Global demand for residential countertops will rise 3.3 percent annually through 2013. The Asia/Pacific region will remain the largest market, led by gains in China and India. Laminate, solid surface and natural stone will remain key material types, while engineered stone will grow the fastest.

This study analyzes the 289 million square meter world countertop industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1998, 2003 and 2008, with forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by material (e.g., laminates, solid surface, natural stone, engineered stone), type (e.g., kitchen, bath), market (new construction, remodeling), world region (e.g., Asia/Pacific, North America) and for 18 countries.

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 35 industry players, including Fletcher Building, Illinois Tool Works and DuPont.

				    TABLE OF CONTENTS

     SECTION									    PAGE

		Introduction							       x

	I.	Executive Summary						       1

	II.	Market Environment						       4
		General								       4
		World Economic Overview						       4
		   Recent Historical Trends					       5
		   World Economic Outlook					       7
		World Fixed Investment						      11
		World Consumer Spending						      13
		World Demographic Outlook					      14
		   Population							      15
		   Households							      16
		   Urbanization							      17
		World Residential Building Construction Activity		      19
		   New Housing Units						      21
		   New Housing Floor Space					      23
		   Housing Stock						      25
		   Total Residential Floor Space				      26
		Environmental & Regulatory Issues				      28

	III.	Overview							      31
		General								      31
		Materials							      34
		   Laminates							      37
		   Solid Surface						      42
		   Natural Stone						      47
		      Granite							      50
		      Other Types of Natural Stone				      51
		   Engineered Stone						      54
		   Other							      59
		Type								      65
		   Kitchen							      66
		   Bathroom							      68
		   Other							      71
		Markets								      73
		   New Construction						      73
		   Remodeling							      76

	IV.	North America							      79
		North America:  General						      79
		North America:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		      81
		United States							      83
		Canada								      91
		Mexico								      98

	V.	Western Europe							     106
		Western Europe:  General					     106
		Western Europe:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		     108
		France								     111
		Germany								     118
		Italy								     125
		Netherlands							     131
		Spain								     137
		United Kingdom							     143
		Other Western Europe						     149

	VI.	Asia/Pacific							     156
		Asia/Pacific:  General						     156
		Asia/Pacific:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		     159
		Australia							     162
		China								     170
		India								     179
		Japan								     186
		South Korea							     192
		Thailand							     199
		Other Asia/Pacific						     204

	VII.	Other Regions							     211
		Latin America:  General						     211
		   Latin America:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		     213
		   Brazil							     216
		   Other Latin America						     221
		Eastern Europe:  General					     227
		   Eastern Europe:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		     229
		   Russia							     232
		   Other Eastern Europe						     238
		Africa/Mideast:  General					     244
		   Africa/Mideast:  Demand by Material, Type & Market		     246
		   Turkey							     249
		   Other Africa/Mideast						     254

	VIII.	Industry Structure				                     260
		General								     260
		Industry Structure						     260
		Market Share							     263
		Competitive Strategies						     268
		Research & Development						     271
		Manufacturing							     272
		Marketing & Distribution					     273
		Mergers & Acquisitions						     275
		Cooperative Agreements						     275
		Company Profiles						     279
		   ABET LAMINATI SpA						     280
		   AKP Carat-Arbeitsplatten, see Westag & Getalit
		   Aristech Acrylics LLC					     281
		   Arnas Company Limited					     283
		   Arpa Industriale SpA						     284
		   Avonite Surfaces, see Aristech Acrylics
		   Breton SpA							     286
		   CaesarStone							     288
		   Cheil Industries Incorporated				     290
		   Cosentino SA							     292
		   DuPont (EI) de Nemours					     295
		   Duropal, see Pfleiderer 
		   Fletcher Building Limited					     297
		   Formica, see Fletcher Building 
		   Foshan Gaoming Jinshi Chemical Industry Company 
		      Limited							     300
		   Granito Zucchi Limitada					     301
		   Grupo KUO SAB de CV						     302
		   Guangzhou Gelandi Polymer Material Company Limited		     304
		   Hanwha Group							     305
		   Huapeng Meyate Decoration Material Company Limited		     307
		   Huaxun Industry Company Limited				     308
		   Illinois Tool Works Incorporated				     310
		   Kaiping Fuliya Composite Material Company Limited		     314
		   Krono Holding AG						     315
		   Kuraray Company Limited					     317
		   Laminex Group, see Fletcher Building
		   LG Hausys Limited						     319
		   Marazzi Group SpA						     321
		   Opal Industrial Company Limited				     323
		   O’Riordan Building Materials Manufacture Company 
		      Limited							     324
		   Panolam Industries International Incorporated		     325
		   Pfleiderer AG						     327
		   Polyrey, see Illinois Tool Works 
		   Pyrolave SA							     329
		   Quarella SpA							     330
		   Resopal, see Illinois Tool Works 
		   Rexcel, see Grupo KUO
		   Rosskopf & Partner AG					     331
		   Samsung Chemical USA, see Cheil Industries 
		   Shanghai Kanger Furniture & Building Materials Company Limited     332
		   Style Stone Joint Venture, see Vietnam Construction and 
		      Import-Export Joint Stock and WK Marble & Granite 
		   Thermopal, see Pfleiderer 
		   Vietnam Construction and Import-Export Joint Stock 
		      Corporation						     334
		   Westag & Getalit AG						     335
		   Wilsonart International, see Illinois Tool Works 
		   WK Marble & Granite Pty Limited				     337
		   Yoshimoto Trading Company Limited				     338
		Other Companies							     340


