Stone-Ideas.com 
For the first time, the tiger has hissed. Members and interested parties of the new global organization Natural Stone Strategic Alliance (NSSA) met at Marmomac 2025, and we refer back to our report from 2023: At that time, we speculated that the previously “toothless mice,” meaning the national natural stone organizations, wanted to use the NSSA to become a “big tiger that will put the fear of God into the competition (with ceramics and artificial stone).”
At StoneExpo 2023 in Las Vegas, representatives from the USA, Brazil, Italy, Greece, and Portugal came together and, as the NSSA‘s first activity, presented themselves with a joint stand. This unusual cross-border collaboration was a success, exploring many new ideas.
In discussions since the Coverings 2022, the participants had become convinced that the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) should be given a leading role in the alliance. This is because the NSI is recognized as nonparty and is admired for the high standard of its association work, which can be attributed to its current CEO Jim Hieb (and his predecessor Garis Distelhorst).
In keeping with the credo of such institutions in the USA, the alliance therefore wants to involve all participants in the work, meaning that everyone should do their share. Figurehead executives are expressly unwelcome.
The NSSA meeting at this Marmomac was organized by the strongman in the Italian association, Honorary President Flavio Marabelli.
A significant contribution to the meeting came from the Brazilian association Centrorochas with Fábio Cruz as the driving force: His team presented a preliminary version of the digital platform for the alliance‘s “EPD project.”
This is a platform to collect national data on EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) and make them comparable. Key data include energy consumption in the extraction and processing of stone and CO2 emissions, in short: Life Cycle Assessments (LCA).
The aim is to create a global EPD standard for the natural stone sector, which would be of great benefit to everyone. This is because there is currently a great confusion in the definition of sustainability: Many manufacturers like to present, shall we say: “creative,“ calculations in order to greenwash their products.
Natural stone, on the other hand, similar to wood, has a low ecological footprint by nature. With a global EPD, the entire sector could speak with one voice, so to speak.
The organizational structure of the NSSA was also clarified at the Marmomac meeting: In the future, the alliance will carry out its work on a project basis.
The first official project is the global EPD standard, and this also provides further insight into the alliance‘s planned working methods: participants will be required to pay for the use of the digital platform.
A press release from the Brazilian association explains what it hopes to achieve through its involvement in the NSSA: “This establishes Brazil as a technology exporter and a benchmark in sustainable practices for the sector.”
In other words, Brazil wants to become the leading address for software and sustainability issues for the stone sector worldwide.
Interest in the digital tool has already been expressed by “Germany, Spain, Finland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the United States,” according to Centrorochas‘ press release.
Our photos, also from Centrorochas, show how large the circle of interested associations had already become at the meeting in Verona. The heavyweights in terms of production and export volume, China and Turkey, were also represented.
The EPD platform is expected to be fully completed by the next NSSA Annual General Meeting at Marmomac 2026.
Until then, the alliance has set itself the following timeline and next steps:
* November 01, 2025: Deadline for membership applications, board nominations, and submission of comments on the federation’s bylaws;
* December 01, 2025: Election of the Board of Directors and approval of the bylaws;
* December 15, 2025: Release of the official 2026 activity schedule.
Members of the Planning Committee at Marmomac 2025 were:
* Assimagra (Portugal): Nelson Cristo
* Centrorochas (Brazil): Fábio Cruz
* Confindustria Marmomacchine (Italy): Flavio Marabelli
* Greek Marble Association: Irini Papagiannouli & Julie Chaida
* Stone Institute (USA): Jim Hieb
* Stone Federation Great Britain: Jane Buxey
A website will go online, soon (www.naturalstonestrategicalliance.org).
Contact: Mail
