US demand for countertops is forecast to rise 2.4 percent annually through 2013. Products made from engineered and natural stone will grow the fastest while laminates remain the largest segment. The residential market will remain dominant based on a rebound in housing construction and continued consumer interest in high-value countertops.

This study analyzes the 674 million square foot US countertop industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1998, 2003 and 2008, and forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by material (e.g., laminates, solid surface materials, natural stone, engineered stone, cast polymers, tile), and market (e.g., kitchen, bathroom).

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 36 industry players, including Wilsonart, Formica and Panolam.

TABLE OF CONTENTS                            


SECTION                                                                      PAGE

               INTRODUCTION                                                   xii
               
          I.   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                                1

         II.   MARKET ENVIRONMENT                                               4
               General                                                          4
               Macroeconomic Environment                                        4
               Consumer Trends                                                  9
                   Personal Consumption Expenditures                           10
                   Consumer Financing                                          11
               Demographic Trends                                              15
               Residential Building Construction                               18
                   New Housing Units                                           20
                   Housing Stock                                               25
                   Improvements & Repairs                                      29
               Nonresidential Building Construction                            30
                   Office & Commercial                                         33
                   Institutional                                               34
                   Industrial                                                  35
                   Transportation & Other                                      35
                   Improvements & Repairs                                      36
               Nonbuilding Construction                                        37
               Transportation Equipment                                        39
               Regulatory Considerations                                       42
               Environmental Considerations                                    44
                   Green Materials                                             44
                   Waste Management                                            46
                   Radon Gas                                                   47
                   Formaldehyde                                                48
               Pricing Trends                                                  49
                   Natural Stone                                               52
                   Engineered Stone                                            53
                   Solid Surface                                               54
                   Cast Polymers                                               54
                   Tile                                                        55
                   Laminates                                                   56
               World Market                                                    56
                   Western Europe                                              60
                   Asia/Pacific Region                                         61
                   Other Regions                                               62
               Foreign Trade                                                   64
                   Solid Surface Materials                                     64
                   Engineered Stone                                            65
                   Tile                                                        65
                   Granite                                                     66
                   Other Natural Stone Types                                   68
                   Laminates                                                   69
                   Cast Polymers                                               69
                   
        III.   SURFACE MATERIALS                                               70
               General                                                         70
                   Value Outlook                                               72
                   Area Outlook                                                75
                   Installation Costs                                          78
               Laminates                                                       80
                   Characteristics                                             83
                   Suppliers & Fabricators                                     86
               Solid Surface Materials                                         87
                   Characteristics                                             89
                   Suppliers & Fabricators                                     92
               Natural Stone                                                   94
                   Granite                                                     97
                     Characteristics                                          100
                     Fabricators                                              103
                   Other Stone                                                103
                     Marble                                                   105
                     Limestone                                                106
                     Slate                                                    107
                     Soapstone                                                108
                     Others                                                   108
               Engineered Stone                                               109
                   Characteristics                                            112
                   Suppliers & Fabricators                                    114
               Cast Polymers                                                  116
                   Characteristics                                            119
                   Fabricators                                                121
               Tile                                                           121
                   Ceramic                                                    125
                   Porcelain                                                  126
                   Other                                                      128
               Other Materials                                                129
                   Stainless Steel                                            130
                   Wood                                                       132
                   Recycled Materials                                         135
                   Concrete                                                   137
                   All Other                                                  139
                     Glass                                                    139
                     Other Metals                                             140
                     Other Materials                                          140
                     
         IV.   PRODUCTS                                                       142
               General                                                        142
                   Value Outlook                                              144
                   Area Outlook                                               146
               Kitchen Countertops                                            147
                   New Construction                                           150
                     Demand by Market                                         152
                     Demand by Material                                       153
                   Remodeling Construction                                    154
                     Demand by Market                                         156
                     Demand by Material                                       159
               Bathroom Countertops                                           161
                   New Construction                                           163
                     Demand by Market                                         165
                     Demand by Material                                       166
                   Remodeling Construction                                    168
                     Demand by Market                                         169
                     Demand by Material                                       172
               Other Countertops                                              174
                   New Construction                                           175
                     Demand by Market                                         176
                     Demand by Material                                       177
                   Remodeling Construction                                    178
                     Demand by Market                                         179
                     Demand by Material                                       180
                     
