Page 22 - June SRG

22|June 2020
Slippery rock Gazette
2019 Natural Stone Scholarships Awarded
Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship
Stand Ins
After Amy Simonson and Dan Stuglik’s wedding plans were disrupted amid the outbreak, a packaging company donated more than 100 card- board cutouts to pose as stand- ins for the family and friends who couldn’t attend the wedding that Saturday because of Michigan’s stay-at-home order.
Menasha Packaging Co. in Coloma made cutouts to resem- ble guests tall and short, young and old, with long hair, short hair and ponytails.
“(Stuglik) was just looking for a general person shape, but I was able to make a little bit more re- alistic audience for them,” Ted Harris, customer service and de- sign manager at Menasha, told The Herald-Palladium.
Stuglik, a Coloma Township police officer, said he’ll forever be thankful to Menasha for help- ing him do something special for his fiancée.
“I wanted to do something (cre- ative) so she wouldn’t walk down the aisle to an empty church,” he said. “That was a painful part, that her wedding was being stripped away from her, but Menasha helped bring a little back.”
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The Chinese Professional Baseball League restarted its season in late April, and one team employed a creative solu- tion to combat the empty seats at Taiwan’s Taoyuan Baseball Stadium.
The Rakuten Monkeys un- veiled a slate of robot manne- quins and cardboard cutouts for their matchup against the CTBC Brothers, and some of the robot fans even banged drums in the stands, according to the American Foreign Press. Rakuten's home game was reportedly canceled due to rain, but the CPBL will continue to play through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CPBL is the lone profes- sional baseball league currently playing amid the coronavirus outbreak. MLB suspended all operations on March 12, and it has not set a date for a potential return to play.
MLB is currently exploring a plan to hold all games in Arizona, and the season could begin as early as June. Fans are unlikely to be at the potential games, with only players, coaches and “essential personnel,” allowed inside stadium gates.
SPONSORED BY
Jennifer Burlak
NorthWoods Granite
wanted to open a stone countertop com- W
couldn’t tell the difference between granite and quartz, didn’t know what a bridge saw was, and didn’t know where a single stone distribution company in Minnesota was located. She now handles the company’s marketing, managing social media and creating TV and radio content and promotions.
Jennifer’s future career goals include learning more about digital fabrication, running a safe and efficient shop, and gaining more insight into stone-related customer service. She says: “I
hen her husband announced that he
pany, Jennifer was skeptical. NorthWoods Granite opened in 2015 with a rented shop space, a rail saw, and a few hand polishers. Nearly five years later, the rural family busi- ness has become a success, and natural stone has quite literally become Jennifer’s life.
Jennifer admits that in the beginning, she
knew very little about the stone industry. She want to know the product I sell inside and out.”
Natural Stone
Scholarship
SPONSORED BY
Delaware Quarries, Inc.
Nadia Grogan
Fraserview Masonry
Nadia has had a passion for stone since childhood. She combined an enthusiasm for geology and a keen interest in architecture and heritage buildings into a career in masonry.
Her experience has been multifaceted, and she remains committed to learning. She soon plans to begin an online master’s program on World Heritage Conservation.
Cody Pfeiffer
Genesee Cut Stone & Marble
Cody credits the stone industry for giving him a new life and injecting energy and passion back into his job. After his first tour of
a slab warehouse he knew this was where he wanted to be. Entering into a field he knew noth- ing about was risky, but it was the best career and life choice he has ever made.
Bob Paul, Managing Partner at Genesee Cut Stone, describes Cody as a rare find at his age and a natural in sales who immediately took on
understanding of stone. He says: “Nadia is a mentor to new staff, an inspiration to current staff, a confidant and advisor to peers. I can see her becoming a key part of the stone industry.”
As a Women in Stone mentee, Nadia has en- joyed gaining new perspective and insight into the industry. She explains, “I have been fortu- nate to have encountered some very supportive people during my career who have patiently passed on their knowledge of stone. I know my future is in the natural stone industry.”
Alan Lisle, Foreman and Manager at Fraserview Masonry is impressed by Nadia’s hands-on capabilities and extensive
Natural Stone Scholarship
SPONSORED BY
Delaware Quarries, Inc.
duties servicing their biggest customer. He says, “Cody has a great eye for color and movement and has in a short time become invaluable in the material selection process.”
Cody’s future is bright. He says: “I now work in an industry that requires commitment to self-improvement and education. My excite- ment for my career is what inspires me, and I picture myself forever working in the natural stone industry.”