MIA Presents Craftsman of the Year, Migliore Lifetime Achievement Awards

Jesús González III of Marble World in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico
Jesús González III of Marble World in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico

The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has announced its 2013 award winners for both the Migliore Lifetime Achievement Award and Crafstman of the Year.

Migliore Award

Jesús González III of Marble World in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, was awarded the 2013 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement. González, who has been an active MIA member for more than 50 years, accepted the award at the annual MIA Awards Luncheon held during StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas. When González ‘ father became ill and passed away many years ago, he took over management of what then was a modest stone business in Northern Mexico. The firm had limited financial resources and its future at the time was uncertain. But, with his passion for stone, imagination and drive, and a dream to build Marble World into the best stone company in Mexico, he far exceeded his own ambitions. Today, the business has a worldwide presence  with numerous locations around Mexico.

González is a former MIA board member and has been an ambassador for the MIA in numerous ways. He helped attract other members from Central and South America and always represented the interests of contractors and fabricators on the board. His keen business acumen was always present at MIA board meetings and he has provided extremely valuable counsel to the association and staff leaders. A very sharp international business person with knowledge and insight that most domestic stone company owners do not have, Jesús’ reputation reaches far beyond the Americas.

Samy Beshara of Marmi Natural Stone in Norcross, GA
Samy Beshara of Marmi Natural Stone in Norcross, GA

Craftsman of the Year

Samy Beshara of Marmi Natural Stone in Norcross, Ga., was awarded the 2013 Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year Award. Beshara, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, started in the stone business at the age of 21 as an apprentice to a family friend in Egypt. Because of an inherent drive to understand the intricacies of marble fabrication, he sought work in Italy, the epicenter of the stone industry. Armed with his apprenticeship and broad training in Italy, Beshara became interested in all areas of the stone trade: he bought blades, sold blades, designed and built his own equipment and fabricated a plethora of stone objects including columns, fireplace surrounds, fountains, corbels, and even complete building facades.

He came to the United States in 2003 and settled in Michigan where he worked in a small stone shop for about a year before moving to Atlanta to join Marmi Natural Stone. He has picked up a reputation for quality and a want for perfection that has served him well over the years. His passion has brought a lot of artistry into countertops, fireplaces and other types of stone installations.