Marble Institute of America: Press Room

MIA Accreditation Program Picks Up Pace

CLEVELAND, OH, August 20, 2007—Three more companies have joined NBC Solid Surfaces of Springfield, VT, as Marble Institute of America Accredited Natural Stone Fabricators. Radtke Tile and Marble of Carson City, NV; Solidtops of Easton, MD; and Great Lakes Granite and Marble of Redford, MI have all earned the coveted distinction after successfully completing the demanding three phase procedure which includes individual exams and on-site inspections.

"Professional accreditation is extremely beneficial in our industry and worth the effort," stated Fred Radtke, owner of Radtke Tile and Marble. "In the marketplace, differentiation is paramount. We understand the competitive edge accreditation brings to our marketing strategy."

"Qualifying companies have one year to pass the exam and another year to complete the site visit… although so far, everyone has finished everything in one year," stated Garen Distelhorst, MIA's accreditation program manager. He added, "Currently, over one hundred firms are in various stages of completing the process."

The route to becoming accredited consists of three equally-weighted phases. Phase one requires the completion of a lengthy application which ensures that the company is in compliance with the ten standards of accreditation as laid out by the MIA Accreditation Task Force. The second phase consists of two hundred question examination, testing the applicant's knowledge and use of materials, installation, fabrication, restoration, care and maintenance, administration, legal/contracts, jobsite and shop safety. The final phase is a comprehensive site visit, which includes a review of the facility, documents, and one or more installation inspections.

In addition to these requirements, residential natural stone fabricators must first have completed two hundred projects in the last three years.

Commercial accreditation is broken into two categories: Commercial A, for companies conducting high-rise and large scale commercial work and Commercial B, for firms handling smaller-scale, commercial stone installations such as hotel lobbies, bank lobbies and low-rise interior/exterior cladding.

Natural stone companies wishing to apply for the Accredited Natural Stone Fabricators designation by the Marble Institute of America can do so at www.marble-institute.com/accreditation and scroll to the bottom of the page and click: Application Request Form.

About the Marble Institute of America
For over 60 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world's 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.

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If you would like more information about this topic please call Garen Distelhorst at 440-250-9222 or e-mail Garen at gpdistelhorst@marble-institute.com.