Marble Institute of America Announces
Winner of the 2005 Pinnacle Awards

LAS VEGAS, NV, November 15, 2005— The Marble Institute of America (MIA) today announced the winners of its prestigious 2005 Pinnacle Awards competition, which recognizes excellence in commercial, residential, and restoration natural stone projects worldwide.

Eight projects were singled out from a record-breaking number of entries demonstrating superior beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship by MIA-member stone suppliers, fabricators, and installers. The projects range from upscale residential to a magnificent temple, and this year include a world-class memorial.

Serving as judges for the competition were Wey Lee, Senior Associate at Ted Moudis Associates, architects; Richard Zurita, Principal at Architecture and Planning PC, Immediate Past MIA President, Paul Vigna, from Artisan Tile & Marble Company of New Jersey; and Chuck Muehlbauer, the Technical Director of MIA.

"The projects submitted this year were just outstanding and confirm the fact that natural stone is the premier building material choice of leading architects & designers, and the leading surface material choice for kitchen & bath dealers and designers and homeowners," says MIA President Scott Lardner, President of Rocky Mountain Stone Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Each of the entries illustrates the unique ability of natural stone to add beauty, sustainability, and value to projects large and small, commercial or residential."

MIA presented the Pinnacle Awards to the winners today at its Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The meeting is held in conjunction with StonExpo, THE premier North American tradeshow for the natural stone industry.

Following are the 2005 Pinnacle Award winners:

• Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Excellence to Design MGM of Banning, California for its role in the stone fabrication and installation at a private residence in La Jolla.
• Residential Interior/Exterior Award of Merit to Granicor of St. Augustin, Quebec, Canada for quarrying and fabricating the stone in the Falling Spring House in Alleghany County, Virginia.
• Commercial Exterior Award of Excellence to four MIA member firms who collaborated on the Newport Beach Temple in Newport Beach, California. The winners are: Bestview International of Wood Dale, Illinois, fabricator; Campolonghi Italia, S.R.L. of Massa, Italy, fabricator; Kepco + of Salt Lake City, Utah, stone installer; and Rock of Ages Corporation of Barre, Vermont, stone supplier.
• Commercial Exterior Award of Merit to Vetter Stone Company of Kasota, Minnesota for supplying and fabricating the stone for the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
• Commercial Interior Award of Excellence to both D.M.I. Tile and Marble, Inc. stone fabricator and installer, of Birmingham, Alabama and to Tennessee Marble Company, stone supplier and fabricator, of Friendsville, Tennessee who worked together on the Alabama Department of Archives and History Building, West Wing Addition in Montgomery Alabama.
• Commercial Interior Award of Merit to Intertile Distributors, Inc. of Oakland, California for supplying the stone for the stunning Sensi Restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Renovation/Restoration Award of Excellence to three MIA member firms who cooperated in restoring the 90 West Building in New York City. The winners are: stone fabricator A. Lacroix and Sons of Saint Sebastien, Quebec, Canada; stone contractor Continental Marble, Inc. of Holbrook, New Jersey; and stone panel fabricator Kepco + of Salt Lake City, Utah.
• A Special Pinnacle Stone Memorial Award of Excellence was made to Cold Spring Granite Company for their role in the USS San Diego Memorial project in San Diego, California.

To view a copy of the 2005 Pinnacle Awards brochure which depicts the winning entries, please go to http://www.marble-institute.com/awards/05pinnacle/index.html. For electronic versions of any photo please contact Levy Media Group at blevy@levymg.com.

About the Marble Institute of America
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2004, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) is the world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.

For more information, contact MIA at (440) 250-9222, e-mail MIAinfo@marble-institute.com, or visit www.marble-institute.com

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