Articles
Floor Trends & Installation to Reveal New Research on the Changing Dynamics in Tile and Stone Purchasing
Floor Trends & Installation, in collaboration with its sister brand Stone World and research division My Clear Opinion Insights Hub, will unveil findings from a major new research study on tile and stone purchasing behaviors at The International Surfaces Event (TISE) in Las Vegas this January. Read More
Builder Confidence Rises as Market Concerns Rise
Builder sentiment edged higher to begin the year on hopes for an improved economic growth and regulatory environment, according to the NAHB. At the same time, builders expressed concerns over how building material tariffs and costs and a larger government deficit would put upward pressure on inflation and mortgage rates. Read More
On the Horizon
After a soft 2024, industry looks to bounce back in 2025. With 2024 in the rearview mirror, industry executives are looking to reverse course in 2025. “We are optimistic about 2025,” said Tim Baucom, president, Shaw Industries. “After several years of market contraction, we anticipate a modest recovery, with demand outpacing GDP growth.” Read More
Mixed results for the Italian ceramic tile industry in 2024
2024 was a mixed year for the Italian ceramic tile industry, marked by a slight increase in sales volumes but a further decline in production and revenues. Preliminary figures compiled by Prometeia for Confindustria Ceramica and presented at the association’s traditional end-of-year press conference revealed that total sales volumes rose to 376 million sqm in 2024, a 1.9% increase compared to 2023. However, as Confindustria Ceramica Chairman Augusto Ciarrocchi noted, this slight growth has merely maintained sales at the already significantly reduced levels of 2023. When compared to pre-pandemic sales figures of 407 million sqm in 2019, the industry has seen a decline of approximately 7.5%. Read More
Construction Industry Added 8,000 Jobs in December
The construction industry added just 8,000 jobs on net in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 196,000 jobs, an increase of 2.4%. Read More
NKBA releases Annual 2025 Bath Trends Report
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA | KBIS), the world’s leading trade association for the kitchen and bath industry representing nearly 55,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals, has released its 2025 Bath Trends Report. Comprised of data generated from a survey completed by industry experts including designers, manufacturers, remodelers, architects, and more – the NKBA Bath Trends Report provides a comprehensive look into current and upcoming trends in residential bathrooms that will have the biggest impact in 2025. Read More
What Contractors Can Expect for 2025
The construction industry and manufacturers can look forward to a gradually improving operating environment in 2025, thanks to lower interest rates, moderating inflation and steady if unspectacular growth in the nation’s overall economic activity. “We look for real GDP growth of 2.5% in 2025,” said Bernard Yaros Jr., lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics (oxfordeconomics.com). (Gross domestic product, the total value of the nation’s goods and services, is the most commonly utilized measure of economic growth. “Real” GDP subtracts the effects of inflation.) Read More
Ceramic Imports Declined 4.1% in First 11 Months of 2024
In the months January to November 2024, total U.S. imports of ceramic tile were 163.7 million square meters, a decline of 4.1% from the same period in 2023 when imports were 170.7 million square meters, according to Grosser Consulting. Read More