Quartz-Surface Imports Safeguard Moves Forward

00:00 Brought to You by Quantra Quartz
00:26 Intro
00:38 Safequard Quartz Import Action Moves Forward
02:17 A Word from Quantra Quartz 
03:29 New Licensing Bill Emerges in California
05:20 Coverings Rock Stars & Champions
07:10 NTCA Honors De Geso, Lambert
09:09 Construction Resources Acquires Ramos
10:47 Fireclay Tile Adds Fox Marble
11:45 New Fabricator Guidance on Respirators
14:24 Outro
14:50 Brought to You by Quantra Quartz

Radio Stone Update is presented on the second and fourth Wednesdays every month at 9 a.m. everywhere on Earth with the latest news and insights in hard surfaces. Check our archives at www.radiostoneupdate.com.

Transcript

0:26

Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.

038

The U.S. International Trade Commission – USITC – last week agreed with the Section 301 or safeguard petition filed last September by the Quartz Manufacturing Alliance of America – the QMAA – a group of U.S.-based quartz-surface manufacturers.

The commission voted 2-1 that surging foreign imports of quartz surfaces are harming domestic manufacturers and can be subject to new tariffs and shipment quotas.

The petition cited a major increase in shipments from outside the United States, beginning in 2020, claiming those shipments caused serious injury to U.S. manufacturers of quartz surfaces. A study by the USITC found that the market share for U.S. manufacturers declined from 19.4% in 2020 to 11.7% last year.

The USITC will now consider actions to remedy the impacts of those foreign quartz-surface shipments. A public hearing is set for April 14 in Washington. The commission can impose quotas, tariffs and other trade settlements. The QMAA has asked for a 50% tariff and country-specific quotas.

The USITC will then forward its recommendations to President Donald Trump by May 18. The president can use the USITC recommendations or choose a different set of actions. Once finalized they will be in place for four years with an option of extending them for another four years.

More details on the decision should be available by the April 14 hearing, and a full report will be issued when the USITC makes its final recommendations to the president.

3:29

Anyone watching government legislative bodies knows even measures that appear to die may just be sleeping. That’s the case in California, where legislation to regulate slab fabricators is enjoying a rebirth in the state’s general assembly.

AB 2137, introduced by Assemblyman Philip Chen – a Republican from Brea – would establish mandatory workplace-safety training and licensing to acquire most natural and man-made slabs.

The bill would require California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health – Cal/OSHA – to develop a certification process by the start of 2028 and begin granting three-year certifications to qualifying shops by July 1 of that year.

Materials falling under the proposed law would be man-made stone containing greater than 0.1% crystalline silica by weight, and natural stone with greater than 10% crystalline silica. The program would be self-funded from as-yet-undetermined certification fees.

The bill’s language closely follows licensing provisions included in last year’s Senate Bill 20. That bill became law last October, but the licensing sections were removed before final approval.

AB 2137 needs to be approved by the lower house by the end of May and then head to the state senate for consideration. It closely parallels a plan introduced by the International Surface Fabricators Association – ISFA – to the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board in January.

Laurie Weber, ISFA’s CEO, said, “While AB 2137 may create some confusion within the countertop and surface fabrication industry, we support any effort aimed at improving worker safety.”

5:20

Along with its annual tile and stone show, Coverings used the event held last week in Las Vegas to honor 22 individuals as part of its awards program, including this year’s Rock Star Award recipients and the 2026 Coverings Champions.

The Coverings Rock Stars is an emerging leaders program emphasizing Coverings’ mission to support the success and growth of the tile and stone industry by celebrating the best and brightest young leaders.

Among those honored following an extensive candidate review were two builder/remodelers, including Catherine Atkins of Thorntree Fine Porcelain & Natural Stone in Dallas; six contractor installers; three designers; one distributor; one manufacturer; two in marketing; two retailers, and; one stone fabricator, Noah Marques of Marques Countertops in Slidell, La.

The Coverings Champions is an awards program initiated last year that recognizes industry leaders for outstanding contributions and advocacy for the Coverings show and the tile and stone community.

Coverings selected four nominees for the 2026 Coverings Champion, People’s Choice Award and held online voting for two weeks in February. From the four finalists, Jennifer Richinelli, editorial director of Stone World, was chosen as the People’s Choice recipient. Besides her professional responsibilities, Richinelli has served on the Coverings Installation & Design – or CID – Awards judging panel for more than 15 years.

The 2026 Rock Star Awards and Coverings Campions were presented during a ceremony March 30 as part of this year’s Coverings Show. For more information about this year’s winners, go to www.coverings.com/coverings-rock-stars.

7:10

The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), also honored industry leaders Luigi Di Geso and Dan Lambert during the annual NTCA awards ceremony at Coverings on April 1.

Di Geso received the Joe Tarver Lifetime Achievement Award. The president and CEO of MAPEI North America, Di Geso has been an integral part of the MAPEI business family for decades. Under his leadership, the company has experienced extraordinary growth, expanding from three product lines to a diverse portfolio of 19 lines serving construction and flooring professionals. 

