SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

The The Catalina Market Profile on Kitchen Cabinets and Countertops is a guide to the growth- and profit-oriented opportunities in this growing sector of the U.S. building material industry. This comprehensive database covers U.S. shipments, imports and exports, end-use markets, kitchen and bathroom remodeling data, factors affecting domestic demand, the cost structure of kitchen cabinet and countertop plants, the competitive environment, and the Canadian market situation. In addition, major North American manufacturers and marketers are profiled in order to uncover competitor strategies.

The total cabinetwork industry is analyzed on a dollar and unit basis (Section 1). Cabinetwork shipments are provided for stock line, semi-custom, and custom products. Countertop shipments are provided for plastic laminated, solid surface, and stone countertops. Shipment data is compiled from U.S. Department of Commerce surveys and estimated by Catalina Research. Shipments are for all domestic manufacturers, whether plants are owned by U.S.- or foreign-based companies and whether or not plants specialize (50% or more of total facility revenues) in cabinetwork and countertops. Imports are added to kitchen cabinet shipments to calculate the total U.S. supply. Import data is derived from U.S. Customs records.

Section 2 further segments cabinetwork shipments by type and material. Shipments are segmented into stock line and custom (including semi-custom) kitchen cabinets, and vanities and other cabinetwork. Stock and custom kitchen cabinet shipments are also available by all wood and plastic laminated units. Kitchen cabinet import data is also supplied by major country of origin. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Producer Price Index is used to track cabinetwork pricing.

Countertop market trends are investigated in Section 3. Shipment trends are analyzed for plastic laminated, solid surface, and stone countertops. Plastic laminated countertops are further segmented for kitchen cabinet tops and other fixture tops, and for stock lines and custom countertops. Price trends are also compiled for plastic laminated countertops.

Section 4 is an analysis of end-use markets and distribution channels. Cabinetwork purchases are provided for residential and nonresidential markets and for new construction and remodeling projects. Manufactured housing producer demand is also covered. Date from Professional Builder's Brand Study analyzes the leading brands of kitchen cabinets and countertop materials in builder and remodeling contract markets. Department of Commerce surveys present data on sales through home centers and other building material dealers. U.S. exports of kitchen cabinets are included in this analysis.

A separate section analyzes how the number of new and replacement residential kitchens and bathrooms and spending on kitchen and bathroom remodeling jobs drives domestic demand (section 5). New kitchen and bathroom data is provided by type of structure and tracks the number of bathrooms in new housing units. The demographics of homeowner remodelers are provided as well. Other factors driving demand are compiled and analyzed in Section 6. Residential housing statistics include data on new housing completions, existing home resales, and mobile home placements. Housing starts and residential building permits further track new residential construction markets. Total homeowner remodeling and repair spending is also analyzed. In addition, data is provided on household demographics, income trends, and interest rates.

Catalina supplies data on the cost structure and profitability of U.S. plants specializing (50% or more of total plants revenues) in the manufacture and sale of cabinetwork and countertops (Section 7). U.S. Department of Commerce survey data covering these plants are supplemented with individual company sales data in order to calculate company market share (Section 8). Company sales statistics are compiled as part of an exhaustive effort to provide competitive intelligence (Section 10). Public-company documents, databases, and trade journals were searched for growth- and profit-oriented strategies.

The Canadian market situation is evaluated from Statistics Canada data (Section 9). Data trends include plant shipments, exports, and imports. The cost structure of Canadian cabinetwork plants is also provided.

Action-oriented executives are urged to use this comprehensive statistical database and competitor information to penetrate growing end-use markets, target key demographics, penetrate growing distribution channels, and initiate profitable operating strategies. Executives are urged to compute their own company's market share and compare their company's operating ratios to the industry averages as part of this process.