DuPont Drops Certified Granite
The company confirmed this week that DuPont™ Surfaces discontinued its Granite Certified by DuPont™ (GCBD) business at the end of 2008. A spokesperson noted the company would focus its resources on the core offerings of DuPont™ Corian® solid surface and Zodiaq® quartz.
DuPont™ Surfaces entered the natural-stone business in early 2006, previewing the product at that year’s Surface Fabrication & Design Expo in Las Vegas. The initial roll-out included 15 different varieties of granite, all treated with what the company called a “an innovative DuPont propriety sealant that fills in natural cracks, helps repel stains and maintains the stone’s natural hue.”
The company also announced a training program for installers, and backed the material with a 10-year installation guarantee and a one-year warranty against stains.
DuPont expanded the line in 2007, announcing a 69-color selection at that year’s National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Expo in Las Vegas. It also announced availability of the product through more than 350 Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores and what it noted as “selected specialty retailers.”
DuPont’s exit leaves Innovative Stone’s Everlife™ and Cosentino USA's SenSa® as the major mass-market warranted granite products available to fabricators; Innovative also offers its Stonemark® granite through Home Depot. All offer a 15-year stain-resistance warranty. The Artisan® Group, a marketing collaboration of North American fabricators, offers a lifetime warranty on its selection of granite treated with the proprietary Firstline™ sealer.
Article ©2009 Western Business Media Inc.