A Breath of Fresh Air: StoneWorks Prioritizes Air Quality at Beaufort Fabrication Center
StoneWorks has been working hard for not only their clients but also their employees and the environment. John Baltzegar started the company over 30 years ago to serve homeowners, builders, and designers in Hilton Head, Charleston, Savannah, and the Lowcountry. His son, Brian Baltzegar, is the general manager for the Fabrication Center in Beaufort and he says the ever-evolving company is a family business. “StoneWorks does well with our family’s talents. We are all a little artistic and like to engineer and make things,” began Brian. “We also work well together and truly have fun fabricating beautiful products of stone and quartz.”
In 2021, Brian said StoneWorks decided to expand and move its Fabrication Center to 779 Robert Smalls Parkway. It was then that StoneWorks made a solid commitment to implementing the highest standards in employee safety and environmental practices in their industry. StoneWorks is among the first of just 78 accredited stone manufacturers in the entire United States to pass a stringent three-year testing and inspection process by the Natural Stone Institute.
To maintain such high standards, Brian first broke down how StoneWorks focuses on air quality in the Fabrication Center. “We made a strong push during the move to Beaufort to really focus on cleaner air for our workers. We wanted to get it right with the remodel and make it the ideal Fabrication Center.”
Continuing, Brian explained, “Keep in mind not everything happened overnight. We have and will continue to put a lot of hard work and focus into meeting and even exceeding industry standards and our own expectations. The fact that the Beaufort location had an air conditioning unit gave us the idea to explore all the ways air could benefit the business and working conditions.”
According to Brian, both the air conditioning and focusing on overall air quality have made a big difference in StoneWorks’ productivity and employee morale. “You wouldn’t think so but having air conditioning in the warm months and heat in the colder months allows the workers to think more clearly and work more efficiently. They literally have a cool head when it comes to working together and through things.” Brian then added, “A climate-controlled Fabrication Center is almost unheard of in the stone business. Usually, they are dark, dusty, and dirty.”
Shifting to health and safety, Brian then discussed silicosis, a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a common mineral found in sand, quartz and many other types of rock. “Fabrication silica and silicosis is a big topic in the industry and with the popularity of quartz, which has more silica content, it is a great concern.” StoneWorks is able to drastically reduce silica particulate exposure in the fabrication center with their air filtration system, and, as you will learn in the next post, with their water system.
Follow along with our Air, Wind & Sun Series to learn about how StoneWorks is investing in the future for their customers, their employees, and the community!
Work with StoneWorks of the Lowcountry
If you can dream it, StoneWorks can fabricate it! Set up a private appointment to start designing your dream kitchen, bath or outdoor space for your home or business today. Or come browse with us at our Bluffton Showroom or Beaufort Fabrication Center! We are open Monday through Friday 9AM to 4PM for walk-in visitors. If you’d like to set up a one-on-one appointment with a StoneWorks designer, please call our showroom to schedule an appointment at 843-689-6980.
