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WHAT’S Inside 4
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EDITOR
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Donald A. Mounce, APR +1.800.233.4472 X-473 mbnews@monumentbuilders.org
PRODUCTION MANAGER Richard L. Martin
MBNews EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD EC Liaison – Matt Worthington Worthington Monuments matt@worthingtontx.com
Designer’s Corner Simplistic Elegance
EAB Chair – Alison Raymer, CM Emerson Monument Company alison@emersonmonument.com Dustin Anderson, AICA Dakota Monument Company dustin@dakotamonument.com
Creative Insights Waxahachie Hard Rocks Bus Tour
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Marc Arntzen Gem City Memorials, Inc. gemcitymemorials@sbcglobal.net Perry Giles, CM Giles Monument Company, Inc. perry.giles@gilesmonument.com
Industry Calendar
MONUMENT BUILDERS OF NORTH AMERICA
136 South Keowee Street Dayton, OH 45402 +1.800.233.4472 FAX +1.937.222.5794 info@monumentbuilders.org www.monumentbuilders.org
2018 MBNA Design Contest
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HEADQUARTERS TEAM Kimberly A. Fantaci Executive Vice President +1.800.233.4472 X-106 info@monumentbuilders.org
MBNA Aspire Awards
Krista Saul, CPA Accounting Manager +1.800.233.4472 X-107
Classifieds/Advertising
James Perry Association Executive +1.800.233.4472 X-104 Cassandra Shaffer Association Manager +1.800.233.4472 X-115
ON THE COVER
Pictured on the cover is The Biondon Bronze – Bert Gast Memorial Trophy for Best Overall Monument, as selected by voters attending the MBUniversity Conference in Irving, Texas. The memorial was designed and built by Ron Westbrook, CM, of Visalia Granite & Marble Works, Inc. in Visalia, California. Read more about the 2018 winners on page 20 of this issue.
Mission To define and promote memorialization in a viable, innovative and diversified way for the membership and to enhance the awareness of memorialization by the general public and the remembrance industry.
Brian McKenzie Events Manager +1.800.233.4472 X-114 Tina Schneider Chief Administrative Officer +1.800.233.4472 X-101
POSTMASTER – Send address changes to MB News, 136 South Keowee Street, Dayton, OH 45402. Telephone: +1.800.233.4472 Fax: +1.937.222.5794 E-mail:info@monumentbuilders.org Web: www. monumentbuilders.org Closing date: Four weeks proceeding date of publication. We reserve the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material. Subscription rate is $70 annually for members, which is included in the annual membership dues. The rate for non-member subscriptions or additional subscriptions requested by MBNA members is $125 a year. Single issue price is $12. ©2017 Monument Builders of North America
MBNews (ISSN 0192-2491) is published monthly with the Buyer’s Guide in April by Monument Builders of North America (MBNA), 136 South Keowee Street, Dayton, OH 45402. Periodical postage-paid at Dayton, Ohio additional2018 mailing offices./ 3 MBNews / andMay
MBNews has acquired a library of drawings from historic archives developed and consolidated by Charlie Hunt, FAICA, as well as AICA publications and other industry sources, with special thanks to Katie Gast and the Gast Family for their assistance in the preparation and development. In order to promote the art of creative design for the memorial industry, MBNews will display a handful of these images regularly in the magazine and ask memorial professionals to make comment on what makes them good, or maybe even not so good. This issue, we offer the comments of Charlie Hunt, FAICA, and Jim Peterson, AICA, on four monuments. MENOR Memorial Peterson: I like everything about this design. The curved shape and textured finish gives the stone a softness. The composition of the elements are both unified and in proportion with the overall design of the piece. The lettering of the family name is bold, interesting, and overlaps both surface areas of the stone face. The smaller inscription in both font style and justification are well balanced asymmetrically. The bold linear carving is striking and how it is all unified with the recessed area is remarkable. Hunt: The Menors are actually a long-time, well-respected monument industry family in Florida. Fred Menor may have actually been an MBNA President, I believe. What makes it really cool is it is the drop-out line sculpture, removing huge chunks of stone. It has a Ray Mozoliauskas design concept to it, big and bold featuring not overly defined lettering. This is how Bert Gast rolled; a quick sketch featuring lots of white space, and gathering elements together. He would actually carve out large sections of the memorial to create a classic sculptured piece. You cannot gain this type of design and depth with computer generated graphics. Bert would teach the need to gather elements together to create the anchor of faith, hope, and love symbolism tied together with the St. Francis carving. His good friend Gene 4 / May May2018 2018 // MBNews MBNews
Faehnle may have inspired this piece, as he used to go shopping to pick up consumable items that had interesting bottle and container shapes. DELACORE Memorial Peterson: This shows what can be accomplished with a simple rectangular tablet. It shows a nice proportional balance between the four quadrants. They all complement each other. I like the font selections along with their respective layouts. The recessed areas add a
Remembering the Greats‌Simplistic Elegance some substance to it. It is interesting because it is filled with elements, but it has been done in a creative and tasteful way, unlike much of modern creativity which just fills the space with laser etching. This has much more shadow, sculpture and vitality to it due to the texturing. The light coming across the raised work creates great imagery.
