Cosentino Group, a Spanish-based producer of natural and manufactured countertop material, has seen its product used in such high-profile projects as the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins football stadiums, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the "Extreme Home Makeover" television show.

The family owned company, which employs 200 people at its North American headquarters in the Houston area, expects to reach a broader group this year. U.S. sales were up 8 percent last year and the latest effort is projected to boost those sales as high as 18 percent a year, to $365 million in 2013.

"We're under big expansion," said Lorenzo Marquez, vice president of marketing for Cosentino North America.

Last year, Cosentino established the Port of Houston as its first North American logistical hub to handle the expected sales increase. North American sales already account for nearly half of the company's revenues.

Cosentino also plans this year to almost double the number of display centers nationwide, at a cost of $31 million. The company already has 12 of these showrooms for builders, trade professionals and other commercial customers in place. Ten more, including one expected to open in Houston in October, are planned this year.

Company officials say these centers are more than distribution facilities. They also feature classrooms and exhibition areas, including fully functioning kitchens that give designers a place to bring in clients for real-world demonstrations.

"We hope to see people doing business in our centers like they do at Starbucks," Marquez said. "More U.S. shops give customers quicker access to product."

He said geography was a primary factor in the company's decision to make Houston home to its logistics office.

"We selected Houston as the location for our first hub because geographically we can coordinate our shipments to fill several locations directly from here and plan our delivery routes better," Marquez said.

In addition to its natural stone products, Cosentino manufactures Silestone and newer products such as Silestone Natural Quartz, with antimicrobial protection, and the Eco line made from 75 percent recycled ceramic, glass and mirror.

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More counter space: Material maker is growing

A decade ago, artisan Mark Melonas was piecing together a living teaching sculpture at the Baltimore School for the Arts, doing some freelance graphic design and staging exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

And he was fooling around with concrete.

A friend was looking for a small sink for a tricky spot in a Canton rehab, and Melonas asked if he could give the project a try.

"I actually made it in my Bolton Hill apartment, carrying bags of cement up the steps," said Melonas. He hand-carved a mold and cast the sink in his kitchen.

One concrete sink led to another and another, and Melonas moved all that dust to the basement of his parents' home in Columbia.

"And it kind of got a life of its own," said the founder of Luke Works, now located in an old warehouse in Waverly. "That has defined a lot of what we do, but that's not all we do."

Melonas and a small team of craftsmen now create sleek and exotic pieces for the home in concrete and wood.

Much of their work is still sinks and countertops for kitchens and bathrooms, but they also coax fireplace mantles, free-standing bars and waterfalls out of their cement mixers, much of it sparkling with bits of glass or tinted in very un-concretelike colors.

"Customers come for the concrete, but they stay for the cabinet work," said Melonas, who has a degree in design and sculpture from the University of Maryland and a master's in furniture artisanry from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

His designs, and the work of Jacob Ulrich, his concrete specialist, and Seth Scott, his lead furniture maker, have a decidedly Scandinavian quality, a contemporary look with clean lines and voluptuous curves.

Excerpt from:
Artisans show off concrete style at Luke Works in Baltimore

THE CHALLENGE

We took a kitchen with black countertops, oak cabinets and stainless-steel appliances, and asked a local designer to give it some personality.

THE SOLUTION

By replacing the hardwood floors with porcelain tile and turning the island into a seating area, designer Allie Mann made the room a colorful place for family gatherings.

Shaker-style cabinets provide clean lines. Pair dark cherry-stained doors with light floors and countertops.

Use the backsplash as a canvas. A glass mosaic of blue, green and gray tiles is a subtle touch of color.

Bar stools encourage conversation by giving guests a place to sit and talk.

Decorate with a few accessories, such as a vase with flowers and a chalkboard for shopping lists.

Try open shelving for everyday plates. Store more formal dishes in closed cabinets, out of a childs reach.

White counters brighten the space. The material is White Cliff quartz by Cambria.

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Kitchen makeover with new cabinets, counters and backsplash

NEWPORT NEWS From Jefferson Avenue, it looks just like any other new apartment complex under construction.

Five tall buildings in various stages of construction dominate the landscape, as wood frames peek out behind scaffolding. Workers are busy installing cabinets, insulation, countertops and flooring for the luxury apartments, which will rent from about $1,100 per month to $1,800 per month for a large three-bedroom apartment.

