US demand for kitchen and bath countertops will reach 509 million square feet in 2009. Gains will be driven by modest growth in remodeling expenditures and by an ongoing trend toward larger kitchens and more bathrooms per home. Value gains will be promoted by a shift toward high value materials.

This study analyzes the $11.8 billion US residential kitchen and bath countertop industry. It presents historical demand data for 1994, 1999 and 2004 and forecasts to 2009 and 2014 by surface material (e.g., laminate, solid surface, natural stone, granite, engineered stone , tile); by countertop product (kitchen, bath); by market (e.g., single-unit, multiple-unit, manufactured housing, new housing, remodeling); and by US geographic region.

The study also considers market environment indicators, evaluates company market share and profiles 35 leading industry players including Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar, DuPont, Panolam Industries, Cosentino, Mitsubishi, LG Chem, Cheil Industries, CAMBRIA, and CaesarStone.

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                    
  
  SECTION                                                          PAGE
  
         INTRODUCTION                                                ix
     
   I.    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                            1
  
  II.    MARKET ENVIRONMENT                                           4
         General                                                      4
         Macroeconomic Environment                                    4
         Consumer Trends                                              7
           Personal Income & Expenditures                             7
           Consumer Financing                                         9
         Demographic Trends                                          12
           Population                                                13
           Households                                                15
         Residential Building Construction                           16
           New Housing Units                                         19
           Housing Stock                                             21
           Improvements & Repairs                                    24
         Regulatory Considerations                                   25
         Pricing Trends                                              29
         World Market                                                36
           Western Europe                                            38
           Asia/Pacific                                              39
           Rest of World                                             41
         Foreign Trade                                               43
     
 III.    SURFACE MATERIALS                                           44
         General                                                     44
           Value Outlook                                             46
           Volume Outlook                                            49
           Installation Costs                                        53
         Laminates                                                   56
           Characteristics                                           59
           Suppliers & Fabricators                                   62
         Solid Surface                                               63
           Characteristics                                           65
           Suppliers & Fabricators                                   68
         Natural Stone                                               70
           Granite                                                   74
              Characteristics                                        77
              Fabricators                                            79
           Other Stone                                               80
              Marble                                                 81
              Limestone                                              82
              Slate                                                  83
              Soapstone                                              83
              Others                                                 84
         Engineered Stone                                            84
           Characteristics                                           87
           Suppliers & Fabricators                                   89
         Tile                                                        92
           Ceramic                                                   95
           Porcelain                                                 97
           Other Tile                                                98
         Miscellaneous Cast Polymers                                 99
           Characteristics                                          101
           Fabricators                                              103
         Other Materials                                            104
           Stainless Steel                                          105
           Wood                                                     107
           All Other                                                109
              Concrete                                              109
              Miscellaneous Metals                                  111
              Glass                                                 112
              Others                                                112
     
  IV.    PRODUCTS                                                   114
         General                                                    114
           Value Outlook                                            115
           Volume Outlook                                           118
         Kitchen Countertops                                        119
           New Housing                                              123
           Remodeling                                               125
         Bathroom Countertops                                       129
           New Housing                                              133
           Remodeling                                               135
  
   V.    MARKETS                                                    138
         General                                                    138
         New Housing                                                141
           Single Unit                                              144
           Multiple Units                                           148
           Manufactured Housing                                     151
         Remodeling                                                 154
           Single Unit                                              158
           Multiple Units                                           161
           Manufactured Housing                                     163
           
  VI.    REGIONAL DEMAND                                            166
         General                                                    166
         Regional Demographic & Economic Trends                     167
           Population Patterns                                      167
           Economic Outlook                                         169
           Construction Activity                                    171
           Housing Trends                                           173
         Regional Demand for Countertops                            176
           Northeast                                                180
              New England                                           182
              Middle Atlantic                                       183
           Midwest                                                  184
              East North Central                                    186
              West North Central                                    187
           South                                                    188
              South Atlantic                                        190
              East South Central                                    192
              West South Central                                    193
           West                                                     194
              Mountain                                              196
              Pacific                                               198
  
 VII.    INDUSTRY STRUCTURE                                         200
         General                                                    200
         Industry Composition & Market Share                        205
           Laminates                                                206
           Solid Surface                                            211
           Natural Stone                                            218
           Tile                                                     220
           Engineered Stone                                         221
           Miscellaneous Cast Polymers & Others                     226
         Competitive Strategies                                     227
         Research & Development                                     231
         Manufacturing                                              233
         Distribution                                               234
         Marketing                                                  236
         Mergers & Acquisitions                                     239
         Cooperative Agreements                                     241
         Company Profiles                                           245
           American Marazzi Tile Incorporated, see Marazzi Gruppo
                Ceramiche SpA                                          
           Aristech Acrylics LLC, see Mitsubishi Corporation           
           AVONITE SURFACES, see Mitsubishi Corporation                
           Baker (Craig) Marble Company Incorporated                246
           Benchmark                                                248
           Boos (John) & Company                                    249
           CaesarStone                                              250
           CAMBRIA                                                  252
           Casco Surfaces Beteiligungs GmbH, see Coveright Surfaces
                Holding GmbH                                           
           CCM Enterprises                                          253
           Cheil Industries Incorporated                            254
           Cosentino SA                                             255
           Coveright Surfaces Holding GmbH                          257
           Dakota Granite Company                                   259
           Dal-Tile International Incorporated, see Mohawk 
                Industries Incorporated                                           
           Decatur CounterTop, see Hundman Lumber Companies            
           DuPont (EI) de Nemours                                   260
           Duracite                                                 262
           Edgemold Products, see Fiberesin Industries Incorporated    
           Fiberesin Industries Incorporated                        264
           Formica Corporation                                      265
           Guangzhou Montelli Material Technology Company Limited,
                see DuPont (EI) de Nemours                             
           Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top Company Incorporated         267
           Hundman Lumber Companies                                 268
           Illinois Tool Works Incorporated                         269
           Inova Incorporated, see Formica Corporation                 
           LG Chem Limited                                          273
           Lippert Corporation                                      275
           Marazzi Gruppo Ceramiche SpA                             276
           Mesa Fully Formed Incorporated                           278
           Mitsubishi Corporation                                   279
           Mohawk Industries Incorporated                           281
           Monarch Ceramic Tile, see Marazzi Gruppo Ceramiche SpA
           Nevamar Company LLC                                      282
           Panolam Industries International Incorporated            284
           Pionite Decorative Surfaces, see Panolam Industries
                International Incorporated                             
           Precision Countertops Incorporated                       286
           Rocksolid Granit USA Incorporated                        287
           RSI Holding Corporation                                  288
           Safas Corporation                                        289
           Sta-Care Incorporated                                    290
           Swan Corporation                                         291
           Transolid Incorporated                                   292
           US Stone                                                 293
           Valley Countertops Industries Limited                    294
           Vangura Surfacing Products Incorporated                  295
           VT Industries Incorporated                               296
           Wilsonart International Incorporated, see Illinois 
                Tool Works Incorporated                                           
         Other Companies Mentioned in Study                         298
    