nice dimensional difference separated by the cross and ornament. Also, the cross arms riding above the midpoint of the tablet keeps the layout in better proportion than if left at the center. Hunt: This is an exceptionally created, simple rectangular cross tablet. Every quadrant has
HEDGEROW Memorial Peterson: Another variation of the MACY monument shows the planters again as an integral part of the design instead of attached units. This has nice balance and I especially like that the tablet overhangs the base for greater interest and impact. I might have lowered the base height a little to emphasize the tablet a little more. Hunt: This is a teaching illustration. What Bert Gast was trying to do here was to show how to incorporate the vases into the sculpture, and not just stick them on each end. Everything should have meaning and tie into the monument, even the vases. This is a prime example of showing alternative ideas in design
MBNews / May 2018 / 5
Simplistic Elegance incorporation. This shows some polish, texture work, and a heavy check-up technique. This is Bert saying, “How about this idea, or that idea?” This is the brilliance of Bert, way before computers. He never claimed to be an artist; he was a designer.
MACY Memorial Peterson: I like the overall balance of the piece. The planter is integral to the design, not an “add on.” Contrasting finishes between the tablet and base makes the design stand out. My only suggestion for change would be to taper the ends of the base to compliment the tapered ends of the tablet. Hunt: This is another teaching illustration. It shows the concept of simplicity. I have had this revelation as I grow more experienced in the industry, that there is so much beauty in simple. That is the path to go…just follow simple. I see all of the elaborate plans on Facebook oftentimes, and I have to remind myself to stay simple. Each element should have its strength, and this one does. MB About the Column: If you would like to participate in this creative review story line, please contact MBNews Editor Donald A. Mounce, APR, at mbnews@ monumentbuilders.org. MBNews / May 2018 / 7
The “Hard Rocks� bus tour at MBUniversity in Irving, Texas included a visit to Giles Monument company, hosted by owner Perry Giles, CM. MBNA President Bobby Mattos, AICA, was on hand to welcome the participants. MBNA Vice Presidents Matt and Ryan Worthington of Worthington Monuments provided lunch with a giant cookout that kept everyone fully fueled for the demonstrations and activities that day. Over 50 people were in attendance to visit four creative stations. The stations were respectively presented by: Jim Gast, AICA, of Gast Monuments, Inc.; Charlie Hunt, FAICA, of Hunt Memorials, Inc.; Troy Caldwell, CM, AICA, of Caldwell Monument Company; and, John Scott, AICA, of High Cross Monument Company. 8 / May 2018 / MBNews
W A X A H A C H I E
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MBNews / May 2018 / 9
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W A X A H A C H I E
H A R D
Troy Caldwell, CM, AICA Troy Caldwell, CM, AICA, from Kokomo, Indiana, showed how to use a blowtorch on monuments with a crowbar to scrape off residual burnt layers. This technique is primarily used to remove stun marks created during the rock pitching process. Additionally, Troy has used the method to remove designs and lettering off old stones to re-purpose them into “Back to Nature” style monuments for sale.
