Natural Stone Council

Quarterly Activity Report / October - December 2007

 

 

The primary mission of the Natural Stone Council is to increase the understanding of preference for, and consumption of stone sold under the Genuine Stone™ brand.

Board of Directors includes representatives from each of the following associations:

  • Allied Stone Industries
  • Building Stone Institute
  • Elberton Granite Association
  • Indiana Limestone Association
  • Marble Institute of America
  • National Building Granite Quarries Association
  • National Slate Association
  • Natural Stone Alliance

Branding Campaign

Publications Circulation Impressions
Architect 60,000 150,000
Architectural Record 113,486 306,412
Custom Home 40,000 120,000
Kitchen and Bath Business 55,000 319,000
Landscape and Architecture 21,525 137,760
Total Impressions For October - December 1,033,172

The term "impression" refers to the number of times an ad is potentially viewed.

  
       

Future Branding Initiatives include

  • The Genuine Stone logo will be available for all NSC member associations to download directly from the genuinestone.org website
  • Other available downloads will include a toolbox of collateral (i.e. showroom posters, ad templates, flyers, etc.)
  • Templates of stone specific ads, trade sector specific ads, consumer ads, etc.
  • Website functionality/content will be expanded to be more inclusive and interactive

Public Relations

Natural Stone Council Recent Press Coverage

Date Publication Headline URL
Nov. 07 Environmental Building News Stone Industry Gathering Life Cycle Data Link
Oct. 07 Stone Industry News Natural Stone Council Makes Final Push in 2007 Fundraising Campaign Link
Oct. 07 Stone World Natural Stone Council Makes Final Push in 2007 Fundraising Campaign Link
Oct. 07 Total Landscape Care Décor: Patio Pavers Link
Sept. 07 Building Stone Magazine Natural Stone Council Forms Advisory Council Link
Sept. 07 Building Stone Magazine Natural Stone Stands the Test of Time in National Association of Home Builders" Study Link
Sept. 07 Building Stone Magazine Natural Stone Council Develops Plan to Promote Sustainable Practices for Industry Link
Sept. 07 Floor Covering News NSC Develops Plan to Promote Sustainable Practices for Industry Link
Sept. 07 Mason Contractors NSC Develops Plan to Promote Sustainable Practices for Industry Link
Sept. 07 Stone Industry News NSC Sustainability Practices Link
Jul. 30, 07 Floor Covering Weekly Natural Stone Council Promotes Sustainability Link

Fundraising Initiatives

  • The amount pledged YTD is $676,200, up $43,250 since our last report in July. This is due mainly in part to the $31,350 in pledges received at StonExpo.
  • Marble Institute of America pledged a generous $25,000.
  • All NSC Board Members continue to reach out to previous contributors in order to meet the end of year goal of $834,850
We would like to thank the following companies for generously investing in the Natural Stone Council’s mission to promote the use of natural stone products:
  • Allied Stone Industries
  • AMC Stone
  • Bandera Stone
  • Bella Pietra
  • Building Stone Institute
  • Champlain Stone
  • Colorado Flagstone
  • Connecticut Stone
  • Continental Cut Stone
  • Cumberland Mountain Stone
  • Cold Spring Granite
  • Dakota Granite
  • Delaware Quarries
  • Elberton Granite Association
  • Gallegos Corporation
  • Granite & Marble Interiors
  • Granite Expo
  • Indiana Limestone Company
  • Indiana Limestone Institute
  • Luck Stone Corporation
  • Marble Institute of America
  • Michaels Corporation
  • National Building Granite Quarries Association
  • Natural Stone Alliance
  • North Carolina Granite
  • Northwest Granite Manufacturers Association
  • Park Industries
  • Rocky Mountain Stone
  • Salado Quarry
  • Stone AV USA
  • Stonecraft, Incorporated
  • Strid Material, Inc.
  • Sturgis Materials
  • Tennessee Marble Company
  • TexaStone Quarries
  • Turner Brothers
  • U S Stone Industries
  • Walker Zanger
  

NSC"s Green Effort

For centuries, genuine stone has enjoyed a reputation of being an attractive and durable material. Now, the industry is also promoting its value by positioning itself as an environmentally responsible product and a preferred sustainable building material.

By creating an external advisory committee comprised of green building and environmental issue experts, the Natural Stone Council hopes to provide much needed insight and guidance within this new forum.

The NSC has also partnered with the Center for Clean Products at The University of Tennessee (UT) to evaluate, and ultimately improve, the environmental performance of the industry.  The joint research plan includes:
  • A life-cycle analysis of the environmental impacts of certain stone products
  • The development of strategic sustainability goals for the industry
  • A plan for outreach to the environmental and green building communities

At present, a data collection tool is being developed that will become the foundation for establishing the baseline environmental footprint of the stone industry.  This tool will be distributed to stone quarriers and fabricators in early January 2008, and preliminary results will be posted on the NSC’s website (www.genuinestone.org) later that spring.  

To learn more about the efforts of the NSC Committee on Sustainability, please visit GenuineStone.org or contact John Mattke, Chairman of NSC Committee on Sustainability, at 320.685.3621.		  
To learn more about the Green Movement, click on the following links: »

Genuine Stone Resource
Information

U.S. Green Building Council

World Green Building Council

Check-Off Program

The NSC Task Force is putting together a plan to implement an industry-wide check-off program similar to the milk (Got milk?) and beef (It’s what’s for dinner) industries.

Future initiatives include:

  • Agreement by the stone industry to tax itself as the dairy and beef industries are already doing
  • Strengthen the idea that the ½ cent per dollar self-taxation of all imported and domestic stone will enable the industry to grow larger and more powerful through research and self-promotion.

The Task Force will meet in early December to continue its work and develop a strategy.

   

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