintenance for products, such as re-upholstery of furniture in ten years’ time.” 

Toni added that sustainability should be sold to the customer as part of a narrative and that designers being more responsible in their selection of materials is the key to the industry becoming more sustainable. 

Sharing her unique view in the residential sector, Freya Gibbons added: “Ultimately, certain elements of the kitchen, such as appliances or worksurfaces, are like jeans. You want them to be here in many years’ time and they hold an outfit together. So, this is where it’s worth investing. Some customers want to embrace the new. Others want the comfort of a gas hob. It’s our job as designers to get them excited about ways their new kitchen can be more sustainable.”