Updates From Design & Construction Week

dcw-logo (1)Design & Construction Week is only one day away, and 2016 marks the second year we will be attending the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the International Builders Show (IBS) and The International Surface Event (TISE).

We will start the event early Tuesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, leaving the day primarily for KBIS while Wednesday will be back and forth between KBIS, IBS and TISE. Then, on Thursday, we spend the entire day at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to meet with some of our favorite suppliers and equipment manufacturers at TISE.

This year, I will personally be keeping you updated on each day’s events, giving all of you who can’t be there a sneak peek at some of the latest products in countertops and countertop fabrication. I will also be attending several presentations, such as Green Homebuyers, Green Home Trends and Water Conservation on Tuesday, Best of KBIS Awards on Wednesday and Affordable Sustainability hosted by Ed Begley, Jr. on Thursday.

Stay tuned at the end of each day for a new update on all the latest from KBIS, IBS and TISE.

DSC_1989Tuesday, January 19 – KBIS

Although we didn’t make the opening ceremony fetauring Jay Leno, the day started early enough with a visit to Wilsonart, checking out all of the new and exciting products they have to offer this year. Wilsonart’s theme, Explore New Surfaces, is not entirely about new surfaces, but new combinations, such as mixing their new quartz countertops with wood or stone-inspired laminate backsplashes and vertical surfacing, as can be seen in the photo below.

From there we explored the always-lavish Kohler booth, and the introduction of their new kitchen sinks and faucests, which included a single-basin sink made of ultrapolished steel designed by Kelly Wearstler under the DSC_1991Ann Sacks brand.

Directly afterward, we set out to speak with Tim Blair, president of Native Trails, who gave me a personal tour of their new sustainably manufactured sinks that incorporate jute fibers into a concrete base.

Next, we said hello to Cathy Morgan and the folks at Federal Brace, who have developed some of the most innovative countertop supports and brackets on the market today.

After Federal Brace, it was time to visit the presentation on Green Home Trends, where we learned some important information for our sister website GreenSurfaceResource.com. Be on the lookout over there for further details on what the future has in store for sustainable homes.

DSC_2018One of the most impressive new designs at the show this year came from Silestone by Cosentino. Their new Silestone Plus quartz surfacing repels liquids and provides “enhanced color” and “increased luster,” and I was personally impressed and intrigued by the process witnessed in the demonstration.

 

Wednesday, January 20 – IBS

Wednesday was not as fast-paced as Tuesday was, but we still managed to meet up with DSC_2081several of our favorite suppliers, mostly at IBS, but as scheduling would have it, there was a enough back and forth between the North and South Halls to put in another 15-mile day.

Our first stop was a visit to our friends at IceStone to say hi and check out the latest additions to the company’s line of recycled glass surfacing, and from there, we went straight to the eye-catching displays offered by Italian stone dealer Antolini. Antolini displayed several unique pieces, including a few filled with amazing fossils, the most impressive of which was Jurassic Brown “Extra” Polished Finish. The company’s floor-to-ceiling natural stone design was equally as impressive.

DSC_2062After Antolini, it was time to catch the first and only presentation of the day back at the KBISNEXT Stage. This presentation was about indoor air quality and provided some interesting material for our readers at GreenSurfaceResource.com.

Despite the company’s recent troubles and our detailed reporting of its stock collapse, we had a fantastic meeting with Caesarstone, and it looks like things are finally picking up. It was great to see everyone in such a positive light, ready to put the past behind them. This year, Caesarstone has been focusing on lights and whites. Among the notable new colors we saw were Statuario Nuvo, Calacatta Nuvo, Vivid White and Statuario Maximus Honed.

DSC_2075Our last stop on the show floor for the day was one of the best we had at the show this year. Neolith/TheSize had several new designs of its sintered compact surfacing, many of which were based on solid earth tones, natural wood and marble. These slabs are available in several formats, sizes and thicknesses for use as DSC_2078countertops and vertical surfaces. We watched a quick display of how these surfaces can be used as stovetops and how they resist heat and open flames.

After Neolith, we took the shuttle over for our first look at TISE where we met with a few dealers of eco-friendly flooring products and fellow media personnel. We also had a talk with our friends at the Marble Institute of America who were celebrating their partnership with the Building Stone Institue (BSI).

Shortly after our meeting, we all headed down to the banquet hall for the MIA+BSI happy hour with stoneworkers, stonebuilders and stone dealers from around the country. At the happy hour, I had a few great conversations with Kevin Cole and Paul Wisnefski of ISFA,  and then I met Ted Pitts and Harry Hollander, founders of one of our closest supporters: Morware. This year, Harry and Ted brought their entire crew, including Patrick Foley, host of the StoneTalk podcast, Jason Pliml in marketing and Kathleen Teodoro in support.

Thursday, January 21 – TISE

Thursday was our last day in Las Vegas, and we were more than happy to spend it at TISE with some of our favorite equipment dealers from years past and a couple of new ones. We were thrilled from the get go because we ran across a new safety product called CarryMate, a device that provides handles for lifting and carrying slabs with a reduced risk of back injury.

After discussing CarryMate, we had a talk with Laser Products Industries about its templating system and then the vacuum-lifting equipment from Wood’s Powr-Grip. At that point, the presentation from CMS Brembana caught my eye. This international company DSC_2085was one of the first to manufacture a CNC machining center for stone working in the 1980s.

From there, we strolled across the aisle to see the good people at Lackmond, and I had a very enlightening discussion with Ted Skaff, Vice-President of Marketing. Lackmond has been manufacturing diamond stone-cutting tools for more than two decades, and its products have evolved over time to meet the needs of the industry.

After talking with Lackmond, we met with Chemical Concepts, who was primarily promoting its CounterBalance countertop support brackets and Chem-Set line of adhesives and fasteners.

We had a busy morning on the floor, so we took advantage of the Press Room Luncheon before heading back out to meet with our friend Stephanie Kadlec of Park Industries. Park Industries had several of their state-of-the-art machines on display, including the Fusion CNC Saw/Waterjet DSC_2082and the Saber 5-Axis CNC Saw.

Next on our schedule was BACA Systems, an old friend and sponser. Marketing Manager Debbie Gettings said the company has had an extremely busy year, but as always, everyone was happy to take time out of their regular workdays for the show, promoting its Robo SawJet. The Robo SawJet is an impressive piece of machinery, and the company says it can save fabricators 20 percent on material and 70 percent on labor.

After meeting with BACA, we headed over to one of the most hyped presentations of the week: Affordable Sustainability hosted by Ed Begley, Jr. and sponsored by Bostik, who has an eco-friendly adhesive that is said to be one of the best in the industry.

DSC_2087Finally, our last meeting was with Craid Horsley at Daltile, who has a wide range of countertop options available for fabricators, including granite, One Quartz Surfaces, natural quartzite, marble, limestone and travertine.

Of course, we met with a lot of other companies – far too many to name – and learned more than we could ever share. Thanks to everyone who took time to speak with us and share industry knowledge. We wish we could mention you all (and we will try to get all of the great info up on the site eventually). Even though the show consisted of long days with 10 to 15 miles of walking on each, all-in-all, we had a great time being there and presenting you with a lot that is new for 2016. Stay tuned in the coming months for further product news gathered from Design & Construction Week.