But the new Radius Urban Apartments at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Bland Boulevard is unlike most new apartments, as the developers are working to make them "super green."

"We just kept asking and asking, and they never said, 'no,'" said Carr, referring to Norfolk developer Sifen Inc.. "We're designing apartments that would meet the market five to 10 years from now. We wanted as many green features as possible."

One of the "green" highlights is putting in the parking lot five General Electric charging stations for electric cars, which may be the first such stations for apartments in Hampton Roads.

There will be one charging station per building, and each station will have two outlets.

"When we pitched the charging stations, we said, 'I double dog dare you to put in the charging stations for the electric cars. They (developers) said, 'OK, we'll spend the money and do it','" said Carr with a smile.

Each station cost about $10,000.

Carr said the infrastructure is also in place to install more charging stations should electric vehicles become more prevalent.

Currently, all-electric or electric hybrid cars from major auto manufacturers include the Chevy Volt, one of the Toyota Prius models, the Nissan Leaf and some Smart car models.

Read more:
'Green' apartments being built in Newport News will include electric car charging stations

12-03-2012 10:38 We are a local base company serving the greater Houston and Metro areas. Our prices are as low as $17 Installed and in most cases No Deposit required. There are about 40 colors to choose from. see our web site houstongranitecountertops.net

Excerpt from:
Houston Granite Countertops - Video

Kenneth Burnettes business supplying furniture production companies with plywood ended after a mass migration of the companies to China.

He decided to switch gears, buying an established company making custom countertops out of natural stone.

Last August, he bought Stoneworks Custom Countertops, a business that has been around for more than a decade that uses an elaborate computerized saw that cuts granite, marble and quartz to exact dimensions.

I was in plywood fabrication for more than 20 years, the Rocky Mount native said. As furniture plants began to shut down, my customer base began to disappear. I had to lay off 25 people and shut down.

Stoneworks uses a computer numerical control machine to slice the natural stone.

Some other companies carve out stone countertops with handtools in a garage, he said.

We have a $330,000 CNC saw. Its called a fabrication center, he said. The uniqueness of this company is that we create a digital file of the kitchen or the bathrooms, and that information is digitally transferred to the saw, so that the tolerances in which we operate are much tighter than without CNC equipment.

The countertops are made in Rocky Mount. His company serves Eastern North Carolina from Morehead City up to Rocky Mount over to Elizabeth City, with a sales office and showroom in Greenville.

That enables me to get business in Greenville, New Bern and Morehead City, he said.

His company has retained most of the employees who were working under the previous owner.

See original here:
Firm's success carved in stone

Posted: Mar. 10, 2012 | 1:59 a.m.

Ryland Homes is welcoming spring with a March sales special. Through the end of the month, homebuyers can save 20 percent on Design Center options and save on items such as granite countertops, upgraded cabinets and premium surround sound packages.

"If you have been looking for the right time to buy a new home with everything you love, it is this month," said Stephanie McGerty, marketing director for Ryland Homes' Las Vegas division. "We have great values on homes in every one of our Southern Nevada communities, and 20 percent off design center options is icing on the cake."

The builder is nearly sold out at its Mountain's Edge communities, Augusta and Ellingwood. With just five homes left, the gated neighborhoods have been among Ryland's most popular, according to McGerty.

"These are the perfect neighborhoods in Mountain's Edge, one of Southern Nevada's most popular master-plan(ned) communities," said Mara Glaser, sales agent. "Augusta and Ellingwood offer the privacy of a gated neighborhood that has its own park areas, but are still within the master plan that includes expansive parks, trails and other amenities."

Two-story homes offered are the 3,200-square-foot Angora model and the 2,754- square-foot Addison model. All five are offered on pool-sized home sites, with several scheduled for completion in April.

"The Angora models include five bedrooms, three full baths and two lofts. The Addison models include four bedrooms, a den, three full baths and two lofts. They are perfect for homebuyers that want extra space for bedrooms, game rooms, offices or hobby rooms," Glaser said.

With prices starting at $220,000 in Augusta and Ellingwood, homebuyers receive heavily upgraded homes with pool-sized home sites for as low as $79 per square foot.

Ryland Homes adds to the value of Augusta and Ellingwood by paying the SID (special improvement district) fees for each home in the neighborhood.

"That item alone is an approximate $7,000 savings to each homebuyer," Glaser said.

