The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) announced the winners of its annual awards at the association’s recent annual meeting and conference in Cancun, Mexico. The ISFA awards are chosen by association members, and given to those in the industry that stand out as the very best.
The Fabricator of the Year Award was given to Rockin’teriors (Laura Grandlienard), a world-class fabricator of a variety of hard surfacing products located in Raleigh, N.C. The Fabricator of the Year is awarded to an individual of a fabricator member company that in the past year has best exemplified the ISFA ideals of quality, innovation, character and exemplary service to ISFA and/or the decorative surfacing industry, with overall excellence. The company earned the award for focusing on quality and ethics, while also making sure to leave every customer happy. Rockin’teriors is also committed to eco-friendly fabrication, installation, and materials, they recently weathered Hurricane Florence, and they will be a vital part of North Carolina’s rebuilding. Omar Salazar attended the conference and proudly accepted the award on the company’s behalf.
The other honored winners are: The Associate of the Year Award is given to an associate member company that in the past year has best exemplified the role of servicing the needs of fabricator member companies, and who has best supported ISFA in all activities. This year’s winner is CountertopResource.com, which works closely with ISFA to regularly disseminate information about its programs and projects. Additionally, the company serves ISFA members and the industry by providing daily news and product updates, as well as articles, editorials and events. It also offers a monthly newsletter to the industry (that generally includes upcoming ISFA events, news and information). And it has a secondary website, GreenSurfaceResource.com, dedicated to green building, which is becoming more important to the future.
The Innovator Award is for the member firm or individual who goes outside the box to create a product or system that enhances the life or elevates the role of the surface fabricator. The 2018 Winner is Crea Diffusion (Thierry and Laurent Delles). Based in France, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries of solid surface, and still does, coming up with unique ways to use it in thermoforming applications, cladding and decorative patterns, as well as getting it places in very high-profile locations such as the Palace of Versailles and the recent exterior application on an entire building in downtown Paris. They are among the top solid surface innovators in the world, never saying “that’s not possible” but rather saying “let’s make that possible” and succeeding.
The Envision Award is given to the manufacturer member that excels in creating something imaginative and special for the surfacing industry. The 2018 winner is Park Industries. The company developed and implemented a traveling Digital Stoneworking Expo to help fabricators take their business to the next level and has been putting on these events now for 10 years, and growing programing each year. During these live events, participants learn about new technologies, the digital fabrication process, and metrics for better management, and they are educated through machine demonstrations, fabricator presentations and shop tours. These events help fabricators to meet their production and labor demands.
ISFA’s founder Mike Duggan was inducted into the ISFA Hall of Fame, joining a long list of esteemed industry professionals. The Hall of Fame Award is given to the individual who has, in the course of his/her career, made significant contributions to the decorative surfacing industry, and has demonstrated leadership and commitment to the ideals of ISFA. Duggan’s drive, intelligence, creativity and hard work were the key elements to founding the organization. He was the original catalyst that brought together the founding members of the association more than 20 years ago and pushed them to work together with him to create ISFA (ISSFA), which has done so many good things for the industry and fabricators over the years.
About ISFA
The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to helping its members become more profitable through education, fostering professionalism and promoting the countertop industry. For more information contact Executive Director Amy Miller at 567-239-2102 or [email protected].
