CHICAGO, IL -- Having been in business since 1999 selling natural and engineered stone to the residential and commercial building industry, UGM has maintained its status as a market leader by partnering with cutting-edge global brands who are producing the next generation of surface materials. Exclusive partnerships with brands such as Vadara Quartz, U-Quartz, Santa Margherita Quartz, Ascale Porcelain and Lapitec Sintered Stone have all helped to push UGM forward into this exciting new era. As a result, the company has changed its tradename to UGM Surfaces.

Together with the enhancement of their product offering, UGM has also evolved significantly in the way in which they interact and present these materials to fabricators, kitchen and bath shops, architects, designers and builders, as well as many other professionals within the industry.  UGM’s Advantage dealership program has proven to be a “game-changer,” as UGM’s products are now displayed in hundreds of highly trafficked retail showrooms around the Midwest. The company has also made great strides in upgrading its facilities through enlarged warehouse spaces, renovated showrooms and updated stone galleries for enhanced material selection. Most recently, UGM has constructed independent design centers, which showcase their material, including a new space within the prestigious Merchandise Mart building in Chicago.

“This new tradename signifies all that UGM is, and all that UGM can be, as we continue to adapt and evolve as a company,” said UGM’s CEO Anik Narula.   

OBERLIN, OH -- The Natural Stone Institute has announced the recipients of the 2021 Natural Stone Scholarship and Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship. Recipients will be celebrated during the association’s awards ceremony at StonExpo/Marmomac at The International Surface Event (TISE) in Las Vegas, NV, this February.

Noe Cortez, customer solutions manager for Quality Marble & Granite in Ontario, CA, is the recipient of the 2021 Natural Stone Scholarship. The Natural Stone Scholarship provides a trip to TISE, where the recipient will gain valuable technical and practical knowledge regarding the natural stone industry and will meet and network with leading stone professionals.

“I'm really looking forward to attending TISE and getting a more in-depth understanding of our industry and all it has to offer,” said Cortez. “I'm humbled by the recognition and look forward to receiving the opportunity.”

Andrea (Andi) Carlson Claus, senior account representative at Mont Surfaces in Grand Rapids, MI, has received a 2021 Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship. The Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship provides a trip to one of three major industry events: TISE, Coverings or a Natural Stone Institute study tour. The recipient is given the opportunity to shadow industry professionals within different sectors of the stone industry and explore her potential for leadership and her commitment to a career in the stone industry.

"I am so excited for the opportunity to not only attend TISE, but for the connections that I will make, mentors I will meet, and education that I will gain because of the Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship,” said Claus. “I hope to leave Las Vegas as a more inspired and well-rounded version of myself with new lifelong friendships."

Kristin Cannon, project coordinator for Continental Cut Stone in Florence, TX, has received a 2021 Women in Stone Empowerment scholarship and will attend the Natural Stone Institute’s Bluestone Study Tour in September.  “I love that this scholarship will give me the opportunity to meet other people in the industry and grow my knowledge of the stone industry as a whole,” said Cannon. “I can’t wait to see what I can learn thanks to this scholarship, and I am so grateful that programs like this exist to help women in the industry grow and succeed.”

Industry members are invited to attend the Natural Stone Institute’s annual awards ceremony at TISE on Tuesday, February 1st at 4:00 p.m. in South Seas F at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.