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November Vignette: Block Party

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This One’s For the Girls - Meet the Women Leading the Building Materials Industry

Building Materials and women are not going to win any word association contests, but we have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest in both categories.  We want to highlight some of these rock stars of the industry and how they have brought their unique personalities and values into a largely male dominated industry and thrived.  We may not agree on everything, but we can all agree that women have reached some seemingly unattainable milestones of late, so let’s take a moment to give a nod to those in our ethos that are helping us bring the healthy building materials message home.

Kate Roberts, Kirei Design Materials

What are your favorite things about the building material industry?  

I love that this industry is driven by technology and creativity, two things that force constant evolution and change. 

How did you end up in this industry?  

I was hired at an architectural firm in the marketing department right out of college and was able to join the Construction Specification Institute where I started working with our architects on our finish specifications.  After meeting a number of sales representatives, I was recruited to a local tile and stone distributor and it started my love for all things building material related. 

What values do you instill in your organization and why?

“Doing Right” is a core company value at Kirei and it is one that I personally connect to.  Honesty and integrity are an integral part of my day, every touch point with an employee, vendor, and client is an opportunity to consciously do right.  Personally, this carries the meaning of efficiency, effectiveness and expertise, but more importantly, it's not self-serving, it's about the collective whole.     

What’s one personal anecdote about you that not many people know about?

I had perfect attendance from Kindergarten through the 12th grade.  My reward was a t-shirt sponsored by a local party supply and rental company that featured a graphic of a stick person holding balloons and the saying “I love balloons” written across the chest.  It was so ridiculously funny that I had to wear it with pride.

Learn more about Kirei here.
 

Sally Reis, Expanko Cork Flooring

What are your favorite things about the building material industry?  

I love the creative minds and design ideas that come from the building material industry.  It is always intriguing to see how Designers and Architects use materials and create fantastic spaces. 

How did you end up in this industry?  

I started my career in a management trainee program with SW.  I gravitated to the wallcovering side of the business and this lead me to my first outside sales role in Chicago, working for a commercial wallcovering distributor, calling on the A & D community to obtain specifications.

What values do you instill in your organization and why? 

Our number one focus is our customers.  I encourage and require my team to put our customers first, by providing excellent customer service, a sense of urgency when responding to all inquiries and genuine interest in the success of each of the projects we are privileged to be involved on.

What’s one personal anecdote about you that not many people know about?

Martha Stewart is one of my favorite people and a role model! Martha built a business and shall I say an empire from ground up all around food, decorating and what one would consider typical domestic habits.  She is a perfectionist, and holds herself and others to a high standard, that's a good thing!

Learn more about Expanko here.

Nancy Busch, Executive Director of ISFA 

What are your favorite things about the building material industry?  

I am passionate about every part of the processes relating to the building material industry. From manufacturing and distribution to design, fabrication, and installation, the innovation is so very interesting to me.  However, it always boils down to the finished product, and in the countertop surfacing world, it’s the fabricator who make the designer’s dreams a reality. 

How did you end up in this industry?  

About 15 years ago, I was involved in residential kitchen design primarily in in the appliance industry. An opportunity to join Willis, a distributor of DuPont surfacing materials, was brought to my attention, and I took advantage of it.  During my 14 years there I was involved in residential and commercial sales, representation support to the architect and design community and ultimately managed a team of six covering four states. 

What values do you instill in your organization and why?
 

There is no “I” in team.  We can accomplish so much more when we work together. This is true both personally and professionally. 

What’s one personal anecdote about you that not many people know about?

I grew up, almost literally, in my family’s hardware store and had lots of energy; I wore out four hippity-hop bouncers.  There were many stories involving nail bins, patches, and tears to keep me up and hopping.

Learn more about ISFA here.

Know a remarkable woman making waves in the building and design industry? Let us know here.

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Quartz vs. Quartzite: Know the Difference

Deciding between quartz and quartzite for your kitchen countertops?  Here is a primer on what the major differences are between the two.

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CaraGreen launches GEOS -  durable, beautiful, recycled glass surfaces

Meet GEOS: the latest Modern Surface to join CaraGreen's collection of healthy surface materials. To help you get to know GEOS a little better, we've broken it down, letter by letter:

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Building Materials That Promote Wellness from Head to Toe

Sales manager Raina weighs in on how to incorporate healthy materials in a space, from your head to your toes.

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Sinter vs. Printer - How “sintered stone” differs from porcelain

There is confusion about the sintered stone category, and how it differs from porcelain and we will explore the largest of those differences here:  is it printed or not? Let's break it down. 

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Which kitchen countertop is right for you?

Forget granite - choosing the perfect kitchen countertop just got easier.

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You Must be Adept to Adopt to Adapt

If we have learned anything in the last year, it is that you must be skilled in reacting to changes in order to survive in the business world.

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The 2 Insulation Materials You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

When it comes to insulation, you don't have to just think pink. Here are two insulation alternatives you've probably never heard about:

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Top 5 Alternatives to Granite Countertops

“Granite Throughout!”

“Recently Upgraded with Granite!” 

“Brand New Granite Countertops!”

Can someone tell realtors that they’re really out of date?  Granite was SO 1990, yet here we are 30 years later with a product that needs to be sealed every year, is susceptible to stains, and - guess what - is mined from the earth (which is the stone equivalent of deforestation). We know, we know, there are sustainable natural stone extraction standards now, but in reality, these are very recent and came on the heels of granite becoming commoditized and ubiquitous - or basically, everyone has it and can get it on the cheap.

So, what’s next?

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