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John Scott, AICA John Scott, AICA, of Beaumont, Texas, used a video presentation to explain the process of “bluing.” This technique allows monument builders to darken sandblast lines and letters while lightening the surface of the stone. The resulting increased contrast can make paint or litho unnecessary.
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Charlie Hunt, FAICA Charlie Hunt, FAICA, from Nashville, Tennessee, provided attendees with an “Introduction to Basic Hand Tools� session, and demonstrated how to roll rough rock pitch texture onto a stone.
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Jim Gast, AICA Jim Gast, AICA, from Chicago, Illinois, demonstrated his company’s unique “Starburst/Sunburst” pattern, also known as a broken texture or lacing. This technique was originally done as a sculpturing and introduced at Gast Monuments noted sculptor Ray Mozoliauskas. MB
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I N D U S T R Y JUNE 2018 7-10 Wisconsin Association of Monument Builders Convention Radisson Hotel La Crosse, WI Contact: Aaron Miller | +1.608.782.6410 aaron@lacrossemonument. com 6-8 Granite Fest 2018 Barre Granite Association Barre, VT Contact: Doug Grahn, BGA Executive Director +1.802.476.4131. dgrahn@barregranite.org 21-22 Northwest Monument Builders Association “Fix It & Sell It” Seminar Northland Monument, Inc. Longville, MN Contact: Nathan Lange | +1.218.566.1324 nathanl@northlandmonument. com 21-23 Southern Monument Builders Association Annual Convention & Tradeshow Hilton Shreveport & Shreveport Convention Center Shreveport, LA Contact: Sammie Peters +1.817.332.2689 smonumentbuildersa@gmail. com
C A L E N D A R
20-22 Mid-America Monument Builders Association Annual Convention Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City, OK Contact: Ruth Bell, CM +1.785.738.2257 bellmemorials.ruth@gmail.com 25-27 Cremation Association of North America’s 100th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beast Resort & Spa Fort Lauderdale, FL Contact: CANA Staff +1.312.245.1077 info@cremationassociation.org AUGUST 2018 04-09 National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association Annual Convention Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center Hotel Kissimmee, FL Contact: NFDMA Staff +1.770.969.0064 nfdma@nfdma.com www.nfdma.com 20-22 American Institute of Commemorative Art Annual Convention Casa Monica Resort and Spa St. Augustine, FL Contact: Jed Hendrickson, CM, AICA +1.805.886.8384 jed@monuments-aica.com www.monuments-aica.com
SEPTEMBER 2018 12-14 Monument Builders of the Carolinas, Tennessee Monument Builders Association, Kentucky Association of Memorial Dealers Combined Annual Convention Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Cherokee, NC Hosted this year by MBOC Contact Steve Carroll, MBOC President 336-983-4995 info@carrollmemorials.com 18-21 Catholic Cemetery Conference Annual Convention Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza Cincinnati, OH Contact: CCC Staff +1.708.202.12424 info@ catholiccemeteryconference.org www. catholiccemeteryconference.org OCTOBER 2018 14-17 National Funeral Directors Association Int’l Convention & Expo Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT Contact: NFDA Staff +1.770.969.0064 info@nfda.org www.nfda.org
MBNews / May 2018 / 17
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Over 160 memorials were submitted for the 2018 MBNA Design Contest. The winners in each category were announced at MBUniversity in Irving, Texas, by Jed Hendrickson, CM, AICA. These winners will be displayed in this issue of MBNews. All other entrants will be run as Honorable Mention winners in subsequent magazine issues throughout the year. The 2018 Biondan Bronze – Bert Gast Award Winner pictured on the cover was designed and built by Ron Westbrook, CM, of Visalia Granite & Marble Works, Inc. in Visalia, California. The Biondon Bronze – Bert Gast Memorial Trophy for Best Overall Monument was selected by voters attending the MBUniversity event. The “In God’s Time” memorial is 3 feet wide by 1.5 feet deep by four feet high, carved in China Black. The Large Monument submission was developed when the Castillo family asked if the unfinished tattoo design for the deceased (shown in the photo) could be engraved on a monument. What Westbrook suggested was a “one of a kind” memorial utilizing the concept of an hourglass monument, and the family was 20 / May 2018 / MBNews
receptive and excited at the prospect. Excluding the flower arrangement, the hourglass was replicated and the wording “In God’s Time” was used on the new memorial. The additional blasting on the outline of the hourglass globes adds detail and interest from what would have been an all polished memorial, yet remains in character with the thick outline of the globes on the tattoo. On closer inspection, you might notice a hint of soft 220 grit sand blasting, showing the sand of the hour glass flowing from globe to globe. Space was left available on the bottom globe for another family member.
