Quartz composites have given stone fabricators a much larger share of the interiors market than granite alone could have delivered. But is it now in danger of becoming a commodity? Some want to ensure it doesn’t.

Quartz composite has become a staple in the repertoire of just about all companies involved in the worktop and vanity unit market, growing that market enormously for masonry firms that would otherwise be restricted largely to granite for worktops and some marble and limestone for bathrooms – and bathrooms were developing into the next big market for quartz when the recession hit.

But the success of quartz carries with it the danger of it turning into a commodity, just as first Chinese slate and then Turkish travertine were turned into commodities as floor tiles.

Once that happens the price plummets because customers believe all versions of the product are the same, which is not true. Although quartz composites are made using the same Breton production lines and the same basic ingredients of quartz, resin and pigments, manufacturers keep their precise recipes and processes a closely guarded secret.

Generally the quartz is brought on the open market (although DuPont have their own mountain in Canada that they use as the source of their quartz for Zodiaq) as are the other ingredients. But there are a lot of different kinds of polymer matrix resins available and not all pigments are as colour fast as others.

There are also all sorts of other ingredients added to produce features in the finished slabs.

The quartz manufacturers who have invested in establishing their products as a brand are well aware of the threat of quartz becoming a commodity and are working hard to maintain the exclusivity of their products with new colours and finishes.

It is important to the manufactures to differentiate their brands because if a product becomes a commodity the top end of the market will abandon it in favour of something more exclusive and it is largely the top end of the market that is keeping the quartz worktop market buoyant.

One product definitely not in the commodity class is CaesarStone’s Concetta with a price tag of £3,500/m².

Jacquie Hayhoe, who markets CaesarStone for UK distributors Ebor (bought by the massive American-owned glass machinery suppliers CR Laurence in March) says it is surprising how many people in London are looking for that sort of exclusivity.

And she expects more of those who can afford it to find it now that a back-lit slab is being displayed in Stonetheatre at Waterloo, London, which, with more than 300 different natural stones from around the world stunningly displayed, is a Mecca for interior designers and architects wanting to use stone.

One of the threats to quartz brands comes from masons themselves. Some fabricators simply want the cheapest they can get so that they can compete on price.

Some are even importing container loads at a time from the Far East. And there may be more of that to come as China rapidly develops its production of engineered stone (see the report on China that starts on page 22), especially now that customers are expecting to receive a bargain because of the recession.

Customers seem to be prepared to shop around to find bargains, too, as many companies say the number of enquiries has increased this year even if sales haven’t.

Another reason for an increase in enquiries is because some players have left the market.

The recession hit the new build housing market first, then the front line high street kitchen studios, which had a knock-on impact on their suppliers.

With the banks reassessing their support for businesses this year, some firms have failed, especially newcomers to the market who put their houses on the line to equip a factory and needed a certain level of activity in order to be able to repay the loans.

Faced with the threat of masons themselves turning quartz into a commodity through price competition, as well as damaging the reputation of a brand by inappropriate representation or shoddy fabrication and fixing, some of the suppliers have restricted supply by being selective about which fabricators they will sell it to. Again, CaesarStone are among them.

The whole approach is about protecting the brand and, according to Jacquie, it is paying off. She says sales in the South of England have increased and in London have stood up well to the recession. She says people who could afford a £30,000 kitchen before the recession can still afford it and that is CaesarStone’s target audience.

Nevertheless, plans to open a warehouse in the South have been shelved for now.

Like most of the quartz manufacturers, Caesarstone are offering whiter whites, blacker blacks and new finishes. Their latest finishes are Damaske, said to be like embossed wallpaper, and Crocodile, that resembles crocodile skin. They should be on show at the Marmomacc exhibition in Verona at the end of September, after which they will be given a major push into the UK market.

Another new finish comes from Northampton wholesalers B-Stone’s Technistone range made in the Czech Republic and sold by B-Stone alongside their Belgian-made Diresco quartz. The new finish is called Slate Surface because it resembles the riven surface of a split slate.

Some of the latest quartz products are promoting the sustainability message by using recycled material – and concern over the environment and the use of sustainable products seems to be surviving the recession.

The Spanish company Cosentino, makers of Silestone, have just launched Eco, which they say contains 75% recycled materials and cost €4.5million in research and development to achieve.

They gained publicity for it by sponsoring the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Lubetkin Prize at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in July.

The Lubetkin Prize is awarded for the most outstanding building outside the EU by a RIBA member. It went to The National Stadium in Beijing – nicknamed the bird’s nest – by Herzog & de Meuron, with the China Architectural Design and Research Group, Arup Sport and Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong, and artist Ai Wei Wei also involved.

Eco by Cosentino caters to the environmentally conscious architect, designer and consumer. Available in an array of colours and finishes, Eco can be used for interior cladding, flooring and work surfaces.

“The launch of Eco by Cosentino is an exciting milestone for the company,” said Christophe Gontier, managing director of Cosentino in the UK, who have just spent €2million on a third UK warehouse, this time in Gloucester. The 2,000m² centre will hold more 4,000 slabs and serve the South West of England, South Wales and Ireland.

DuPont have also introduced their first recycled Zodiaq product in what they call Earth Brown.

Earth Brown is the first of a new collection for Zodiaq made with 50% pre-consumer recycled glass. It produces a sparkling matrix with a polished finish.

DuPont have also added a polished finish alternative to six of their most popular matt finished ‘urban tones’ – Silver Grey, Espresso Brown, Slate Grey, Terracotta, Olive Green and Tornado Blue.

And they have added a more feminine counterpoint to the masculine Concrete Block collection with their Fresh Graphica shades: Arctic Blue, Lavender, Mulberry and Barley.

They say this new collection answers the call for understated, contemporary colours with a light, bright appeal.

The colours are designed to stand alone or tone with other colours in the palette to offer new opportunities for quartz surfaces.

Compac, who opened depots in the North and the South of the UK last year, say they are always very concerned to buy materials from as sustainable sources as possible and since February this year have replaced the plastic packaging they used to use to separate slabs during transport with what they say is an environmentally friendly wax.

Tony Lleo, who was manager of the northern depot, has now taken over responsibility for the whole of the UK following the departure of the Southern manager, Sergio Ramirez. Tony says one new salesman has already started working with the company and there will be five more covering the regions of the UK.

Compac have just added a new finish to their Quartz line in Spain and it will soon be making its way into the UK.

Called Pergamo, it has a slightly roughened texture that is both soft and pleasant to the touch. It is available in off-white, grey, purple, black and beige, otherwise known as Marengo, Ebano, Purpura, Alba, Cinnamon and Ipanema. This new finish is designed for use as outdoor wall cladding as well as worktops.

Compac has collaborated once again on the development of the range with international designer Karim Rashid, who demonstrates originality and a unique style in the design and choice of colours for Compac’s surfaces and countertops.

Quarella, who make the PianoForte range of quartz composite work surfaces and have distributors in the UK in the North and South carrying thousands of slabs in stock to service their network of fabricators, have responded to the economic climate by introducing a budget price range called Evo.

It took three years to develop using Quarella’s own laboratories and resin plant and is made from a mixture of granite and silica and manufactured into blocks that are sawn into slabs and polished, in the same way as natural stone. The result is a mix of colours giving a more marbled effect surface. According to Quarella, Evo is easier to work than quartz but retains all its resilience. It is currently offered in seven colours: Beige, Bianco, Noce, Beige Tassili, Oliva, Nina and Nero.

On the PianoForte side, Quarella have brought out 11 new colours to add to their existing 40. There are contrasting creams, beiges and coffees, along with a new green, a yellow and an aubergine. They go under the names of Marrone Torba, Blanco Camelia, Beige Sal, Meil, Mosto, Marzapane, Cappuccino, Torrone and Cioccolato. They have a new white called Blanco Sal.

A point that a lot of the suppliers of quartz make is that fabricators get more finished product out of a slab than they do from a slab of granite because of the consistency of colour and regular shape.

As Roger Lill, who heads B-Stone, says: .“There’s certainly something driving quartz sales. Whether its TV and magazine related I don’t know, but there are benefits from the fabricator’s point of view because the slabs are always the same size, so you know you can get two tops and upstands out of it, and a sample given to a customer is what the whole finished worktop is going to look like.”

The size of the slabs is something that some suppliers have made a particular feature. MFS in Bristol, for example, have realised that some people will benefit from having half slabs of their Arenastone at half the price, which could help fabricators reduce their waste even further.

Mary Ford at MFS says: “The essence of our business is service. Flexible, efficient and friendly service are the foundations of our company strategy. We know end users want instant results and fabricators face challenging times and we understand that flexibility of service is vital.

“The focus of our team ensures we build on these principals by attending to our fabricators’ requirements and pushing the boundaries of flexibility, efficiency and service. Add to the mix the half slab service, and one of the most competitively priced quartz stones in the market place and here we have our recipe for success.”

AGM (Affordable Granite & Marble) near Matlock, Derbyshire, the business established by Mark Holmes after his family sold Stancliffe to Marshalls, is taking a similar approach. They are selling a brand called Bitto from China in finished sizes of 600mm so all the fabricator has to do is cut out the sink and tap holes – and AGM will even do that for customers if they prefer. The worktops are also available in 1200mm widths for island units.

AGM say most of their sales are of granite and stone but that the quartz worktops are proving popular. People are buying them in crates of 11 at a time (because of the weight) and coming back for more.

“We’re booming,” says Julie Cadman at AGM. “There’s no recession here.”