                             LIST OF TABLES
                                   
    TABLE NUMBER                                                   PAGE
  
         SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  
         Summary Table                                                3
  
         SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
  
    1    Macroeconomic Indicators                                     6
    2    Personal Income & Expenditures                               9
    3    Consumer Financing Environment, 1994-2004                   12
    4    Demographic Indicators                                      15
    5    Residential Construction Expenditures                       18
    6    New Housing Units                                           21
    7    Housing Stock                                               23
    8    Residential Improvement & Repair Expenditures               25
    9    Selected Fabricated Countertop Prices                       31
         
         SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Material in Value Terms                48
    2    Countertop Demand by Material in Volume Terms               52
    3    Laminate Countertop Demand                                  59
    4    Solid Surface Countertop Demand                             65
    5    Natural Stone Countertop Demand                             73
    6    Granite Countertop Demand                                   76
    7    Other Stone Countertop Demand                               81
    8    Engineered Stone Countertop Demand                          87
    9    Tile Countertop Demand                                      95
   10    Miscellaneous Cast Polymer Countertop Demand               101
   11    Other Materials Countertop Demand                          105
  
         SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Product                               115
    2    Kitchen Countertop Demand                                  122
    3    Kitchen Countertop Demand in New Housing                   125
    4    Kitchen Countertop Demand in Remodeling                    129
    5    Bathroom Countertop Demand                                 132
    6    Bathroom Countertop Demand in New Housing                  135
    7    Bathroom Countertop Demand in Remodeling                   137
   
         SECTION V -- MARKETS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Market                                140
    2    New Housing Countertop Demand                              143
    3    New Single Unit Housing Countertop Demand                  147
    4    New Multiple Unit Housing Countertop Demand                150
    5    New Manufactured Housing Countertop Demand                 153
    6    Remodeled Countertop Demand                                157
    7    Remodeled Countertop Demand in Single Unit Housing         161
    8    Remodeled Countertop Demand in Multiple Unit Housing       163
    9    Remodeled Countertop Demand in Manufactured Housing        165
     
         SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
  
    1    Resident Population by Region                              169
    2    Regional GDP                                               171
    3    Regional Construction Expenditures                         173
    4    Regional Housing Sales, New Units & Stock                  176
    5    Countertop Demand by Region                                179
    6    Countertop Demand in the Northeast                         182
    7    Countertop Demand in the Midwest                           186
    8    Countertop Demand in the South                             190
    9    Countertop Demand in the West                              196
  
         SECTION VII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
  
    1    US Countertop Related Sales by Company, 2004               203
    2    Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures                       241
    3    Selected Cooperative Agreements                            244
  
    

                           LIST OF CHARTS
                                   
    CHART NUMBER                                                   PAGE
  
         SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
  
    1    Year of Construction of Housing Stock, 2004                 24
  
         SECTION III -- SURFACE MATERIALS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Material in Value Terms, 2004          49
    2    Countertop Demand by Material in Volume Terms, 2004         52
    3    Range of Estimated Countertop Installed Costs by 
           Material, 2004                                            56
  
         SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Type in Value Terms, 1994-2014        117
    2    Countertop Demand by Type in Volume Terms, 1994-2014       119
    3    Kitchen Countertop Demand:  New Versus Remodeling, 
           1994-2014                                                122
    4    Bathroom Countertop Demand:  New Versus Remodeling, 
           1994-2014                                                132
  
         SECTION V -- MARKETS
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Market, 1994-2014                     140
    2    New Housing Countertop Demand by Housing Type, 2004        144
    3    Countertop Size, 1994-2014:  New Single Unit Housing       148
    4    Countertop Size, 1994-2014:  New Multiple Unit Housing     150
    5    Countertop Size, 1994-2014:  New Manufactured Housing      153
    6    Remodeled Countertop Demand by Housing Type, 2004          157
  
         SECTION VI -- REGIONAL DEMAND
  
    1    Countertop Demand by Region, 2004                          179
  
         SECTION VII -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
  
    1    Countertop Materials Market Share, 2004                    206
    2    Laminate Countertop Industry Flow Chart                    208
    3    Laminate Countertop Materials Market Share, 2004           209
    4    Solid Surface Countertop Industry Flow Chart               213
    5    Solid Surface Countertop Materials Market Share, 2004      215
    6    Engineered Stone Countertop Materials Market Share, 2004   224