				      LIST OF TABLES

    TABLE NUMBER								    PAGE


		SECTION I -- Executive Summary
		Summary Table							       3

		SECTION II -- Market Environment
	1	World Gross Domestic Product by Region				      10
	2	World Gross Fixed Capital Formation by Region			      12
	3	World Personal Consumption Expenditures by Region		      14
	4	World Population by Region					      16
	5	World Households by Region					      17
	6	World Urban Population by Region				      19
	7	World Residential Building Construction Expenditures by 
		   Region							      21
	8	World New Housing Units by Region				      23
	9	World New Housing Floor Space by Region				      24
	10	World Housing Stock by Region					      26
	11	World Total Residential Floor Space by Region			      27

		SECTION III -- Overview
	1	World Countertop Demand by Region				      33
	2	World Countertop Demand by Material				      36
	3	World Laminate Countertop Demand by Region			      41
	4	World Solid Surface Countertop Demand by Region			      46
	5	World Natural Stone Countertop Demand by Region			      49
	6	World Engineered Stone Countertop Demand by Region		      58
	7	World Demand for Countertops Made from Other Materials by 
		   Region							      60
	8	World Countertop Demand by Type					      66
	9	World Kitchen Countertop Demand by Region			      68
	10	World Bathroom Countertop Demand by Region			      70
	11	World Demand for Other Countertops by Region			      72
	12	World Countertop Demand by Market				      73
	13	World New Construction Countertop Demand by Region		      75
	14	World Remodeling Countertop Demand by Region			      78

		SECTION IV -- North America
	1	North America:  Market Environment				      80
	2	North America:  Countertop Demand By Material, Type & 
		   Market							      82
	3	United States:  Market Environment				      85
	4	United States:  Countertop Demand By Type & Market		      88
	5	United States:  Countertop Demand By Material			      91
	6	Canada:  Market Environment					      93
	7	Canada:  Countertop Demand By Type & Market			      96
	8	Canada:  Countertop Demand By Material				      98
	9	Mexico:  Market Environment					     100
	10	Mexico:  Countertop Demand By Type & Market			     103
	11	Mexico:  Countertop Demand By Material				     105

		SECTION V -- Western Europe
	1	Western Europe:  Market Environment				     108
	2	Western Europe:  Countertop Demand By Material, Type & 
		   Market							     110
	3	France:  Market Environment					     113
	4	France:  Countertop Demand By Type & Market			     116
	5	France:  Countertop Demand By Material				     118
	6	Germany:  Market Environment					     120
	7	Germany:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     123
	8	Germany:  Countertop Demand by Material				     125
	9	Italy:  Market Environment					     127
	10	Italy:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     129
	11	Italy:  Countertop Demand by Material				     131
	12	Netherlands:  Market Environment				     133
	13	Netherlands:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market		     135
	14	Netherlands:  Countertop Demand by Material			     137
	15	Spain:  Market Environment					     139
	16	Spain:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     141
	17	Spain:  Countertop Demand by Material				     143
	18	United Kingdom:  Market Environment				     145
	19	United Kingdom:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market		     147
	20	United Kingdom:  Countertop Demand by Material			     149
	21	Other Western Europe:  Market Environment			     151
	22	Other Western Europe:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market	     153
	23	Other Western Europe:  Countertop Demand by Material		     155

