Masonry Magazine August 2006 Page. 46
News
# Michigan
The Michigan Mason Contractors Association (MMCA) continues to plan for their annual fall meeting and officer election at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich, Sept. 8-10. Golf and family activities are planned.
For more information about future activities, please visit the MMCA website at www.mmca-mi.com.
# New Mexico
The 11th Annual Southwest Stone Carving Workshop will be held in Jemez Springs, N.M., Sept. 17-24.
The workshop welcomes those of all experience levels. Topics range from basic stone carving techniques to advanced carving and monumental sculpture. The curriculum is designed to provide stone carving instruction with an emphasis on individualized attention. Utilizing a team faculty approach, the workshop provides comprehensive training in stone and tool selection, safety issues, setting up your workspace, techniques for carving various types of stone, and finishing a sculpture.
Selected suppliers will be on hand during the workshop to sell tools, safety equipment and a variety of stone. They also will be available to provide technical support.
For more information or to register, call (877) 683-3097, e-mail info@swstonecarving.org, or visit www.swstonecarving.org.
# Tennessee
The 2006 Building Stone Institute (BSI) Study Tour will take place in Memphis, Sept. 10-13. The tour will include visits to BSI member firms Barden Stone and Christie Cut Stone. Participants are invited to stay at the luxurious and well-known Peabody Hotel.
On the first day of the tour, participants will take part in two, hands-on seminars during a portion of one tour. The seminars will be on the following four topics: repairing counter top imperfections (Akemi North America will be presenting), "How to Choose the Proper Mortar for Your Stone and Why" (Spec Mix will be presenting), "Proper Installation of Natural Thin Stone Veneer" and "Proper Installation of Natural Stone Paving."
Participants will dine at Felicia Suzanne's and be entertained by the Dempsey's, one of the hottest bands in Tennessee. The Study Tour closing dinner will be held at the Elvis Auto Museum, directly following a private, after-hours tour of Graceland.
For more information, visit www.buildingstoneinstitute.org.
Industry News
# Simpson Strong-Tie Opens New Facility
More than 200 guests attended the grand opening event for Simpson Strong-Tie's new manufacturing facility in Eagan, Minn. The new, 56,000-square-foot distribution plant and training center was built to better serve customers in the upper Midwest, including lowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
In addition to the warehouse and plant, the new location features a 2,000-square-foot training center, offering educational workshops to specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors.
# JLG Receives Platinum and Gold Awards
JLG Industries Inc. was awarded the Platinum Award for overall highest ranked entry and Gold Awards in the "Direct Mail, Single Piece" and "Press Kit" categories in their "Measures of Success" marketing communications awards program by The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The awards were announced at the association's recent marketing communications seminar in Baltimore, Md.
The "Measures of Success" awards program was sponsored by AEM's Publica-