Dear Friends, A week ago, Kevin Cole's 18 year-old son, Aron, was hit by a drunk driver. Aron suffered severe head injuries and has been on the brink of death ever since with less than a 20% chance of surviving. He had just celebrated his 18th birthday the week before. Kevin, editor of Countertops & Architectural Surfaces magazine and valued ISFA staff member, is a single father with two additional children at home, ages 12 and 13. He is doing all he can to be a Dad to the younger children and still be there for his son, who is in a hospital three hours from home. It is a very difficult time for Kevin and his family. I know he would appreciate your thoughts and prayers. The man who hit Aron had just gotten his license back three days earlier after having had it suspended. The night of the wreck he was kicked out of two bars before getting into his car. He ran a stop sign and hit Aron. At this point it is not clear if the driver even had insurance. To assist Kevin with his mounting expenses ISFA has set up a fund. If you wish to contribute using a credit card, please call the ISFA office at 877.464.7732. You may also contribute online via PayPal by visiting ISFAnow.org and clicking on the Aron Cole Fund. Please know that 100% of the funds will go to Kevin's family. Kevin has many responsibilities to juggle and he asks his friends and colleagues in the decorative surfacing industry to have patience and bear with him as he works through this crisis. I would also recommend that you do not call Kevin on his phone due to the abundance of distractions he already faces. What he needs most now is your support and prayers. Sincerely, Russ Lee ISFA Executive Director

Toll Free: 877-464-7732 Office: 801-341-7360 Fax: 801-341-7361



 photos by baumgartfoto

Sterling Surfaces is happy to announce that it has won “Best of Show” for its entry in the “Innovations in Design” competition last week at ICE, the International Countertop Expo, in Las Vegas.

The winning design was Philips Medical System’s Ambient Experience solid surface casework with Dupont Corian for imaging labs, fabricated and installed in 2009 at the University of California Medical Center- Irvine. This is part of Philips Medical Systems Ambient experience used in MRI rooms in hospitals thru out the country.

For the 4^th time in 12 years Sterling Surfaces has won “Best of Show” Once again, we are sincerely honored to receive this award. It recognizes the commitment of our entire staff to collaborate with Architects and Designers, to provide proven fabrication and maximize the unparalleled value of solid surface materials, meeting the design and product specifications of the most demanding designs.

Sterling Surfaces invites Designers and Architects to learn more about its award winning work with solid surface and the Architectural & Design communities. 

Sterling Surfaces is a full service Master Fabricator, offering engineering to installation and every thing in between.

For more information please contact Jon Olson. jon@sterlingsurfaces.com

 photos by baumgartfoto

After months of hard work, we have finally completed a large job at Syracuse University, NY. The design of the new cafeteria building required the thermoforming of many sheets of LG Hi-Macs. Solid surface makes an ideal material for food service installations like this. It is easy to clean and maintain, and does not contribute to bacteria growth. Below is a brief video of the finished installation. For additional photos, please visit our gallery.

Thermoforming oven and vacuum table at Sterling Surfaces

One of the great advantages of solid surface is that it can be heated and bent into many different designs through a process called thermoforming. The process involves heating the material to approximately 160 degrees celsius for specified periods of time.  

When heated, the material becomes very pliable. It is immediately put onto molds used for vacuum forming or two part matched molds. Within 30 minutes the material is cool to the touch and retains its new shape. It’s a remarkable process that’s yields some very impressive, 3 dimensional designs considering it started as a flat sheet!

What kind of design ideas can you take advantage of with thermoformed solid surface? Virtually any shape imagined can be formed with solid surface. Wood and some other materials can also be formed but nothing can touch the seamless look of formed solid surface. The cost can be a plus as well. Shapes can be achieved for a lot less cost than conventional woodworking, metal, or plastic techniques. The great results attained with thermoforming create a very luxurious look…often times for less money.

Thermoforming adds just one more benefit to an already great material, one that is renewable (even damaged surfaces can be repaired to look as good as new),  seamless, non porous, and moisture resistant. Solid surface’s thermoforming ability coincides very nicely with the advent of computer assisted designs, and the ever increasing ability for humans to design 3D objects and transfer digitized geometries into a digital work format for fabrication. Certainly, no other material comes close to the thermoforming ability of solid surface.

Here a just a few applications. Through the use of thermoforming many outstanding design plans have been realized. All projects listed were fabricated by Sterling Surfaces.

Outdoor Bench - CorianChair - CorianOffice Cubicle - LG SurfacesOutdoor Lampshade - CorianTable - CorianNightstand - LG Surfaces

Modular Dining Unit - CorianReception Desk - Corian