US demand for countertops is forecast to advance 4.8 percent annually through 2015. Gains in the key residential market will be promoted by a rebound in housing completions and by increasing repair and improvement spending. Furthermore, growing interest in making homes more marketable will benefit higher-value countertop materials.

This study analyzes the 600 million square foot US countertop industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, and forecasts for 2015 and 2020 by material (e.g., laminates, solid surface, natural stone, engineered stone, tile, cast polymers), product (e.g., kitchen countertops, bathroom countertops) and market (residential, nonresidential, nonbuilding).

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 35 industry players, including Wilsonart, Formica and Panolam.

				    TABLE OF CONTENTS

     SECTION									    PAGE

		INTRODUCTION							      xi

	I.	EXECUTIVE SUMMARY						       1

	II.	MARKET ENVIRONMENT						       4
		General								       4
		Macroeconomic Environment					       4
		Consumer Trends							       8
		   Personal Consumption Expenditures				       9
		   Consumer Financing						      11
		Demographic Trends						      14
		Residential Building Construction				      18
		   New Housing Units						      21
		   Housing Stock						      25
		   Improvements & Repairs					      29
		Nonresidential Building Construction				      30
		Nonresidential Building Improvements & Repairs			      33
		Nonbuilding Construction					      34
		Transportation Equipment					      36
		Regulatory Considerations					      39
		Environmental Considerations					      41
		   Green Materials						      41
		   Waste Management						      43
		   Radon Gas							      44
		   Formaldehyde							      45
		Pricing Trends							      46
		   Natural Stone						      49
		   Engineered Stone						      50
		   Solid Surface						      51
		   Cast Polymers						      53
		   Laminates							      54
		   Tile								      54
		World Market							      55
		   Western Europe						      57
		   Asia/Pacific							      58
		   Other Regions						      59
		Foreign Trade							      60
		   Solid Surface Materials					      61
		   Engineered Stone						      62
		   Tile								      62
		   Granite							      63
		   Other Natural Stone Types					      65
		   Laminates							      65
		   Cast Polymers						      65

	III.	SURFACE MATERIALS						      66
		General								      66
		   Area Outlook							      68
		   Value Outlook						      72
		   Installation Costs						      75
		Laminates							      77
		   Characteristics						      80
		   Suppliers & Fabricators					      82
		Solid Surface Materials						      83
		   Characteristics						      86
		   Suppliers & Fabricators					      89
		Natural Stone							      91
		   Types							      94
		      Granite							      95
		      Other Natural Stone					      99
			Limestone						     101
			Marble							     102
			Slate							     103
			Soapstone						     104
			All Others						     104
		   Suppliers & Fabricators					     105
		Engineered Stone						     106
		   Characteristics						     109
		   Suppliers & Fabricators					     111
		Tile								     113
		   Ceramic							     117
		   Porcelain							     118
		   Other Tiles							     120
		Cast Polymers							     121
		   Characteristics						     123
		   Fabricators							     125
		Other Materials							     125
		   Stainless Steel						     126
		   Wood								     128
		   Recycled Materials						     131
		   Concrete							     133
		   All Other							     135
		      Glass							     136
		      Other Metals						     136
		      Other Materials						     137

	IV.	PRODUCTS							     138
		General								     138
		   Value Outlook						     140
		   Area Outlook							     142
		Kitchen Countertops						     144
		   New								     146
		      Demand by Market						     148
		      Demand by Material					     150
		   Remodeling							     151
		      Demand by Market						     153
		      Demand by Material					     155
		Bathroom Countertops						     157
		   New								     160
		      Demand by Market						     162
		      Demand by Material					     163
		   Remodeling							     165
		      Demand by Market						     166
		      Demand by Material					     169
		Other Countertops						     170
		   New								     172
		      Demand by Market						     173
		      Demand by Material					     175
		   Remodeling							     176
		      Demand by Market						     177
		      Demand by Material					     178

	V.	MARKETS								     180
		General								     180
		Residential Construction					     182
		   Demand by Product						     184
		   Demand by Application					     186
		   Demand by Material						     188
		   Demand by Housing Type					     190
		      Single-Family						     193
		      Multifamily						     197
		      Manufactured Housing					     201
		Nonresidential Building Construction				     204
		   Demand by Product						     207
		   Demand by Application					     208
		   Demand by Material						     209
		   Demand by Building Type					     211
		      Institutional						     212
		      Office & Commercial					     215
		      Industrial						     219
		      Other Nonresidential Building				     222
		Nonbuilding							     225
		   Demand by Product						     227
		   Demand by Application					     228
		   Demand by Material						     229

	VI.	REGIONAL DEMAND							     231
		General								     231
		Regional Demographic & Economic Trends				     232
		   Population Patterns						     232
		   Economic Outlook						     234
		   Construction Activity					     236
		   Housing Trends						     238
		Regional Demand for Countertops					     240
		   Northeast							     244
		      New England						     248
		      Middle Atlantic						     248
		   Midwest							     250
		      East North Central					     253
		      West North Central					     254
		   South							     255
		      South Atlantic						     259
		      East South Central					     261
		      West South Central					     263
		   West								     264
		      Mountain							     267
		      Pacific							     269

