SAN DIEGO, CA -- Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants, Inc. (CTaSC), a national company providing marketing research and business planning services, has announced that Nancy Epstein, founder and CEO of Artistic Tile in Secaucus, N.J., is the raffle winner of a $600 Apple gift certificate. She was one of a substantial number of industry members that participated in the sixth annual stone survey conducted by CTaSC.

More than 1,582 manufacturers, quarries, importers, distributors, and fabricators were invited to take the survey. Developed by CTaSC using progressive online technology, the confidentiality of all participants was assured by compiling data anonymously. Each person who completed the survey was offered a free summary of the survey results and an entry into the raffle for the $600 Apple gift certificate.

Participants answered a series of questions based on their business category. Importers and distributors were quizzed on the types of stone they buy and sell, slab and tile sizes, sales by type of customers and sales by types of applications. Fabricators were asked to answer questions about their fabrication business, including equipment and tool brands, purchase and selling price of stone, annual sales and types of finished products and stone types that are fabricated.

The 2015 Stone Survey results are included in the "Catalina 2015 Natural and Manufactured Stone Product Industry Report" prepared by Catalina Research, a prominent research firm and Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants (CTaSC). This comprehensive publication, which has been updated from 2013, provides an in-depth analysis of the U.S. and Canadian stone industry based on U.S. government statistics and market resources. The report contains the timely data that allows users to evaluate market size, growth potential, end-use markets, factors driving demand, profitability, market share and the competitive environment.

"It’s essential to have reliable and detailed information about the stone industry," said Donato Pompo, president of CTaSC. "The information and data lets us know what's going on in the market so we can capitalize on the opportunities. It also helps us further understand how the current state of the economy will affect our future business challenges and opportunities."