See the article here:
Ryland Announces March Sales Specials

Hoquiam-based composite panel manufacturer Paneltech International filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week as the company works to reorganize operations amid mounting debt and unexpected decreases in sales.

Paneltech has served as a prominent local example of green manufacturing, producing resin-reinforced composite panels out of recycled materials. The 16-year-old company has recently reported declines in commercial and military sales of its household countertops, construction frames, ballistic armor panels and other products.

Company President and CEO Roy Nott and Chief Financial Officer Scott Olmstead filed bankruptcy papers Wednesday acknowledging difficulties keeping up with increased debt after expected military contracts and other sales failed to materialize. They requested court approval to continue operations as the company works to refocus its production toward growing markets.

The market environment remains difficult in the short term, but the business is on the right track for long-term success, Olmstead wrote to the court. I believe we will be profitable after reorganization so long as we are able to continue operations through the life of this bankruptcy case.

Olmstead wrote that the company took on significant debt as part of an extensive expansion in 2009 aimed at keeping up with potential demand for military armor panels and other contracts. The company has since struggled to keep up with debt payments when those armor orders dropped off.

Military orders did not increase as expected, and sales in other areas declined with the drop in manufacturing over the last few years, Olmstead wrote. In order to meet the bottom line in these circumstances, (the company) was forced to lay off employees, and Leroy Nott and I skipped paychecks. Despite these efforts, (the company has) been unable to pay their debts as they have come due.

The Chapter 11 application, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, lists more than $1.2 million in unsecured debt to more than 50 creditors. Those debts listed more than $350,000 owed to the Starbucks Corporation in a disputed liability claim and dozens of other corporate expenses.

Court records also list about $1.7 million in loans from Anchor Bank.

Olmstead said the company employs 39 people. He noted the company recorded more than $17 million in sales in 2008, saying he believes the company remains worth more as a functioning business than it would if its assets were liquidated.

He asked for court approval to continue operations and payroll as the company works to return to profitability.

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Paneltech files for bankruptcy

Collections of things are fun. Collections of things that serve a purpose are even more fun.

Collections of things that serve warm baked breads and savory cheeses are my favorite.

Perhaps that's why I've begun my hunt for vintage breadboards, both for their design and function.

Whether hanging from hooks above your stove or propped up against the wall on countertops, breadboards are becoming an unassuming design element in many kitchens.

They are subtle and unobtrusive, always ready to be put to work. Without calling attention to themselves, they unpretentiously make a space warmer simply by their presence.

Come to think of it, sounds a lot like my grandma.

Consider using breadboards as a backdrop on open shelves or behind dishes in a china cabinet.

These boards also create excellent wall art. Group different shapes and sizes together as an alternative to artwork, or mix various items in with the boards: paintings, rolling pins and other serving dishes.

Breadboards are available in an assortment of shapes and sizes, making them the ultimate serving platter. Here's how:

Group a variety of sizes and shapes for use as serving dishes on your next buffet, simultaneously providing a visual feast.

Here is the original post:
Molly Johnson Stracuzzi: Humble breadboard works way into kitchen decor

Ever wonder what goes on in restaurant kitchens?

Youd like to think that everyone is washing their hands all day long, the food is being prepared on sterile countertops with a Mary Poppins-type inspector overseeing everything.

In reality, some kitchens hold deep, dark and very dirty secrets.

I once worked in a restaurant where a waiter dropped a basket of rolls on the floor. They slid down several feet to the drain in the middle of the kitchen. What the waiter did next has haunted me to this day. He picked up the rolls, one by one, and put them back in the basket. Despite my objections, he took that bread right out to a table, telling me he didnt want to waste them.

This isn't meant to turn you off from ever going to a restaurant again, and all eateries have to adhere to regular health inspections.

But almost every restaurant worker you'll meet has some stories like this.

I found a chef who was willing to share years of cringe-worthy stories. Rob Burmeister is an executive chef at a New York City restaurant. He also has competed in several food competitions, including the Food Networks Chopped.

Burmeister says in his 25-years on the job he learned everything he knows, watching and working with many chefs all over the country. Some great and some horrible.

Burmeister shared some tales of the dark side of what he says he's witnessed on what goes on in kitchens.

Steak Not Exactly Cooked to Order

See the original post:
Kitchen Tales From Dark Side