	VII.	INDUSTRY STRUCTURE						     271
		General								     271
		   Laminates							     276
		   Solid Surface						     278
		   Natural Stone						     280
		   Engineered Stone						     282
		   Tile								     283
		   Cast Polymers & Other Materials				     285
		Market Share							     286
		   Laminates							     287
		   Solid Surface Materials					     290
		   Engineered Stone						     292
		Competitive Strategies						     295
		Research & Development						     298
		Manufacturing							     299
		Distribution							     300
		Marketing							     303
		Cooperative Agreements						     305
		Company Profiles						     309
		   American Marazzi Tile, see Marazzi Group
		   Aristech Acrylics LLC					     310
		   Baker (Craig) Marble Company Incorporated			     312
		   Benchmark							     313
		   Boos (John) & Company					     314
		   Breton SpA							     316
		   CaesarStone							     317
		   Cambria							     319
		   CCM Enterprises						     320
		   Cheil Industries Incorporated				     322
		   Cosentino SA							     324
		   Coveright Surfaces Holding GmbH				     326
		   Dakota Granite Company					     327
		   Dal-Tile, see Mohawk Industries
		   DuPont (EI) de Nemours					     328
		   Duracite							     330
		   Fletcher Building Limited					     332
		   Formica, see Fletcher Building
		   Hanwha Group							     334
		   Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top Company Incorporated		     336
		   Hundman Lumber Companies					     337
		   Illinois Tool Works Incorporated				     338
		   Innovative Global Brands LLC					     340
		   InPro Corporation						     342
		   LG Hausys Limited						     343
		   Marazzi Group SpA						     345
		   Mohawk Industries Incorporated				     347
		   Panolam Industries International Incorporated		     349
		   Precision Countertops Incorporated				     351
		   Rocksolid Granit USA Incorporated				     352
		   RSI Holding Corporation					     354
		   Safas Corporation						     355
		   Sta-Care Incorporated					     357
		   Swan Corporation						     358
		   Transolid LLC						     359
		   Valley Countertops Industries Limited			     360
		   Vangura Surfacing Products Incorporated			     362
		   VT Industries Incorporated					     363
		   Wilsonart International, see Illinois Tool Works
		Additional Companies Mentioned in Study				     365


				      LIST OF TABLES

    TABLE NUMBER								    PAGE


		SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
		Summary Table							       3

		SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
	1	Macroeconomic Indicators					       8
	2	Personal Consumption Expenditures				      11
	3	Consumer Financing Environment, 2000-2010			      14
	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	      34
	11	Nonbuilding Construction Expenditures				      36
	12	Transportation Equipment Shipments				      39
	13	Selected Fabricated Countertop Prices				      48

		SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
	1	Countertop Demand by Material in Area Terms			      71
	2	Countertop Demand by Material in Value Terms			      74
	3	Laminate Countertop Demand					      80
	4	Solid Surface Countertop Demand					      86
	5	Natural Stone Countertop Demand					      94
	6	Granite Countertop Demand					      99
	7	Other Natural Stone Countertop Demand				     101
	8	Engineered Stone Countertop Demand				     108
	9	Tile Countertop Demand						     117
	10	Cast Polymer Countertop Demand					     123
	11	Other Materials Countertop Demand				     126

		SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
	1	Countertop Demand by Product					     139
	2	Kitchen Countertop Demand					     146
	3	Kitchen Countertop Demand in New Applications			     148
	4	Kitchen Countertop Demand in Remodeling Applications		     152
	5	Bathroom Countertop Demand					     160
	6	Bathroom Countertop Demand in New Applications			     161
	7	Bathroom Countertop Demand in Remodeling Applications		     166
	8	Other Countertop Demand						     172
	9	Other Countertop Demand in New Applications			     173
	10	Other Countertop Demand in Remodeling Applications		     177

		SECTION V -- MARKETS
	1	Countertop Demand by Market & Application			     182
	2	Residential Countertop Demand by Product & Application		     184
	3	Residential Countertop Demand by Material			     190
	4	Residential Countertop Demand by Housing Type			     192
	5	Single-Family Countertop Demand by Product & Application	     197
	6	Multifamily Housing Countertop Demand
		   by Product & Application					     201
	7	Manufactured Housing Countertop Demand by Product 
		   & Application						     204
	8	Nonresidential Building Countertop Demand  by Product 
		   & Application						     206
	9	Nonresidential Building Countertop Demand by Material		     211
	10	Nonresidential Building Countertop Demand by Building Type	     212
	11	Institutional Countertop Demand					     215
	12	Office & Commercial Countertop Demand				     219
	13	Industrial Countertop Demand					     222
	14	Other Nonresidential Building Construction Countertop 
		   Demand							     225
	15	Nonbuilding Countertop Demand by Product & Application		     227
	16	Nonbuilding Countertop Demand by Material			     230

		SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
	1	Population by Region						     234
	2	Gross Domestic Product by Region				     236
	3	Construction Expenditures by Region				     238
	4	Regional Housing Indicators					     240
	5	Countertop Demand by Region					     243
	6	Northeast Countertop Demand					     247
	7	Midwest Countertop Demand					     253
	8	South Countertop Demand						     259
	9	West Countertop Demand						     267

		SECTION VII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
	1	US Countertop Material Sales by Supplier, 2010			     275
	2	Selected Cooperative Agreements					     307


				      LIST OF CHARTS

    CHART NUMBER								    PAGE


		SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
	1	Year of Construction of Housing Stock, 2010			      28

		SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
	1	Countertop Demand by Material in Area Terms, 2010		      72
	2	Countertop Demand by Material in Value Terms, 2010		      75


		SECTION V -- MARKETS
	1	Residential Countertop Demand by Housing Type, 2010		     192

		SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
	1	Countertop Demand by Region, 2010				     244

		SECTION VII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
	1	Laminate Countertop Industry Flow Chart				     278
	2	Solid Surface Countertop Industry Flow Chart			     280
	3	US Countertop Materials Market Share, 2010			     287
	4	Laminate Countertop Materials Market Share, 2010		     288
	5	Solid Surface Countertop Materials Market Share, 2010		     290
	6	Engineered Stone Countertop Materials Market Share, 2010	     293