Good News Coming Down the Pike

Hello again and welcome to another edition of The Countertop Industry Insider, all of the latest news regarding countertops and countertop fabrication. I know a lot has been said of change recently, especially in the corporate world. We recognize that not all change is good, and we even ran an article on the website about how to distinguish good change from bad change. However, some of the changes we have been implementing over the course of the year have me especially excited because it means providing enhanced services to you and all of our loyal readers.

Earlier this month we completed a major update of the website. You will see some new enhancements in various places throughout the site, but the main upgrades have taken place in the backend, which has gone through one of our largest overhauls to date. The entire website now runs faster and smoother. The pages load more quickly, and we have more options that help us understand what is important to you and what is not. Although we were nervous about implementing the update, it turns out the choice to change worked in everyone's favor - despite causing a lot of extra work for us.

Earlier in the year, we made a decision to begin work on several other changes, including new features and resources. Last year we created lists of manufacturers and suppliers for solid surface as well as quartz surfacing/engineered stone, both of which are for your reference. And we have plans to further enhance these lists. In addition, we started work on a full directory of U.S. fabricators listed by state. Although our directory is only about 25 percent complete, when finished later this year it will be the most comprehensive listing available in one place. We will keep you updated on our progress and how you will be able to include your fabrication business.

Finally, among our biggest news is the opening of our exclusive Countertop Survey, which we plan on using to gather statistics and trends concerning the countertop industry, how we are doing serving the industry and how we can improve in order to provide you the best and most relevant information available.

As of today, we have more than 200 respondents, but we are looking for many more. The short survey takes only a few minutes to complete and will run through April 15. All of the answers you provide are completely anonymous and will never be connected to you or your company, and when finished, you will be able to enter our drawing to win one of two gift cards from Best Buy.

Each month, I ask that you email me or comment on the website with your questions, concerns or ideas, but this month, if you can spare a few minutes, I'd simply like to ask that you fill out our survey, which includes space for you to comment and provide ideas. You can go straight to the survey simply by clicking here.

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from all of you before the survey deadline.

Sincerely,

Brian Jones, Editor/Content Manager 

info@countetopresource.com

Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Florida

Florida:  In 1513, Ponce de León, seeking the mythical “Fountain of Youth,” discovered and named Florida. He claimed the region for Spain. In 1564, French missionaries settled Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville. In 1565, Spanish troops arrived and drove the French out of Florida. They established St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the U.S.
The Florida Territory was organized in 1822 and settlers entered by the thousands. 
On March 3, 1845, The Sunshine state was the 27th to join the Union.

Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the United States whose borders encompass two national parks. You can hike through pristine Everglades National Park or ride on glass-bottom boats across Biscayne National Park.


People in Florida still need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them. You can find a list of countertop businesses in Florida here!

There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.

This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Georgia next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.

In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.

We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.

Let us know what you think!

ISFA 2015 Countertop Forecast Predicts Another Year of Growth

 

A few weeks ago, the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) published its annual Countertop Industry Outlook for 2015 in its magazine Countertops & Architectural Surfaces. This forecast for the coming year is the only one of its kind published openly that we are aware of, and it is not specific to only one kind of surfacing material. It is researched and written by the magazine’s editor and ISFA Communications Director Kevin Cole, who predicts fabricators and others involved in the countertop industry can expect “another year of continued growth.”

This is expected to be the third year of industry growth after the economy began to recover from the Great Recession. According to the 2013 industry forecast, the economy was still a bit sluggish, but was beginning to look up. Since that time, growth has continued in the general economy and most industries.

Because there are very few sources available that specifically focus on countertops, the Industry Outlook is based on data that is indicative of countertop demand, beginning with the general economy and then looking at more closely allied areas, such as U.S. housing starts data, nonresidential building construction, home improvement product sales, remodeling predictions, cabinet sales and more. If you aren’t ISFA members receiving this publication, we strongly suggest you sign up for it. Right now subscriptions are free to qualified individuals in the United States.
Taking all of the sources into consideration, the forecast from ISFA has been anchored for the last three years by a 382-page report from The Freedonia Group offering predictions on the countertop market through 2022. According to this report, demand for countertops in the United States is expected to increase by 5.1 percent through 2017, spurred by building construction, single-family home completions and a relaxation in credit requirements for remodeling loans.

According to the Freedonia report, the demand for laminate countertops is expected to decrease from a 60 percent share of the market 10 years ago to 47 percent by 2017. Natural stone is predicted to make the largest gains with quartz surfacing/engineered stone coming in a close second. In addition, countertops made of “other materials,” such as concrete, metal and recycled products, should grow by 7.2 percent per year through 2017. It also makes predictions about tile, solid surface and other cast polymers.

Other specific factors that led to the favorable outlook for 2015 include the expected growth of the national GDP of 3.1 percent and increase in housing starts from 924,900 in 2013 to more than 1 million in 2014. In addition, predictions for nonresidential construction are up across the board.
However, beyond the ISFA forecast, one of the strongest indicators of a great 2015 for the countertop industry comes from anecdotal evidence provided to us by our general audience, which includes thousands of fabricators across the country. Talking with fabricators at KBIS and TISE this year and communicating with many others online and by phone, we have heard very little bad news. Most of our readers cannot deny that business is up, and many are expecting growth to continue in the future.
We are currently working to uncover specific information about the countertop industry (as well as how we are doing serving you) through our own Countertop Industry Survey, and we would love to hear what you have to say. To help you make our data as complete as possible, we invite you to take the survey and have your name entered for a drawing to win one of two $250 gift certificates to Best Buy. You can start the short survey by clicking here now.

Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Delaware

Delaware: The very first state to ratify the United States Constitution, became the first state in the Union on Dec. 7, 1787. Semi-autonomous after 1704, Delaware had fought as a separate state in the American Revolution. Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, a French immigrant, built the state's first gunpowder mill on Brandywine Creek near Wilmington in 1802. The Du Pont Laboratories first produced nylon at its plant in Seaford. This earned the town the distinction of being the Nylon Capital of the World. The Du Pont Company would eventually become the largest chemical company in the United States.

The longest twin span suspension bridge in the world is the Delaware Memorial Bridge that connects Delaware with New Jersey.  At its widest point, Delaware is only 35 miles across!

People in Delaware still need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them. You can find a list of countertop businesses in Delaware here!

There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.

This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Florida next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.

In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.

We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.

Let us know what you think!

Please give a few minutes of your time for this Countertop Survey - we will all benefit and you may win a gift card in the process...

Dear friends in the countertop industry,

CountertopResource.com works day-in and day-out to try to bring the most up-to-date, relevant and important information to help you run your businesses better. And now they are asking for a little help in return from you. They have put together their very first industry survey to try to measure a number of statistics not only about the industry, but also about how the website is doing serving you and how aware you are of what it offers.

While we know your time is valuable, couldn't you give just a few minutes? And, in return, you can sign up to be entered into a drawing to win one of two $250 gift cards to Best Buy – just for giving us some of your information and opinions.

The site has sworn the survey will be kept anonymous and used for internal purposes only. It will not share with anyone the identities of those who filled out the survey nor connect anyone’s answers with an individual or company. It is obvious the folks behind site wants you to feel free to be open and honest.

The deadline to fill out the survey is April 15, so please just take a few minutes to do so now, won’t you?

So what do you say? Will you give back just a few minutes of your time in exchange for what is given to you and take the survey today?

We sure hope so. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE COUNTERTOPRESOURCE.COM COUNTERTOP INDUSTRY SURVEY

Thanks!

Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Connecticut

Connecticut:  Dutchman Adriaen Block was the first to explore the Connecticut Valley in 1614. In1633, English colonists came from Massachusetts to settle Windsor, the first permanent settlement in Connecticut. Together with settlements in Wethersfield and Hartford they united to form the Connecticut Colony in 1636.  Connecticut played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War, serving as the Continental Army's major supplier. Sometimes called the "Arsenal of the Nation" the state became one of the most industrialized in the nation. Also known as The Constitution State, Connecticut joined the Union in January of 1788 to become the 5th state.

The New Haven District Telephone Company published the first ever telephone book in February 1878.  That first issue contained only fifty names!

People in Connecticut still need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them. You can find a list of countertop businesses in Connecticut here!

There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.

This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Delaware next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.

In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.

We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.

Let us know what you think!

Countertop Businesses and Fabricators in Colorado

Colorado: Known as The Centennial State for entering the Union on August 1, 1876 amid the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
First visited by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, the territory was claimed for Spain by Juan de Ulibarri in 1706. The U.S. obtained eastern Colorado as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the central portion in 1845 with the admission of Texas as a state, and the western part in 1848 as a result of the Mexican War.
Colorado has almost as many dead towns (about 500) as live ones (650). Mining booms and busts left the mountains littered with more than 300 ghost towns that fascinate locals and tourists. The eastern plains and western canyon lands are also haunted by more than 200 ghost towns.
Built in 1867 by Seth Lake, the Astor House in Golden was the first stone hotel built west of the Mississippi River.

People in Colorado still need countertops, and there are plenty of places to supply them. You can find a list of countertop businesses in Colorado here!

There are still some inconsistencies to the list, but we are working to correct them and I just couldn't wait to share it.

This is a sneak peek at our efforts to compile the most complete list of countertop fabricators in the United States from A to Z. We will be working on Connecticut next and hope to give you a look at that list as soon as its available. And you will find it here first.

In coming weeks (and likely months), we will be compiling lists for all 50 states, and once we get them done, we will seek input from the industry to make sure everything is in order before we release the information to the public.

We think this is going to be very popular with the countertop community and very useful for those seeking new countertops.

Let us know what you think!