The winner in the Best Large Monument category for the 2018 Design Contest was submitted by Jeff Anderson of Anderson Memorials, Inc. of Austin, Minnesota. Type/Color of Stone: Steeled Barre Grey; polished French Creek Black Overall Height and Width: 10 x 12 Before my parents retired 26 years ago, their goal was to make their own monument. Twenty-six years of drawing designs for them finally got one they agreed upon, shortly before my dad died. Dad never got a chance to see it completed. This monument represents their lifetime in the monument business. More than 10’ tall and 12’ wide, it is built with all Steeled Barre and polished French Creek Black, which were two of my father’s favorite granites to work with. The vertical Barre tablet is based on the monument that is depicted in our company logo which has been used for decades. The cross represents their strong Christian heritage. The epitaph on the base margin is our family-company slogan: To Remember-and Be Remembered-is the Desire and Heritage of all Generations. The family name is done in a hand drawn font that we designed for our logo years ago. It is left raised in a sunken and blued background. The rustic black piece on the left and the polished black piece on the right represent the family’s work of changing rough stone into beautiful monuments. Between the bases is a polished slab of Norwegian Blue Pearl, representing water, with an original bronze lily pad sculpture symbolic of their love for the outdoors. A bronze duck decoy and a bronze fishing bobber/lure are placed there seasonally. On the back of the vertical tablet is a lengthy poem about them and representational acronyms of the organizations in which they were involved. The backside of the polished black tablet is a circular panel with a poem about our family and a carved floral band. Space is left for future additional inscriptions and family history. The monument is on a large 18 grave lot and will be landscaped next summer, to create a quiet meditation garden behind it, with two benches that were actually carved by my father, and granite paving stones. MBNews / May 2018 / 21
The winner in the Best Cremation Memorial category was submitted by Bran Oswalt of Brown Memorials, Inc. of Florence, South Carolina. Type/Color of Stone: Mahogany | Marble Overall Height and Width: 7’ tall | 5’ wide Bob and Sandra knew they wanted to be cremated upon passing. This topic was constantly on their mind as Sandra had been battling cancer for two years. They assumed their options were limited to a highly impersonalized, standard columbarium, but upon our initial meeting learned that there was no limit to the possibilities. They wisely chose to do something special, and given the fact that Sandra had just gone into Hospice, a design was quickly produced. The memorial is designed to complement the historic cemetery setting in which it resides, and features Sandra’s favorite, daisies, sculpted into the cap. Sandra passed away a few days later, but knowing that her memory would forever be so beautifully preserved brought Sandra great comfort in her final days. 22 / May 2018 / MBNews
The winner in the Best Flat Marker category was submitted by Thomas Albers of Premier Memorial of Tacoma, Washington. Type/Color of Stone: Tropical Green Overall Height and Width: 32” x 20” x 4” When Jayson Withers passed away unexpectedly, his family and friends got a large sheet of paper and cut, pasted and taped together how they wanted Jayson to be remembered... His incredible ability to create artwork and illustrations, his love of fishing, and his passion for longboarding. I created drawings from Jayson’s artwork and the photos provided and carefully arranged them to match the poster created by the family. The result was a sandblasted collage of Jayson’s sketches, his custom skateboard logo, a portrait of him skating, and a photo ceramic portrait of Jayson showing off the day’s catch.