To support such growth, MAPEI’s operational footprint has grown from 12 to 25 state-of-the-art facilities across North American and the Caribbean, and company revenue has grown to more than $1 billion.

Lambert received the 2026 NTCA Tile Person of the Year Award. Lambert is the co-owner of Lambert Tile and Stone in Eagle, Colo., along with his wife and business partner, Elizabeth.

After beginning his career in the masonry and stone industry, he discovered the challenges and rewards of tile installation. Today, the Lamberts own a successful and respected contracting business known for its commitment to craftsmanship and excellence.

Lambert Tile and Stone has received multiple NTCA awards and national recognition for outstanding business practices. Dan Lambert is also a dedicated industry volunteer who has served two terms on the NTCA Regional Board of Directors for Region 10 and currently acts as an NTCA Ambassador. He has also served more than a dozen years on the NTCA Technical Committee.

The ceremony, held in partnership with the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), recognizes individuals whose leadership, service and passion have made a lasting impact on the tile industry, according to Bart Bettiga, executive director of the NTCA

9:09

Construction Resources, a multi-product, multi-segment supplier and design authority in Decatur, Ga., has acquired Tampa-based Ramos Marble & Granite.

Ramos Marble & Granite has provided high-quality stone solutions to professional builders, interior designers and remodelers for nearly 30 years. The acquisition builds on Construction Resources’ stone and surface capabilities and reflects the brand’s continued growth in the Southeast.

John Ramos, president of Ramos Marble & Granite, and his leadership team will remain with Construction Resources following the acquisition.

Mitch Hires, CEO of Construction Resources, says his company was attracted to Ramos Marble & Granite because of its strong operating platform, customer relationships and long-standing reputation for quality and reliability.

“We plan to invest in their growth and support the team as they continue to deliver best-in-class fabrication and installation solutions to their customers,” Hires says.

Says Ramos, “We are excited to become part of Construction Resources and look forward to accelerating our growth while maintaining the same level of craftsmanship and service our customers expect.”

Construction Resources, which was acquired by The Home Depot in December 2023, is a leading southeast United States distributor of design-oriented surfaces, appliances, cabinets, plumbing fixtures and specialty products for professional contractors and designers focused on the residential building and remodeling market.

10:47

San Francisco-based Fireclay Tile announces an expansion beyond tile by acquiring Fox Marble, a Richmond, Calif.-based leader in stone fabrication and installation.

The deal marks Fireclay’s first move into stone and accelerates its push to offer end-to-end support across both manufacturing and field execution.

By bringing Fox Marble’s capabilities, crews and restoration services in-house, Fireclay aims to streamline project delivery for partners, reducing coordination challenges and improving accountability from shop to site.

The addition of Fox Marble’s Richmond, Calif., facility also establishes a central hub for a growing service platform, with plans to invest in training, systems and workforce development. Fox Marble will continue to operate under its existing brand and leadership team but backed by Fireclay’s long-term investment and operational infrastructure.

11:45

And, the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) announces the release of a new fabricator resource on respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and respiratory protection.

Developed through its collaboration with the Yale School of Medicine’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, the resource provides practical guidance for fabrication shops.

Entitled Air Purifying Respirator Selection Criteria for Respirable Crystalline Silica in General Industry, it helps fabrication shops better understand both regulatory requirements and proper respirator selection when respirators are required.

The new resource reinforces that engineering controls, including wet cutting and ventilation, remain the primary methods for reducing silica exposure, while in a comprehensive silica exposure control program respirators serve as an additional protective measure when necessary.

The new resource is the latest information in an ongoing collaborative effort between the Natural Stone Institute and Yale’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program. The program develops research, training and practical safety guidance for fabrication shops.

Additional research from the Yale collaboration, including a new medical surveillance study, is currently in the final stages of publication and is expected to be released soon.

Current resources developed through the Yale collaboration include literature review on both exposure studies and medical studies, as well as Work Practices and Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure in Stone Countertop Fabrication Shops. The latter was published in the American Journal of Internal Medicine.
 
Additionally, guidance documents are available on respirator selection criteria for RCS; RCS medical surveillance guidance, and; fabricator guidance for workplace silica exposure, among others.
 
 Jim Hieb, CEO of the Natural Stone Institute, says these collaborative efforts are focused on providing practical tools to help fabrication shops protect their employees.
 
 “Our goal is to make sure companies have access to the proper training and resources to manage silica exposure and protect worker health,” Hieb says.
 
 In addition to these technical resources, the NSI continues to provide online silica safety training and education resources for fabrication companies to help them maintain compliance with OSHA regulations. Many are available in Spanish. 
 
 To access the resources available in the NSI Silica Safety Resource Center, go to www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica.

14:24

Remember: the March/April issue of Stone Update Magazine will soon be available at www.stonemag.com. For a transcript of this podcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update, and we’ll see you here again soon.