Fabricator Membership in the Natural Stone Institute

Did you Know? Here is the bottom line for fabricators:

• The Natural Stone Institute is your support and proactive industry voice for Advocacy in sustainability, standards, safety and industry regulation.
• The Natural Stone Institute is the industry arm for Education and delivers knowledge to over 12,000 stone professionals annually and has supported 15,000 architects and designers in accreditation.
• The Natural Stone Institute is the industry's Technical Advisor and supports over 3,000 technical inquiries and referrals annually.
• The Natural Stone Institute is the Global Marketing agent that drives over 26,000 unique visitors and 1 million hits to the Institute Website monthly.
• The Natural Stone Institute is the leader for Networking opportunities and relationship development by hosting 14 Regional and National events.
• The Natural Stone Institute is helping to save lives and limbs through its progressive Safety initiatives.
• The Natural Stone Institute is driving Professional development through innovation and life-long learning.

Did you Know? Here is the bottom line for fabricators:

As a Natural Stone Institute member, you will have direct access to expert, authoritative technical information on the use of natural stone. You'll receive Natural Stone Institute's renowned Dimension Stone Design Manual, the most comprehensive and trusted technical resource in the industry, plus project-specific technical advice from:

• Natural Stone Institute's Technical Director and staff, available by phone and email;
• Technical bulletins and other resources on the Natural Stone Institute website;
• Natural Stone Institute blogs that periodically address technical issues;
• The Technical Q&A column in the Natural Stone Institute's monthly newsletter, Cutting Edge.

Your Membership ROI: An answer to just one technical question could save you thousands of dollars or help you avoid a costly mistake.

Did you Know?

• The Natural Stone Institute represents the stone industry on seven (7) national standards setting committees (including ASTM, ANSI, NSF, etc).
• Fabricators are encouraged to serve on Natural Stone Institute technical committees working to enhance industry installation standards.
• The Natural Stone Institute routinely gives educational seminars to key fabricator stakeholders including the BAC, AIA, and CSI (amongst others).

Natural Stone Institute members subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics. Displaying the Natural Stone Institute member logo, the symbol of trust and authority, on your website, business cards, and brochures immediately identifies you as a stone professional dedicated to ethical business practices, customer satisfaction, and the future of the stone industry.

To further distinguish your company and gain a competitive advantage, residential fabricators and commercial installers can pursue Natural Stone Institute Accreditation. Achieved only by completing a rigorous accreditation process, this prestigious designation is widely regarded as the premier designation of a company's commitment to the highest standards of business practice and quality stone craftsmanship.

Your Membership ROI: Natural Stone Institute participation sets you apart from the competition by aligning your business with the stone industry's most prestigious and respected organization.

Did you Know?

• Member satisfaction surveys continuously rank the organization's "symbol of trust and authority" as a primary reason for being member.
• Membership certificates and electronic logos are provided to help you showcase your involvement. Decals are also available for your fleet of vehicles.
• Displaying the Natural Stone Institute member logo helps with your B2B and B2C relationships.
• Many opportunities exist for fabricators to gain additional exposure and recognition for getting involved with Natural Stone Institute activities.

The Natural Stone Institute is dedicated to helping your company expand its reach and broaden its customer base:

• Your company's full contact information is featured in the online Natural Stone Institute Member Directory at marble-institute.com, making it accessible to stone- and service-seekers worldwide. The Institute's website receives more than 1 million hits each month on average.
• The Natural Stone Institute is a top education resource for the design community. As a member, you can be involved in presenting Natural Stone Institute-sponsored credit-earning continuing education programs for designers and architects, a valuable opportunity to showcase your expertise and your business. Educating the design community means business!

• The Natural Stone Institute markets the use of natural stone and Institute member firms to specifiers of construction materials, including architects and designers, in national print and web advertising campaigns.
• The Natural Stone Institute offers professionally designed marketing support materials and showroom resources.
• The Natural Stone Institute uses social media and creates apps for tablet computers to promote the benefits of natural stone.

The Natural Stone Institute also showcases members and their accomplishments on the world stage through widely publicized special events and awards programs that recognize excellence:

• The Pinnacle Awards competition, honoring stone projects that exemplify beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship
• Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement
• Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year award

Your Membership ROI: Higher awareness of your products and services and recognition of your achievements helps build your brand awareness, your reputation, and your business.

Did you Know?

• Over 80% of the Natural Stone Institute's website visitors are looking for a stone company.
• Over 15,000 architects and designers have benefited from education provided by the Natural Stone Institute about natural stone.
• Many fabricators utilize Natural Stone Institute produced turn-key training materials to connect with the design community.

When you join the Natural Stone Institute, you become part of a worldwide community of leading stone professionals, with exclusive opportunities to network, share knowledge and ideas, and gain new clients through referrals. You can connect with fellow members through:

• The Natural Stone Institute's annual meeting, held in conjunction with the industry's premier trade show, StonExpo;
• Members-Only networking events at major industry gatherings, including the Coverings trade show;
• A Members-Only LinkedIn news group.

Your Membership ROI: The potential for gaining new clients and new markets for your product or service adds tremendous value to your membership.

The Natural Stone Institute is widely recognized as the leader in stone industry education. As a member, you can take advantage of regional Natural Stone Institute educational opportunities, online webinars, and the association's comprehensive library of printed and online educational materials. You also can apply for training scholarships. The Natural Stone Institute offers:

• In-depth training sessions at StonExpo and other major industry events;
• An award-winning Stone Safety DVD series, available to members at a discounted rate;
• Numerous technical manuals, available in print and electronic formats, covering major topics in stone application, restoration, and maintenance.

Your Membership ROI: You can enrich your knowledge and refine the skills of your staff through high-quality educational initiatives.

Did you Know?

• Over 12,000 stone professionals benefit annually from Natural Stone Institute facilitated education.
• Fabricators can submit proposals to become a Natural Stone Institute speaker at major stone trade shows — a great way to expand your outreach and become known as a subject expert.
• Natural Stone Institute training benefits both fabricators and their customers.

Natural Stone Institute members enjoy substantial discounts on information resources, events, business services, and marketing tools, including:

• Up to 50% off publications, training videos, and marketing materials from the Natural Stone Institute bookstore;
• Discounts on exhibiting at the StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas trade show; a StonExpo booth discount can easily exceed the total cost of Natural Stone Institute annual membership;
• Reduced entry fees in Natural Stone Institute's prestigious Pinnacle Awards competition;
• Members-only savings on many Business Services, such as Shipping, credit card processing, liability insurance, office supplies and print services, website optimization services, and more.

Your Membership ROI: Natural Stone Institute's discounted shipping program alone could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year!

Did you Know?

• The StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas trade show discount is often higher than the price of Natural Stone Institute membership!
• The average annual savings for participants in the Natural Stone Institute shipping program is $880 (again, more than the price of North American membership).
• Several supplier members offer special discounts to fellow Natural Stone Institute members.