The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has issued its 2014 Awards Program Call for Entries. The Call for Entries signifies that the MIA is now accepting entries for their various awards that honor and recognize natural stone companies, natural stone professionals, and architects from around the globe.

What is more important than ensuring your business receives as much publicity as possible? Specifiers, architects, general contractors and the public view recognition from your trade association (the MIA) as proof positive that your company is competent, professional and worthy of their business. 

Kim Dumais of Miller Druck Specialty Contracting in New York commented on the significance of winning a Pinnacle Award, “Winning a Pinnacle Award validates the work we do as a stone sub-contractor. The Pinnacle Awards represent the “best of the best” within our industry. The submissions are viewed, critiqued, and judged by an esteemed group of our peers.  Winning, and the subsequent promotion generated by the MIA, allows for broad based exposure to a network far beyond our daily reach. Additionally, we at Miller-Druck have always known what a strong team we have and winning this award has endorsed this strength throughout our organization. This is not a one person award but rather a collaborative effort.”

The 2014 MIA Awards consists of:

• The Pinnacle Awards are presented to companies whose projects’ beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone in commercial and residential environments. As a Pinnacle Award winner, you will receive widespread recognition for your professional accomplishments. Again this year, with the generous support of Hanley Wood Exhibitions, all Pinnacle Award of Excellence and Merit winners have the opportunity to invite an architect from the firm involved in their winning project to StonExpo 2015. The Pinnacle Awards consist of 4 separate categories and also seeks to identify and award a project in one of the categories that demonstrates environmental responsiveness and successful resolution of sustainable goals. The 4 separate categories are:

• Commercial Interior - sponsored by MAPEI.
• Commercial Exterior - sponsored by MAPEI.
• Residential Interior/Exterior - sponsored by BLANCO.
• Renovation/Restoration - sponsored by Coldspring.

• The Grande Pinnacle Award, sponsored by Marmomacc is presented to the best project across all categories.  This award includes a beautiful trophy and a trip to Marmomacc 2015 in Verona, Italy.  Again this year, the award’s sponsor Marmomacc, will present a Grande Pinnacle Award to an architect from the firm involved in the winning project. In addition, the architect will win a trip to Marmomacc to attend Veronafiere’s week-long continuing education program on designing with natural stone.

• The MIA Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year Award, sponsored by Polycor & TexaStone Quarries, singles out one craftsman who has physically performed outstanding stone fabrication and/or installation over a period of many years. The individual candidate must have served as an apprentice stone mason and risen through the ranks as journeyman, stone mason, foreman and superintendent. In addition, the person honored must have a solid track record of leadership and mentorship, a real educator for those he/she works with.

• The Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement was established to recognize an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the natural stone industry and the Marble Institute of America. The award is named for MIA's long-time Technical Director, the late Vincent R. Migliore, who was its first recipient. 

• The MIA Natural Stone Scholarship Award, sponsored by Coldspring, provides educational opportunities for aspiring fabricators, installers, or administrative apprentices interested in furthering their careers within the natural stone industry. The scholarship covers travel and registration costs for one or more recipients to StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas, the natural stone industry's premier exhibition and education event, and MIA's Annual Meeting. Attendance at StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas and the MIA Annual Meeting offers the scholarship winner the opportunity to gain valuable technical and practical knowledge, meet and network with leading stone professionals, deepen his or her commitment to a career in the stone industry, and explore his or her potential for future leadership.

To acquire an Awards Program Call for Entries, contact Helen Distelhorst at hdistelhorst@marble-institute.com or log on to www.marble-institute.com/awards. Deadlines begin in June.