MBNews / May 2018 / 23
The winner in the Best Hand Carved Memorial category was submitted by Tony Watson of Watson Signs and Monuments of College Station, Texas. Type/Color of Stone: Dakota Mahogany Overall Height and Width: 4-0 x 3-6 When a child passes, it is always devastating. None more so than for Makayla Rodriguez. Makayla would spend her days after school with her grandfather on his farm. The would ride horses and plow the fields. Unfortunately, Makayla lost her life while riding the tractor with her grandfather. When the family came in, it was obvious after looking through the pictures what we needed to do. We had to use the image of Makayla riding her horse as her monument. After some discussion as to how that would look, we decided that a Bas Relief was fitting. Coming out of the rough rock, you will see her image copied directly from the picture given to us. Below the horse’s nose is a polished heart that bares her information. Her vases are exact replicas of her cowboy boots and they are set in an irregular pattern as if she were to have set them there herself. Above the heart is a cantilevered bench for her mother to rest on when she visits. Mahogany color was chosen to work with the brown tones of the Earth and farm she loved to be on.
24 / May 2018 / MBNews
The winner in the Best Hand Etched Memorial category was submitted by Bran Oswalt of Brown Memorials, Inc. of Florence, South Carolina. Type/Color of Stone: Jet Black | Stainless Steel Overall Height and Width: 9’2” tall | 16” wide | 4’ deep The U.S. Army monument was designed to fully engage the viewer in a unique memorial experience. Its tall, narrow profile, and stainless-steel star serve as a beacon, recognizable from across the entire park. The monument’s 4’ depth draws the viewer into its square space, where two large artist-etched murals flanking either side depict the Army’s transition over the last century into the modern age. The artist-etched murals depicting six (6) key periods, are composed of nearly 30 resource images, took 280 hours to etch in studio, and blend seamlessly with one another. The underlying concept for this memorial is based on the fact that our brains process and remember images far better than words. Other features include contemporary molding along the cap, which mimics patterns used in camouflage, and polished, stainless steel spacers. The Army’s seal and seven core values are engraved on the back side of the monument.
MBNews / May 2018 / 25
The winner in the Best Laser Etched Memorial category was submitted by Cole Brown of Natchez Monument Co. of Natchez, Mississippi. Type/Color of Stone: American Black Granite Overall Height and Width: 3.0 x 1.6 x .4 - flat marker Mr. Jackson was taken too soon as he succumbed to cancer. In this design the focus was of Mr. Jackson standing on the beach and so the laser etching was made to fit the size of the flat stone and his photo told the story of a life well lived.
26 / May 2018 / MBNews
The winner in the Best Novice Monument category was submitted by Joseph Scogin of Emerson Monument Company, Inc. of Bentonville, Arkansas. Type/Color of Stone: Granite, Evergreen Overall Height and Width: 40’’ Wide, 32’’ Tall During the consultation with the customer she mentioned that her late husband enjoyed spending his holidays in Africa on safaris. Using this inspiration, I worked with our designer, Rob Pressman, to come up with a design that incorporated, what we strongly felt, to be the spirit of an African Safari. After learning that the late husband’s favorite color was green, a beautiful piece of Evergreen Granite was chosen. This color choice led to the very natural feeling of the final stone as well as incorporating another personal aspect of the deceased. The main feature of the stone is the overarching canopy of the Acacia Tree. The branches and leaves were carved out of the stone to create a foliage design while still using the natural formation of the rough pitched granite. Under the branches we find the late husband’s most prized game, the African Elephant and the Cape Buffalo.
MBNews / May 2018 / 27
The winner in the Best Public/Civic Monument category was submitted by Kimberly Day of Schlitzberger & Daughters Monument Co. of Houston, Texas. Type/Color of Stone: India Black Overall Height and Width: 8’ x 8’ The Lunar Planetary Institute (LPI) was once known as USRA, but with the changing of times came a change in names. And with their new name they wanted a new sign to reflect their campus revitalization. They contacted us for a bold new sign; with the gleaming black granite and crisp white lettering framed by red brick, it is now visible from the road and draws the eye. The shape suggests a planet in orbit.
