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ISFA ADVOCACY • DIRECTED BY ACMC
WE FIGHT FOR THE SHOP FLOOR.
When rules get written about how you cut, who you hire, and what you're allowed to fabricate, the people who do the work need a seat at the table. ISFA puts fabricators in that seat — in Washington, in state capitals, and in front of the agencies that inspect your shop.

AMERICAN COUNTERTOP MANUFACTURERS COUNCIL
SHOPS DECIDE. ISFA DELIVERS.
ISFA doesn't pick its fights in a back room. The American Countertop Manufacturers Council (ACMC) is the industry's consensus body — the group of fabrication companies that decides what ISFA works on and what position we take. Once ACMC votes, ISFA goes to work.
HOW AN ISSUE BECOMES AN INDUSTRY POSITION
01
Raise It
Any countertop fabricator — member or not — can submit an issue to the ACMC Issue Register. Tell us what's happening, where, and how it affects your shop.
02
Review It
The issue is checked for completeness and fit with ACMC's rules, then entered into the official register.
03
Open It Up
The industry receives a comment period. Support it, oppose it or weigh in — every comment goes on the record.
04
Hash It Out
Council members review the issue, documentation and industry comments during a formal meeting.
05
Vote
It takes a two-thirds supermajority to adopt a position. Every "no" vote must be explained in writing and answered.
06
Put It on Paper
The issue, comments, deliberation, vote count and final position are documented and archived.

BUILT FOR FAIRNESS
GROUND RULES THAT KEEP IT FAIR
The process is designed so large companies don't overpower small shops, conflicts stay visible and every decision can be traced back to the record.
1 COMPANY · 1 VOTE
A four-person shop counts the same as a 400-person operation.
BALANCE
ACMC works to include shops from every region, size and specialty.
ON THE RECORD
Conflicts of interest are disclosed in writing and noted in the minutes.
ANTITRUST
Prices, wages, bids, vendors and customers are never discussed.
DUE PROCESS
Openness, balance, transparency and a 30-day appeal period are built into the process.
WHO'S ELIGIBLE
A SEAT FOR EVERY KIND OF SHOP.
Any countertop and surface manufacturer operating in North America can apply. The material you fabricate doesn't determine whether your voice belongs in the room.
Natural Stone   •   Quartz   •   Sintered Stone   •   Porcelain   •   Solid Surface   •   Cultured Marble   •   Mineral Surfaces   •   Laminate   •   Wood   •   Metal   •   Concrete   •   Recycled Composites   •   Whatever Comes Next
TRANSPARENCY MATTERS
THE WORK STAYS VISIBLE.
Advocacy works best when the industry can see how decisions are made. ISFA and ACMC document the issues, positions and outcomes so fabricators can follow the work from the first conversation through the final decision.
EVERY QUARTER
COUNTERTOP INSIGHTS REPORT
What issues came in, what positions were built and where the industry landed.
EVERY YEAR
STATE OF THE COUNTERTOP MANUFACTURER
The big-picture report on industry trends, challenges and consensus outcomes.
PERMANENT
CONSENSUS ARCHIVE
A permanent record of every issue, comment, vote and decision.
STRAIGHT TALK
ADVOCACY VS. LOBBYING: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
People use these words like they mean the same thing. They don't. Advocacy is the whole shop. Lobbying is one tool on the floor.
ADVOCACY
Making the case.
Advocacy is everything we do to make the case for fabricators — teaching, training, showing up at hearings, filing public comments, meeting with regulators, building coalitions and telling the industry's story.
LOBBYING
Asking for the vote.
Lobbying is a specific part of advocacy: talking directly to lawmakers and certain government officials to get a specific bill or rule passed, changed or stopped.
Most of what ISFA does every day is advocacy. Lobbying is the specialized piece — and we do it by the book.
WHO'S WORKING FOR YOU IN WASHINGTON
FROM YOUR SHOP TO CAPITOL HILL.
Every position ISFA carries starts with fabricators. From the issue raised on the shop floor to the conversations happening in Washington, there is a clear path for turning industry concerns into action.
01
FABRICATION SHOPS
Raise the issues and share what's happening on the shop floor.
02
ACMC
Reviews the issue and votes on the industry's position.
03
ISFA
Carries the consensus position forward through advocacy.
04
FEDERAL LOBBYING FIRM
Helps navigate Washington and the federal process.
05
CONGRESS & AGENCIES
The decision-makers who write, shape and enforce the rules.
THE PROCESS STARTS WITH THE SHOP.
ISFA's job is to carry the position fabricators built into the rooms where decisions are being made — and to make sure the industry has the right expertise behind it when it gets there.
TODAY
Federal Licensing Requires Specialized Expertise.
Getting a licensing requirement through Washington means working across committees, agencies and procedures most shop owners never have to think about. ISFA has contracted with a registered federal lobbying firm to help guide that process.
LONG TERM
Building Permanent Representation.
ISFA is also working toward hiring a full-time staff attorney and full-time lobbyist — permanent, in-house representation that answers to fabricators.

