Fundraising Initiatives

To date we have collected 63% of the funds that were pledged for 2009. Given the state of the economy, the NSC is pleased with this figure so early in the year. The fundraising program is in its last year and it’s our hope that the funds from the check-off program will sustain our efforts in 2010.

To invest in the NSC, please visit the NSC landing page at naturalstonecouncil.org. This landing page highlights the NSC’s new branding/advertising campaign and provides easy access to an investment form for contributions. You can also direct your investment to Brenda Edwards, NSC Fundraising Committee Chair, at brendatexastone@hotmail.com or 432-354-2569.

NSC's Green Effort

Over the past quarter, the NSC has been diligently continuing its effort to characterize and communicate the sustainability profile of the natural stone industry. With the intent of positioning Genuine Stone as a green building product, the NSC has collaborated with the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products (UT) to develop a number of educational materials. These documents, intended for stone industry members as well as the design and building communities, are available on the NSC’s website, www.GenuineStone.org.

In order to provide guidance to those who operate quarries and processing facilities, the NSC is developing a series of best practices. These operational habits uphold the triple bottom line: economic profitability, environmental conservation and social equity. The first best practice focuses on water conservation and reuse, while the second describes quarry maintenance and closure. A third best practice speaks to the issue of solid waste management. Transportation will be the topic of the fourth best practice, which is projected to be made available on the NSC website in June.

Discussing the environmental aspects of natural stone operations with only quarry and processing facility operators is not enough to position stone as a green building product. The message must be conveyed to architects, general contractors, engineers and other relevant parties. As such, the NSC is undertaking a number of case studies to communicate the environmental advantages of employing stone products. The initial study reviews potential LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Deign)® * credits that may be earned by using stone, while the second discusses the salvage and reuse capability of the material. Advantages of natural stone flooring in high traffic areas are highlighted in the third. A fourth study, which will be made public in June, will center on the issue of natural stone’s solar reflectance index, particularly how it applies to LEED credits.

One of the most asked-for items by designers is general information about natural stone. What types are available? What applications are suitable? What is the embodied energy? The NSC is filling this information gap by providing fact sheets describing individual stones types. Through many iterations with architects, academics and stone industry members, the granite, limestone, marble and sandstone fact sheets are now complete. Along with the materials previously described, these fact sheets can be viewed and printed on www.GenuineStone.org.

Check-Off Program

The check-off campaign is steadily moving forward and as we come closer to realizing our goal there is an increasing need to provide the industry with as much information as possible. In recognition of this, we will be e-mailing a special newsletter next week that details our current efforts and gives responses to commonly asked questions concerning the check-off campaign. 

Our Mission

The mission of the NSC is to increase the understanding of, preference for, and consumption of stone sold under the Genuine Stone brand.

• Allied Stone Industries
• Building Stone Institute
• Elberton Granite Association
• Indiana Limestone Institute
• Marble Institute of America
• National Building Granite Quarries Association
• National Slate Association
• Natural Stone Alliance

GenuineStone.org

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