Stone World Magazine Podcasts

Jennifer Richinelli and Jason Kamery discuss how the Fabricator of the Year nomination process worked this year as well as letting people know voting is open.

Jennifer Richinelli and Jason Kamery discuss how the Fabricator of the Year nomination process worked this year as well as letting people know voting is open.

Will Wood, AIA, RID, principal at Austin, TX-based McKinney York Architects (MYA) took time to talk with Stone World about several of his firm’s recent projects and explained why they prefer to specify natural stone for their designs. With a background in both architecture and engineering, Wood has been with MYA for 29 years. “I very much enjoy the creativity in architecture,” he said. Listen to his full interview to learn more.

Tim Zeng of Zeng Countertops & Surfaces has been in the fabrication business for 25 years. Company culture is a top priority for Zeng. He values his employees and considers the company’s success – and even his nomination – a team effort. In addition to being a leader at his shop, Zeng is currently executive director of the Stone Fabricator’s Alliance (SFA). He explains how he first learned about the organization and slowly got involved.

When Peter Dominguez came into the industry through his father about ten years ago, California Surfaces' predecessor company was under pressure. He learned the trade one segment at a time and became president in 2022. Justin Zuschlag has been in the industry since 2003, starting as an estimator in college and moving through CAD, floor management, and production management. Both credit the nomination to the crews. Zuschlag pointed to the safety work, including a push toward zero silica exposure, and to a shop where about 80 percent of the people have been there close to 15 years.

Corri Melling has been in the industry about 20 years. Melling Granite opened in 2006, and she has fabricated, installed, and run every part of the shop since. The last five years she has put much of that energy into Women in Stone, part of the Natural Stone Institute, and into educating the next generation of fabricators.

Chris Hildebrand founded Affordable Quality Marble & Granite in 2006 in Aiken, SC. He was the first in his area to adapt to technology and grew the company into a fully automated operation. Hildebrand has a passion for assisting other smaller-sized fabrication shops to succeed. As a result, he established the organization All Slab Fabbers in 2019, which has now grown to include 15,000 members.

Jeff Erickson, Brian Burns, and Brad Burns started Cutting Edge Countertops in April 2006, just before the housing crash, and have since marked 20 years. All three say the credit belongs with the people who have stayed with the company, including some who have since moved on. The Perrysburg hard-surface plant is about 94,000 to 95,000 square feet, up from a 24,000-square-foot start they once thought they would never outgrow. The three owners now sit as co-presidents over a layer of vice presidents, running synchronous flow and pushing training, including a training academy they expect to lean on in 2027. Cutting Edge has hosted an SFA event, shared silica and safety work, and treats local giving as a company value.

Clint Reagle came to stone from manufacturing engineering in the automotive world, where Japanese process and technology shaped how he thinks about production. He brought together an artisan operation that still takes the hard, nearly all-custom jobs, with digital layout and equipment supporting the craft rather than replacing it. Reagle said the nomination was a surprise. Being noticed gave the shop a rare moment to stop and see the work.

Jennifer Richinelli catches up with Micheala Steinbach, Mario & Son and Stephanie Hannah, Cadenza Granite & Marble, at Marmomac.Brought to you by: