Over the years, several facts and myths about the stone industry have developed in the U.S. One fact is that the U.S. has one of the lowest per-capita use of natural stone in the world, both in residential and commercial applications. And as a result of this overall lack of stone use, a commonly shared belief is that all marble and granite comes from Italy. This myth changed dramatically in the 90s, however, when deposits in India, Brazil, South Africa and China developed.
And even though per-capita stone consumption in the U.S. is relatively small, it has shown tremendous growth in recent years. And as with most industries seeing growth, these developments have attracted new suppliers. While some of these suppliers are reputable, others possess little or no experience in the industry, and frequently base their knowledge on relations and friends in the country of origin.