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Cosentino cuts BuildClean ties |
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Monday, 25 August 2008 |
STAFFORD, Texas – Cosentino® North America made a major shift in the radon/granite-countertop issue today by ending its support of the non-profit BuildClean™ group.
The quarried-stone and quartz-surfaces distributor also stated it would work with the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA) for industry research for consumer safety. It also announced a major expansion of its Brazilian slab-processing plant.
In a statement distributed through PR Newswire, Cosentino North America President/CEO Roberto Contreras cited the plant investment as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to the stone industry as questions are raised about granite’s safety for indoor use.
“For more than a year, Cosentino has voluntarily tested numerous granite colors in independent scientific laboratories,” he said. “Our findings have revealed that the majority of granites tested are safe for indoor applications.”
The statement also noted that Contreras “expressed concern” over recent media reports on granite; some of the information collected by the company and used in the reports came from BuildClean, the Houston-based building-materials-safety group partially funded by Cosentino. Yesterday’s statement also announced that Cosentino had “ceased funding and disengaged” from BuildClean.
“Whereas we agree in principal with their mission, we have decided to direct our resources and collaborate within the industry to call for the appropriate government agency to establish testing standards and protocol,” Contreras said.
Part of that collaboration involves work with the SFA “to further industry research and education in a responsible manner that is beneficial to both consumers and the stone industry,” according to the release.
“The Stone Fabricator's Alliance (SFA) is an organization dedicated to the sustainability of the stone industry, improving standards, and educating consumers,” Contreras said. “We are aligned with the SFA's values and this relationship is a call to action to the rest of the industry.”
Ron Hannah, SFA executive director, added in the release that “SFA members are leaders in the industry. We lead through example, in education, in safety, and ultimately customer satisfaction.
“Simply put, consumer safety is our number-one priority. Our efforts will benefit the consumer, the American fabricator, and help restore trust in the stone industry.”
Cosentino’s expansion of its granite-slab processing plant in Vitória, Brazil, will triple its capacity and increase production to more than 350 containers of slab material per month. The expansion should be completed and operating in the fourth quarter of this year.
Cosentino distributes a variety of materials, including branded quarried stone and Silestone® quartz surfaces from Spanish producer Cosentino S.A.
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