Artisan Group companies now have earned 20 of the 48 Marble Institute of America Accreditations. Accredited Natural Stone Fabricators represent the premier companies that work on residential and commercial stone projects.
Currently, only 48 Natural Stone Fabricators in the country have achieved this coveted MIA Accreditation, 20 of which are Artisan Group members: Bangor Wholesale Laminates (Bangor, ME), Block Tops, Inc. (Anaheim, CA), Blume's Solid Surface Products (Freeport, PA), Consolidated Kitchens & Fireplaces (Omaha, NE), Creative Countertops (Las Vegas, NV), Duracite (Fairfield, CA), Eastern Surfaces (Allentown, PA) Fineline Pacific (Kent, WA), Front Range Stone (Englewood, CO), Hoffman Fixtures (Tulsa, OK), Innovative Surfaces (Hastings, MN), NBC Solid Surfaces (Springfield, VT), Rocksolid (Cleveland, OH), Rocky Mountain Stone (Albuquerque, NM), Solid Surfaces (Rochester, NY) Solid Tops (Easton, MD), Stone Store (Houston, TX), Surface Products (Cornelius, NC), Top Master (Kansas City, KS) and TWD Surfaces (Bridgewater, MA.)
"These companies now are able to proudly display the accreditation logo, which symbolizes that they both are among the finest in the natural stone industry with respect to craftsmanship, safety, and business practices," says Garen Distelhorst, the Accreditation Manager at the MIA.
"Our product offering and customer service is unparalleled and warranties are offered on all products," says Chad Seiders, Artisan Group Executive Director. "Achieving accreditation from the MIA is just one more step in offering our customers the best possible finished products, while ensuring overall employee and shop safety. We are proud of this achievement because it is a reflection of the dedication Artisan Group members have to our customers and the premium countertop industry."
To become an Accredited Natural Stone Fabricator by the MIA, a company must have successfully completed three phases of application. Phase one was the completion of a lengthy application that required the applicant company to provide various documents and references which ensure that the company is in compliance with the 10 standards of accreditation as laid out by the MIA Accreditation Commission. Phase two required the company's qualifying agent (the designated company representative responsible for filing and maintaining accreditation records for the applicant company) to pass a 200-question multiple-choice test. The exam tested the applicant's knowledge and application of material usage, installation, fabrication, restoration, care and maintenance, administration, legal/contracts, and jobsite and shop safety. The third phase was a comprehensive site visit, which included a facility review, document review, and one or more installation site visits.
With 35 members and growing, Artisan Group covers most major markets in the U.S. and Canada, and it can handle a variety of fabrication needs from a local to national scale. Its members average more than 20 years of fabrication experience in the countertop industry, and all Artisan Group members have achieved, or have begun the process to achieve, full accreditation with the Marble Institute of America. The group is among the first granite fabricators in the world to be working towards this distinction. Collectively, Artisan Group surpassed $350 million in sales in 2009.
Brands of the Artisan Stone Collection include Exotic & Classic Granite, Modesto Granite (starting at $35/square foot) and Saratoga Soapstone. It also offers a marble collection as well as Heritage Wood surfacing products. Apart from countertops, the Artisan Group supplies the Firstline collection of granite care products as well as Kohler sinks and faucets through an exclusive specialty dealer program with the Kohler Company. For more information, visit www.artisan-counters.com
For over 60 years the Marble Institute of America has been the worlds leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world. The purpose of the MIA's accreditation program is to provide excellence in the natural stone industry and recognize companies demonstrating compliance with quality standards, so that the public values, has access to, and benefits from consistent, competent, and safe fabrication, installation and maintenance of natural stone.
TWD Surfaces, the 20th Accredited Artisan Group, from Left to right: Bob Gleason, Will Sheehan, Nancy Aiello, Leslie Jones*, Flo Byron, Greg Budd*, Tina Duarte*, Benaye Iovinella*, Rick Silva, Maurice Steiblin*, Alyssa St. Gelais, Ray St Gelais, and Olivia Hallett (*Denotes no longer with TWD)
TWD Shop & Warehouse staff, from left to right: Alfonso Cruz*, Eric Baptiste, Hans Camacho*, George Serpa, Obed Flores, Fidel Contreras Sr., Ray Pare*, Segundo Camacho*, Scott Edgehille, Joel Camacho, Walker Gomez, Jose Contreras, Luis Garcia*, Francisco Contreras, and John Christian (*Denotes no longer with TWD)
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