          V.   MARKETS                                                        182
               General                                                        182
               Residential Construction                                       184
                   Demand by Product                                          185
                   Demand by Application                                      186
                   Demand by Material                                         187
                   Demand by Housing Type                                     190
                     Single-Family                                            192
                        Demand by Product                                     193
                        Demand by Application                                 195
                     Multifamily                                              198
                        Demand by Product                                     200
                        Demand by Application                                 201
                     Manufactured Housing                                     202
                        Demand by Product                                     203
                        Demand by Application                                 204
               Nonresidential Building Construction                           205
                   Demand by Product                                          207
                   Demand by Application                                      208
                   Demand by Material                                         210
                   Demand by Building Type                                    211
                     Office & Commercial                                      212
                        Demand by Product                                     214
                        Demand by Application                                 215
                     Institutional                                            215
                        Demand by Product                                     217
                        Demand by Application                                 218
                     Industrial                                               219
                        Demand by Product                                     220
                        Demand by Application                                 221
                     Other Nonresidential Building                            222
                        Demand by Product                                     223
                        Demand by Application                                 224
               Nonbuilding                                                    225
                   Demand by Product                                          226
                   Demand by Application                                      227
                   Demand by Material                                         228
                   
         VI.   REGIONAL DEMAND                                                230
               General                                                        230
               Regional Demographics & Economic Trends                        231
                   Population Patterns                                        231
                   Economic Outlook                                           233
                   Construction Activity                                      236
                   Housing Trends                                             238
               Regional Demand for Countertops                                240
                   Northeast                                                  244
                     New England                                              246
                     Middle Atlantic                                          247
                   Midwest                                                    248
                     East North Central                                       250
                     West North Central                                       252
                   South                                                      253
                     South Atlantic                                           255
                     East South Central                                       257
                     West South Central                                       258
                   West                                                       259
                     Mountain                                                 261
                     Pacific                                                  263
                     
        VII.   INDUSTRY STRUCTURE                                             265
               General                                                        265
               Market Share                                                   270
                   Laminates                                                  272
                   Solid Surface Materials                                    277
                   Natural Stone                                              282
                   Engineered Stone                                           284
                   Cast Polymers                                              288
                   Tile & Other Materials                                     289
               Competitive Strategies                                         291
               Research & Development                                         294
               Manufacturing                                                  295
               Distribution                                                   296
               Marketing                                                      299
               Cooperative Agreements                                         302
               Company Profiles                                               305
                   American Marazzi Tile, see Marazzi Group                      
                   Aristech Acrylics, see Mitsubishi Corporation                 
                   Avonite Surfaces, see Mitsubishi Corporation                  
                   Baker (Craig) Marble Company Incorporated                  306
                   Benchmark                                                  307
                   Boos (John) & Company                                      308
                   Breton SpA                                                 309
                   CaesarStone                                                311
                   Cambria                                                    312
                   CCM Enterprises                                            313
                   Cheil Industries Incorporated                              315
                   Cosentino SA                                               316
                   Coveright Surfaces Holding GmbH                            318
                   Dakota Granite Company                                     320
                   Dal-Tile, see Mohawk Industries                               
                   DuPont (EI) de Nemours                                     321
                   Duracite                                                   322
                   Fletcher Building Limited                                  324
                   Formica, see Fletcher Building                                
                   Granicoat Consumer Products, see Safas                        
                   Hanwha Group                                               326
                   Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top Company Incorporated           327
                   Hundman Lumber Companies                                   328
                   Illinois Tool Works Incorporated                           329
                   Innovative Companies LLC                                   332
                   InPro Corporation                                          333
                   LG Chem Limited                                            334
                   LG Hausys Limited                                          335
                   Marazzi Group SpA                                          336
                   Mitsubishi Corporation                                     338
                   Mohawk Industries Incorporated                             340
                   Monarch Ceramic Tile, see Marazzi Group                       
                   Panolam Industries International Incorporated              342
                   Precision Countertops Incorporated                         344
                   Rocksolid Granite USA Incorporated                         345
                   RSI Home Products Incorporated                             346
                   Safas Corporation                                          347
                   Samsung Chemical USA, see Cheil Industries                    
                   Sta-Care Incorporated                                      348
                   Swan Corporation                                           349
                   Transolid Incorporated                                     350
                   Valley Countertops Industries Limited                      352
                   Vangura Surfacing Products Incorporated                    353
                   VT Industries Incorporated                                 354
                   Wilsonart International, see Illinois Tool Works              
               Additional Companies Mentioned in Study                        356
               
                                LIST OF TABLES
                                        
TABLE NUMBER                                                                 PAGE

               SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
               Summary Table                                                    3

               SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
           1   Macroeconomic Indicators                                         9
           2   Personal Consumption Expenditures                               11
           3   Consumer Financing Environment, 1998-2008                       15
           4   Population & Households                                         18
           5   Residential Building Construction Expenditures                  20
           6   New Housing Indicators                                          25
           7   Housing Stock by Type                                           28
           8   Residential Improvement & Repair Expenditures                   30
           9   Nonresidential Building Construction Expenditures               33
          10   Nonresidential Building Improvement & Repair Expenditures       37
          11   Nonbuilding Construction Expenditures                           39
          12   Transportation Equipment Shipments                              42
          13   Selected Fabricated Countertops Prices                          51

               SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
           1   Countertops Demand by Material in Value Terms                   74
           2   Countertops Demand by Material in Area Terms                    77
           3   Laminate Countertops Demand                                     83
           4   Solid Surface Countertops Demand                                89
           5   Natural Stone Countertops Demand                                97
           6   Granite Countertops Demand                                     100
           7   Other Stone Countertops Demand                                 105
           8   Engineered Stone Countertops Demand                            111
           9   Cast Polymers Countertops Demand                               119
          10   Tile Countertops Demand                                        125
          11   Other Materials Countertops Demand                             130

               SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
           1   Countertops Demand by Product                                  143
           2   Kitchen Countertops Demand                                     150
           3   Kitchen Countertops Demand in New Construction
                   Applications                                               151
           4   Kitchen Countertops Demand in Remodeling 
                   Construction Applications                                  156
           5   Bathroom Countertops Demand                                    163
           6   Bathroom Countertops Demand in New 
                   Construction Applications                                  164
           7   Bathroom Countertops Demand in Remodeling Applications         169
           8   Other Countertops Demand                                       175
           9   Other Countertops Demand in New Construction Applications      176
          10   Other Countertops Demand in Remodeling Applications            179

               SECTION V -- MARKETS
           1   Countertops Demand by Market & Application                     183
           2   Residential Countertops Demand by Product & Application        185
           3   Residential Countertops Demand by Material                     189
           4   Residential Countertops Demand by Housing Type                 191
           5   Single-Family Countertops Demand by Product & Application      193
           6   Multifamily Housing Countertops Demand 
                   by Product & Application                                   199
           7   Manufactured Housing Countertops Demand
                   by Product & Application                                   203
           8   Nonresidential Building Countertops Demand
                   by Product & Application                                   207
           9   Nonresidential Building Countertops Demand by Material         211
          10   Nonresidential Building Countertops Demand
                   by Building Type                                           212
          11   Office & Commercial Countertops Demand                         213
          12   Institutional Countertops Demand                               217
          13   Industrial Countertops Demand                                  220
          14   Other Nonresidential Building Construction 
                   Countertops Demand                                         223
          15   Nonbuilding Countertops Demand by Product & Application        226
          16   Nonbuilding Countertops Demand by Material                     229

               SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
           1   Population by Region                                           233
           2   Gross Domestic Product by Region                               235
           3   Construction Expenditures by Region                            238
           4   Regional Housing Indicators                                    240
           5   Countertops Demand by Region, Market & Application             243
           6   Northeast Countertops Demand                                   246
           7   Midwest Countertops Demand                                     250
           8   South Countertops Demand                                       255
           9   West Countertops Demand                                        261

               SECTION VII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
           1   US Countertop Sales by Materials Supplier, 2008                269
           2   US Countertop Sales by Fabricator, 2008                        270
           3   Selected Cooperative Agreements                                303
               
                                  LIST OF CHARTS
                                        
CHART NUMBER                                                                 PAGE

               SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
           1   Year of Construction of Housing Stock, 2008                     29
           2   Global Countertops Demand, 2008                                 59
           3   US Granite Imports by Country, 2008                             68

               SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
           1   Countertops Demand by Material in Value Terms, 2008             75
           2   Countertops Demand by Material in Area Terms, 2008              78

               SECTION V -- MARKETS
           1   Residential Countertops Demand by Housing Type, 2008           191

               SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
           1   Countertops Demand by Region, 2008                             244

               SECTION VII -- MARKET STRUCTURE
           1   US Countertop Materials Market Share by Company, 2008          272
           2   Laminate Countertop Industry Flow Chart                        274
           3   Laminate Countertop Materials Market Share, 2008               275
           4   Solid Surface Countertop Industry Flowchart                    279
           5   Solid Surface Countertop Materials Market Share, 2008          280
           6   Engineered Stone Countertop Materials Market Share, 2008       286