Catalina and CTaSC Announces the Release of the 2013 Stone Report

Catalina Research and Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants, Inc. (CTaSC), a national company providing marketing research and business planning services, announced the release of their 2013 Catalina Report on Natural and Manufactured Stone.

The 2013 Catalina Report on Natural and Manufactured Stone reportis an in-depth industry investigation of the $7.3 billion U.S. natural and manufactured stone product industry.  The U.S. stone product market has been recovering since 2011 and the recovery has continued to strengthen during 2013. The surge in new home construction has led the recovery, as seen by the 28.2% increase in housing starts in 2012 and an estimated 31.6% gain during 2013. The residential remodeling market is also benefiting from the increase in existing home sales and the rise in home prices. The increase in existing home sales stimulates homeowner remodeling projects and the rise in home prices is an incentive for non-movers to invest in their homes and upgrade to stone countertops and flooring. As the residential market grows in importance, stone product suppliers have increased their reliance on the home center channel.  Currently, however, the important non-residential market is lagging compared to the overall recovery due to the decline in public building construction activity.