28 / May 2018 / MBNews
The winner in the Best Small Monument category was submitted by Bran Oswalt of Brown Memorials, Inc. of Florence, South Carolina. Type/Color of Stone: Jet Black Overall Height and Width: 4’2” tall | 2’4” wide Radio DJ and fiddle player, Johnny Shack, spent his life entertaining others. His permanent tribute is every bit as outgoing and personable as he. The shape of the monument represents a radio tower, and the hand chiseled texture “broadcasts” Johnny’s unique life, loud and clear. His Orange Blossom Special is artist-etched in the bottom corner. MB
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Marketing and Public Relations Excellence 2018 MBNA Aspire To Success Awards MBNA Vice President and Chair of the Marketing & Public Relations Committee, Matt Worthington, recognized three memorialist companies with Aspire to Success Awards at the MBUniversity Conference in Irving, Texas. These monument dealers had a number of great accomplishments in their marketing and public relations efforts, and community involvement programs. McCall Monument Works from Newton, Iowa, was featured in their local newspaper as an “Alliant Energy Award” recipient for their company’s many efforts to reduce energy usage. Their social media presence has soared after hosting and educating the Newton Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Meeting where they answered questions and provided information about memorials. They were recognized for sponsoring the 30 / May 2018 / MBNews
Woodland Cemetery Dedication where 501 unmarked baby graves were finally marked. In June, this company was recognized as a proud sponsor of the 6th annual “Tee It Up for a Cure” golf tournament that raised funds to help with Cystic Fibrosis research. They were selected to create and install a Waukee Veteran’s memorial which featured eight monuments in honor of each branch of the military, the law enforcement officers and emergency responders, and a project designation monument. The company was featured on two TV stations, in multiple
articles, and were recognized at the ribbon cutting program. Last, but not least, they sponsored a children’s soccer team during the fall of 2017. The company name was placed on the back of each child’s t-shirt. Giles Monument Company of Waxahachie, Texas, was recently recognized for 17 years of involvement in their county-wide veteran’s ceremony. Company owner Perry Giles was interviewed, and his story ran in the Ellis County Business Journal in July and also in the two major newspapers of Ellis County on September 6, 2017. As mentioned in the story, this company previously built the veterans memorial at the
civic center. When they asked to build the veteran’s memorial, the City Council said, “Yes, but what’s it going to cost?” to which they replied, “It’s not going to cost you anything, just give us a spot”. This company not only serves their clients with care, but also heavily supports our American heroes who have served in the military. Their longstanding involvement and positive presence is well worth recognition! MBNews / May 2018 / 31
Anderson Monument Works of Austin, Minnesota, was commissioned to make the bronze plaques of the winners for the Pillars of Austin Project. They were interviewed, and their story appeared in the newspaper and on TV and generated many favorable comments. This recipient also worked alongside the parks and recreation department to replace worn out trail markers with 8 historical granite monoliths. The city also asked this company to build a bronze statue in order to add art to an area that had experienced a lot of flood issues in the past. This statue is now a beautiful addition to the parks department. This company was the recipient of the Grand Champion Prize of the AICA Design Competition and was recognized with a press release sent to the local papers which resulted in articles in both cities’ newspapers and both cities’ chamber of commerce newsletters. The Post Bulletin from Rochester, Minnesota, also ran an article in their paper. MB
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Index to Advertisers
Bicknell Supply Co. ................................................. 10 Dakota Granite......................................................... 32 Flowers for Cemeteries........................................... 33 Gemini...................................................................... 16 Granite City Tool ..................................................... 12 Granite City Tool of Vermont ................................. 15 MBFilms .................................................... Back Cover Miles Supply Company...............................................7 Paradise Pictures, LLC.................. Inside Front Cover Precious Souvenir...........................Inside Back Cover Trigard........................................................................ 6 U.S. Metalcraft, Inc. ................................................. 14 Wenzco............................................................... 18-19
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