Quarra Stone: Gears up team to lead technological innovation in the stone industry

CONTACT: Susanne Voeltz

For Quarra Stone

Phone: 608/284-0848

susi@mailbag.com

Taps Nicholas Schultz as Production Engineer and Product Designer

Madison, WI–April 27, 2010 –James Durham, the president of Madison, WI-based Quarra Stone, has announced the appointment of Nicholas Schultz as production engineer and product designer. Quarra, founded by Mr. Durham in 1989, supplies and fabricates natural stone for signature architectural projects in North America.Mr. Durham described Mr. Schultz’s appointment as a strategic business decision and part of a critical path to position Quarra in the forefront of technological innovation in the stone marketplace.

“ Quarra‘s culture is forward thinking and we are committed to identifying and adapting emerging technologies that enhance the quality and precision of our product and significantly expand creative solutions for our clients,” said Mr. Durham. “Mr. Schultz’s expertise in leading- edge technology coupled with his understanding of architectural design will help our team set new benchmarks for innovation in the industry.”

In his capacity as industrial engineer and product designer for Quarra, Mr. Schultz will be responsible for coordinating production flow, building information modeling (BIM), concept design as well as creating 3D models, renderings and select presentation materials. Mr. Schultz will also serve as a key resource for Quarra’s collaborative work with architects and the production team throughout the project process.

Mr. Schultz holds a B.F.A. in industrial design from the University of Wisconsin -Stout and an A.D. in mechanical design from Moraine Park Technical College. Among his numerous achievements are the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) Design Excellence Award (Graber SlideVue), over 50 custom car design/building awards and 100+fine arts awards. At UW Stout, Mr. Schultz consecutively earned the Chancellor’s “award for academics” from 2002-2005. Mr. Schultz also holds six United States patents. He is an active member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA).

About Quarra Stone:

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Madison, WI, Quarra Stone fabricates and supplies high quality architectural exterior and interior stone for signature building projects throughout North America. Quarra’s team has collaborated with the nation’s leading institutions and premier architectural designers on some of America’s most prominent historic landmarks and new award-winning architecture. Recognized for technological innovation and leadership in the world’s stone marketplace, Quarra has developed a distinguished portfolio of high profile national projects such as Yale University’s Bass Library and Harkness Tower, the U. S. Supreme Court and the restoration of the Kansas State Capitol. Recently, Quarra completed its largest project, the newly opened Capitol Visitor Center in Washington D.C. which is expected to host three million visitors a year.

In January, Quarra launched a comprehensive database that identifies dimensional stone quarries throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The database is designed to enable architects who are specifying natural stone in their projects to earn points towards LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification

Please visit Quarra at http://www.quarrastone.com