{"id":18783,"date":"2018-01-11T11:42:40","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T19:42:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/?p=18783"},"modified":"2018-01-11T11:42:40","modified_gmt":"2018-01-11T19:42:40","slug":"18783","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/","title":{"rendered":"Tile & stone await opportunity in the new year 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tile & stone await opportunity in the new year<\/h1>\n

Tuesday, January 09, 2018 from Floor Covering Weekly<\/p>\n

By Caroline Alkire<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
Patterns such as herringbone, as seen in MSI\u2019s Botanica collection, will be popular in 2018.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>While\u00a02017 brought overall gains to the tile sector<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and, with the exception of luxury vinyl tile (LVT), was the fastest growing category \u2014 flooring professionals said 2018 is poised for continued success. And with expectant product launches and technological advances, opportunity for the tile sector in 2018 is limitless, according to executives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect the tile market to grow by 6 percent in 2018,\u201d revealed Raj Shah, president, MSI, adding that the continued increase in U.S. residential tile sales is driven by the consumer demand for higher-end products with a greater breadth of visuals and formats.<\/p>\n

According to Doug Hayes, vice president of sales, Florida Tile, Millennials are starting to purchase their first homes and boomers are buying their retirement homes. He also noted that remodels and new builds will continue to have momentum coming into the new year positively impacting the category.<\/p>\n

Added Shah, \u201cThe U.S. has amongst the lowest per capita sales of ceramic tile,\u201d Shah continued. \u201cThis means there is huge opportunity whether it is commercial, residential remodel or builder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tools of the trade
\n<\/strong>Thanks to technology, realistic visuals and new formats will continue to spur tile growth throughout the new year. According to Barabara Haaksma, vice president of marketing for Emser Tile, the company is looking forward to introducing products \u201cinspired by fresh perspectives on format, design and scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, many manufacturers \u2014 such as Mohawk\u2019s Dal-Tile \u2014 are planning new product launches and investments. \u201cOur greatest investment is the new plant that we are building in Tennessee to increase participation in quartz countertops. This facility is very exciting and will be operational in 2018,\u201d Gianna Mattioli, executive vice president of Dal-Tile Corporation revealed.<\/p>\n

These investments,\u00a0as well as technological tools are changing the functions<\/a>\u00a0that ceramic tile can be used for. \u201cToday [ceramic tiles] can be used for pavers and countertops as well as flooring and wall tile,\u201d MSI\u2019s Shah revealed.<\/p>\n

Vance Hunsucker, National Tile and Stone Manager, Shaw Floors, added that digital inkjet printing will also enhance tile\u2019s value proposition in the coming year, with the selection of available visuals continuing to increase to \u201cnear endless possibilities\u201d \u2014 including large format tile.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost recently, the compaction manufacturing process known as Continua or Continua+ is capitalizing on the ever-expanding visual possibilities, with the ability to produce size formats up to 72×144,\u201d explained Hunsucker. \u201cBeing able to produce tile slabs of that size lends itself to other applications for tile, like countertops, outdoor pavers, cabinets, furniture and seamless shower installations.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the future of the tile category, said Eugenio Megna, director of sales and marketing for tile manufacturer\u2019s Fiandre.,\u00a0will be the focus on large formats<\/a>\u00a0and ventilated fa\u00e7ades which have already received strong interest \u2014 because the market is embracing technology.<\/p>\n

Large format tile, such as Shaw\u2019s 18\u201d X 36\u201d Crete vinyl tile, will stay trendy into the coming year \u2014 especially commercially
\n<\/em>
\nManufacturers identified countertop coverings and quartz products as pertinent growth spots in the tile market as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuartz continues to grow at double digit rates, and the new kid on the block porcelain is quickly becoming a significant part of the slab market and will grow exponentially over the next few years,\u201d said Dal-Tile\u2019s Mattioli.<\/p>\n

Challenges ahead<\/strong>
\nIn the midst of such a dynamic industry, there is likely to be unexpected bumps in 2018, but MSI\u2019s Shah said the industry is ready for what comes. \u201cThe only surprises we see coming would be on the political front. This would be related to the economy being hit due to tax reform, trade issues, etc.,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Industry competition too will be a challenge in the coming year but also help drive creativity. \u201cWe believe this will lead to better style and design options for our customers and design will continue to be the driver for our business,\u201d revealed Florida Tile\u2019s Hayes.<\/p>\n

Fiandre\u2019s Megna agreed, \u201cIt should be another year of growth in the residential multi units and hospitality markets especially in the sunbelt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, the tile market in 2018 should mirror what the industry experienced this year, possibly slightly up, with no surprises anticipated.\u00a0 Our hope is that the market will grow at an even stronger level next year,\u201d said Dal-Tile\u2019s Mattioli. \u201cTile remains the most stylish, durable, easy to maintain and environmentally-friendly flooring option in the market today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Online activity
\n<\/strong>These days, consumers are using the internet and their phones for just about everything. The migration to digital is inevitable, and\u00a0it has produced both challenges and opportunity for the industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doug Hayes, vice president of sales at Florida Tile, stated, \u201cThe market is challenged by the continued growth of internet sales and expansion of home centers and national retailers.\u201d<\/p>\n

These e-commerce challenges may be daunting for an industry that has stayed static for years, but manufacturers and retailers are beginning to understand that keeping up with Millennials and their online activity is imperative. \u201cSupporting e-commerce remains a key opportunity for Emser Tile in 2018, shaping how we think about and service the marketplace,\u201d said Barbara Haaksma, vice president of marketing for Emser.<\/p>\n

And with challenges comes opportunity as well, as the web is allowing for an abundance of design possibilities driven by Houzz and Pinterest. \u201cTrend and design is moving quicker than ever,\u201d revealed Raj Shah, president, MSI. \u201cThe internet is playing a large role as homeowners today can look at hundreds of thousands of ideas in a matter of clicks.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe expect the tile market to grow by 6 percent in 2018,\u201d revealed Raj Shah, president, MSI, adding that the continued increase in U.S. residential tile sales is driven by the consumer demand for higher-end products with a greater breadth of visuals and formats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[62,25,58,24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nTile & stone await opportunity in the new year 2018 - CTaSC.com<\/title>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tile & stone await opportunity in the new year 2018 - CTaSC.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cWe expect the tile market to grow by 6 percent in 2018,\u201d revealed Raj Shah, president, MSI, adding that the continued increase in U.S. residential tile sales is driven by the consumer demand for higher-end products with a greater breadth of visuals and formats.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CTaSC.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CeramicTileStoneConsult\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-11T19:42:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/logo.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/\",\"name\":\"CTaSC.com\",\"description\":\"Consulting Services For The Ceramic Tile And Stone Industry\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\",\"name\":\"Tile & stone await opportunity in the new year 2018 - CTaSC.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-11T19:42:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-01-11T19:42:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa07d76c4955fe4b86f105b7f5fbc622\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/18783\/\",\"name\":\"Tile & stone await opportunity in the new year 2018\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa07d76c4955fe4b86f105b7f5fbc622\",\"name\":\"Donato Pompo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ctasc.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b25c5730c89e0c73f75709d8f1254337?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Donato Pompo\"},\"description\":\"Donato Pompo, CTC CMR CSI CDT MBA, is the leading tile and stone forensic expert and consultant in North America, and he is a National Tile Contractors Association Recognized Consultant. 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