Matthews Receives 2014 MIA Migliore Award

OBERLIN, Ohio – Jeffrey Matthews, one of the natural-stone industry’s most-knowledgeable experts, is the honoree of the 2014 Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Marble Institute of America (MIA).

Matthews, owner of Trade International Inc. of Atlanta, received the award at the association’s annual awards luncheon at StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas in Las Vegas last month.

Click photo to enlargeDavid Carnevale of Carnevale and Lohr in Bell Gardens, Calif., nominated Matthews, noting that “his vast knowledge makes him a valuable asset to our industry. But, more than that, is his unwavering dedication to the betterment of our industry.”

Matthews, a native of Washington, D.C., has been in the stone industry since the early 1970s, amassing more than four decades of experience in sales, marketing consulting and service to the industry and the MIA. He has visited over 30 countries, over 300 quarries and inspected more than 400 factories worldwide.

In 1986, at the age of 37 and after several years of service to the MIA as an officer and director, he was named the association’s youngest president. Over the years, he and other officers were instrumental in revising the Dimension Stone Design Manual (DSDM), producing the MIA Stone Color Book, and assisting the MIA with becoming a more relevant organization.

Once off the board, his involvement with the MIA continued. Jeff assisted in authoring the early version of the Stone Selection & Stone Testing technical bulletin, as well as helping to complete version 6 of DSDM, after MIA Technical Director Vincent Migliore – the namesake for MIA’s highest honor – passed away.

Today, Matthews is still consumed with learning and helping others do a better job in selling and producing better projects.  He is currently working with other MIA volunteers on a new “Supplier to Buyer” stone manual which will debut later this year.

Matthews and his spouse, Sandy, have been married 41 years and have two children.

Additional information about Jeff Matthews and the Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement can be found at: www.marble-institute.com/awards.