Surfaces in progress

Jan 31, 2006

31/01/06 - Surfaces 2006, the North American show devoted to hard and soft surfaces, is currently under way and will end on 3 February.
The Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas is hosting over a thousand exhibitors (a 7% increase according to the organisers) and more than 40,000 visitors are expected to attend.
The ceramic sector companies taking part in the show include American Florim, Arizona Tile, Alcalagres, Azuvi, Ceramica San Lorenzo, Ceramiche Faro, Marca Corona, Crossville, Dal Tile, Eliane, Gyotoku, Interceramic, Laticrete, Laufen/Roca, Pamesa, Peronda, Porcelanosa, Marazzi/Ragno, Stonepeack, Tau Ceramica and Vitromex.
The adhesives and installation equipment sector is represented, amongst others, by Mapei, Rubi, Laticrete and Raimondi.

The latest available figures for the American floor coverings market were those published in mid 2005 by the magazine Floor Covering Weekly.
According to this survey, the US floor coverings industry generated a record turnover of $22.8 billion in 2004, 8.4% up on the previous year.
The market is driven by the steadily-expanding American property market, resulting in growth in terms of quantity and value for all floor covering materials. Carpet continues to hold the lion’s share of the US market with 62.3% of total value (up 7.6% on 2003).
However, this increase is largely a result of higher selling prices and has not offset the erosion of the soft surfaces’ market share by hard surfaces. Ceramic tiles in particular have seen a 12.6% increase in terms of value over 2003 to reach 12.5% of the entire market (11.5% in terms of quantities).

The latest figures for imports from the leading exporter countries, Italy and Spain, were those published by the respective trade associations for 2005.
For Italy, Assopiastrelle has announced a fall in imports of 8% in terms of quantities and 4.3% in value in the first half of the year.
The annual report produced by Prometeia estimates a fall in quantities exported to the United States over the year as a whole (68.8 million sq.m).
The report also predicts an increase in both 2006 and 2007 to more than 70 million sq.m.
The Spanish industry returned a 1.1% increase in quantities exported towards the US in the first 10 months of 2005.