Stone Core 2025 brings together industry leaders and defines strategic directions for the natural stone sector

Held in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, the second edition of the event gathered more than 70 participants, establishing itself as Brazil’s premier forum for strategic planning and integration within the natural stone sector. The third edition is scheduled for April 2026 in Vitória.

The 2nd Stone Core – National Meeting of Natural Stone Industry Leaders, organized by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) with support from Fucape Business School, brought together business leaders, specialists, and representatives from public and private entities nationwide on November 7 and 8 in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo.

Hosted by Centrorochas president Tales Machado and vice president Fábio Cruz, the event highlighted the importance of sector unity to enhance Brazil’s global competitiveness and reinforced Espírito Santo’s position as a national and international reference in the stone industry. The state accounts for 82% of Brazil’s natural stone exports, reaffirming its leadership in the sector.

Planning and structural initiatives
The agenda presented Centrorochas’ key strategic pillars for the new cycle, including: the Sectoral Promotion Fund; the Strategic Hub in the Middle East; Technological Characterization Testing; progress on the Natural Stone Strategic Alliance (NSSA); and sustainability and innovation initiatives such as the Global EPD Project.

Presentations emphasized the need for a collective and continuous framework to strengthen Brazil’s image as a premium supplier in the global natural stone market.

Institutional panel: the strength of organizations
A dedicated session showcased the entities forming the sector’s foundation. Sindirochas, Cetemag, and Rochativa presented their integrated actions and projects for 2026 in a panel featuring their presidents: Bismark Bachiete (Sindirochas), Henrique Guidi (Cetemag), and Bruno Bolognini (Rochativa), reinforcing the sector’s commitment to business, technical, and social development.

Technical panels: logistics, business environment, and taxation
A highlight of the technical program was Léo de Castro, vice president of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and CEO of Fibrasa, who discussed Brazil’s new industrial policy and opportunities for the mineral sector under the New Industry Brazil framework.

The “Business Environment and Logistics Structure” panel featured presentations by Gustavo Serrão (VPorts), Anderson Carvalho (Porto Imetame), Júlio César Lourenço (Portocel), and Ilson Hulle (Abu Dhabi Ports). Experts highlighted investments in port infrastructure, multimodal integration, and logistics internationalization, spotlighting the “Brazilian Natural Stone Hub” project, which is advancing the creation of a logistics and promotional center in Abu Dhabi.

The panel “Impacts of Tax Reform on the Natural Stone Sector,” with Bruno Aguilar (State Tax Auditor), Luiz Cláudio Fardin, and Henrique Tavares (tax consultants), closed the technical sessions with a practical analysis of the recent tax model changes and their effects on the production chain.

International outlook and next steps
Stone Core also reaffirmed the importance of business diplomacy and Brazil’s structured international presence through the It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone project, developed with ApexBrasil. The program actively strengthens Brazilian natural stone’s positioning at major global fairs such as Xiamen Stone Fair (China), Coverings (USA), and Marmomac (Italy).

The event was supported by gold sponsors Milanez & Milaneze (VeronaFiere Group, organizer of Marmomac Brazil and Cachoeiro Stone Fair), Brandão Trading, Sicoob Credirochas and Zomaq Máquinas e Equipamentos; and silver sponsors Speed Soluções em Comex, Agência Conteúdo and Group Expertise.

Given the edition’s success and strong leadership engagement, Centrorochas confirmed the next Stone Core event will be held in April 2026 in Vitória, with the exact date to be announced soon.

At this link, you can see all the photos and materials from the event: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VM5LSidk5CiTjxehAXsGWke_R9By571G?usp=drive_link