MIA to Certify Stone Consultants

CLEVELAND – The Marble Institute of America (MIA) will establish a certification program next year for natural-stone consultants and inspectors serving the residential component of the industry,
Gary Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president, says an initiation date will be announced as soon as the task force consisting of industry leaders completes fine-tuning the MIA-sanctioned training, certification and annual continuing-education program.
The program will award those completing the program by giving them an industry designation of Certified Stone Consultant (CSC).
The task force, led by a professional certification specialist, has been working on this program since last winter.
MIA members is serving on the task force to develop parameters of the course and curriculum include Lindell Lummer, Malibu Art Tile & Stone, Malibu, Calif.; Ralph Williamson, Ceramic Tile Consultants, Phoenix; Greg Mowat, Forensic Tile Consultants, San Diego; Tom McNall, Great Northern Stone, Exeter, Ontario; Don Halverson, Forensic Tile Consultants, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; and Kevin Padden, MIA training specialist.
“With the boom in the natural-stone industry, there has been an increase in demand for consultants with the credentials to inspect previously-installed jobs to determine if, in fact, the workmanship and materials utilized were in concert with industry standards,” says Distelhorst. “Unfortunately there are many people marketing themselves as stone inspectors and stone consultants who have limited knowledge of the natural-stone industry and the appropriate standards of stone selection, fabrication and installation.
“It’s our hope that this program will create a globally-recognized means of validating craftsmanship,” he adds.
Distelhorst said the CSC course being developed by the MIA wouldn’t be limited to MIA members.
MIA is also completing its work on an accreditation program for fabricators and installers, which will allow them to market their organizations as MIA Accredited. The Fabricator and Installer accreditation program is also expected to be rolled out next year.