Natural Stone Institute

The Natural Stone Institute has grown through mergers and expansions—bringing together organizations with roots dating back to the late 1800s—to become the industry’s most comprehensive and enduring association for natural stone professionals.

The cornerstone for NSI was laid in 1894, when the International Cut Stone Contractors and Quarrymen’s Association established a successful and long-lasting foundation by creating the first Standard Specifications. This positioned the association as a central resource for stone material. In 1955, the organization’s name changed to the Building Stone Institute.

The marble industry has long played a central role in NSI. Established in 1903 as the National Association of Marble Dealers, the Marble Institute of America officially formed in 1944, when the association merged with the National Association of Marble Producers. In 1962, the National Association of Marble Builders merged with the Marble Institute of America.

Notably, in 2018, BSI and MIA combined to form NSI. In 2021 the National Building Granite Quarriers Association (founded in 1916) merged with the Natural Stone Institute.