NONPARTISAN. ON PURPOSE.
SILICA DUST DOESN'T CHECK VOTER REGISTRATION.
A sick worker is a sick worker in every state. A shop that closes leaves the same empty building whoever is in office. That's why ISFA works with anyone willing to help fabricators — and says the same thing to all of them.
NONPARTISAN
We don't work for a party. We work for the shop floor.
BIPARTISAN
We build support on both sides of the aisle.
RULES THAT STICK
Shops need rules they can plan around.
CREDIBILITY
We bring the same facts and the same ask to every office.
PRACTICAL ISSUES
Healthy workers, open shops and fair trade matter in every district.
PROTECTING SMALL SHOPS
The focus stays on workable solutions, not political theater.
ISSUE AREAS
WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
From worker protection to federal licensing and trade policy, these are the areas where ISFA is carrying the fabricator voice into the rooms where decisions are made.
FEDERAL · CO-REGULATION
Federal Shop Licensing
A national path to licensing fabrication shops that puts real oversight behind laws already on the books.
OSHA · CAL/OSHA · STATE PLANS
Silica Safety & Worker Protection
Protecting workers without a ban, including silica awareness training in English and Spanish.
USITC · USTR
Trade & Tariffs
Making sure fabricators have a voice in trade cases that affect slab prices and supply.
PRODUCT STANDARDS
Standards for New Materials
Advocating for better testing and documentation standards for new surface products.
WORKERS' COMP · WORKER CARE
Caring for Sick Workers
Building a framework that helps support sick workers and safety improvements in shops.
STATES · COUNTIES · CITIES
State & Local Advocacy
Working directly with regulators, councils and local officials on practical industry solutions.
WATCH & LEARN
SHORT VIDEOS ON ADVOCACY VS. LOBBYING
Want a quick refresher before diving deeper? These outside organizations offer helpful, plain-language explainers.
QUESTIONS WE GET
FAIR QUESTIONS.
Advocacy and lobbying can sound complicated. These are the questions we hear most often.
Is ISFA a lobbying group?
Most of ISFA's day-to-day work is advocacy: education, training, research, public comments, regulator engagement and coalition-building. Lobbying is the more specific part involving direct asks on particular bills or rules.
Do I have to be an ACMC member to raise an issue?
No. Any countertop fabricator can submit an issue to the ACMC Issue Register for consideration.
Will ACMC ever discuss pricing?
No. ACMC meetings follow strict antitrust guidelines. Prices, wages, bids, vendors and customers are off limits.
Who decides what ISFA fights for?
Fabricators do through ACMC's consensus process. Every member company receives one vote, and a two-thirds supermajority is required to adopt a position.
Does part of my dues go to lobbying?
Trade associations must address lobbying expenditures under applicable tax and disclosure rules. ISFA is committed to transparency about how member dollars are used.
Why doesn't ISFA just back one political party?
ISFA's positions come from fabricator consensus, not a party platform. Working across party lines keeps the focus on practical and durable solutions.
GET INVOLVED
MAKE SURE YOUR SHOP'S VOICE IS IN THE ROOM.
The rules are getting written with or without us. Raise an issue, join ACMC, sign up for advocacy alerts or support the work that keeps fabricators at the table.
Raise an Issue Join ACMC Advocacy Alerts