		SECTION VI -- Asia/Pacific
	1	Asia/Pacific:  Market Environment				     158
	2	Asia/Pacific:  Countertop Demand by Material, Type & Market	     161
	3	Australia:  Market Environment					     164
	4	Australia:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     167
	5	Australia:  Countertop Demand by Material			     170
	6	China:  Market Environment					     172
	7	China:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     175
	8	China:  Countertop Demand by Material				     178
	9	India:  Market Environment					     180
	10	India:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     183
	11	India:  Countertop Demand by Material				     186
	12	Japan:  Market Environment					     188
	13	Japan:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     190
	14	Japan:  Countertop Demand by Material				     192
	15	South Korea:  Market Environment				     194
	16	South Korea:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market		     197
	17	South Korea:  Countertop Demand by Material			     199
	18	Thailand:  Market Environment					     201
	19	Thailand:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     203
	20	Thailand:  Countertop Demand by Material			     204
	21	Other Asia/Pacific:  Market Environment				     206
	22	Other Asia/Pacific:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market		     208
	23	Other Asia/Pacific:  Countertop Demand by Material		     210

		SECTION VII -- Other Regions
	1	Latin America:  Market Environment				     213
	2	Latin America:  Countertop Demand by Material, Type & 
		   Market							     215
	3	Brazil:  Market Environment					     217
	4	Brazil:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     219
	5	Brazil:  Countertop Demand by Material				     221
	6	Other Latin America:  Market Environment			     223
	7	Other Latin America:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market	     225
	8	Other Latin America:  Countertop Demand by Material		     227
	9	Eastern Europe:  Market Environment				     229
	10	Eastern Europe:  Countertop Demand by Material, Type & 
		   Market							     231
	11	Russia:  Market Environment					     234
	12	Russia:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     236
	13	Russia:  Countertop Demand by Material				     238
	14	Other Eastern Europe:  Market Environment			     240
	15	Other Eastern Europe:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market	     242
	16	Other Eastern Europe:  Countertop Demand by Material		     244
	17	Africa/Mideast:  Market Environment				     246
	18	Africa/Mideast:  Countertop Demand by Material, Type & 
		   Market							     248
	19	Turkey:  Market Environment					     250
	20	Turkey:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market			     252
	21	Turkey:  Countertop Demand by Material				     254
	22	Other Africa/Mideast:  Market Environment			     256
	23	Other Africa/Mideast:  Countertop Demand by Type & Market	     257
	24	Other Africa/Mideast:  Countertop Demand by Material		     259

		SECTION VIII -- Industry Structure
	1	World Countertop Material Sales by Company, 2008		     263
	2	Selected Cooperative Agreements					     278


				      LIST OF CHARTS

    CHART NUMBER								    PAGE

               SECTION I -- Executive Summary
               SECTION II -- Market Environment

		SECTION III -- Overview
	1	World Countertop Demand by Region, 2008				      34
	2	World Countertop Demand by Type, 1998-2018			      36
	3	World Laminate Countertop Demand by Region, 2008		      42
	4	World Solid Surface Countertop Demand by Region, 2008		      47
	5	World Natural Stone Countertop Demand by Region, 2008		      50
	6	World Engineered Stone Countertop Demand by Region, 2008	      59
	7	World Demand for Countertops Made from Other Materials by 
		   Region, 2008							      61

		SECTION IV -- North America
	1	North America Countertop Demand by Country, 2008		      83

		SECTION V -- Western Europe
	1	Western Europe Countertop Demand by Country, 2008		     111

		SECTION VI -- Asia/Pacific
	1	Asia/Pacific Countertop Demand by Country, 2008			     162
                SECTION VII -- Other Regions

		SECTION VIII -- Industry Structure
	1	World Countertop Materials Market Share by Company, 2008	     265