Stone Column<br>Unprecedented growth, unprecedented competition
Five years ago, I remember telling friends from outside the stone industry how much the field has grown. I pointed to an import total of $870 million in 1999 and explained that this was exponentially higher than when I joined Stone World in 1993. My job, it would appear, was secure. Well, since that time, imports of natural stone have more than doubled, reaching a total of $1.95 billion in 2004. This is not only an increase of 125% since 1999, but it is also a 30% increase from only a year ago. The industry is exploding, and it appears everyone wants to get a piece of the pie.
On the international front, companies around the world are targeting the U.S. market for stone exports. In particular, countries such as China, Brazil and India are exporting more stone to the U.S. than ever, particularly granite slabs. Additionally, Italy remains the top exporter of stone to the U.S., and Turkey exports a staggering amount of marble production to America. (See a full report on U.S. stone imports later in this issue.)