On 1 October, during the Verona fair, Yves Barraquand, Chairman and CEO of Wheelabrator Allevard, addressed a roomful of visitors that included more than 80 customers.

His main message was that the stone-cutting market is still promising, but that engineered stone manufacturers constitute a real threat by winning significant market share in the promising area of kitchen countertops. These extremely well organised players use aggressive marketing techniques and are constantly lobbying architects and interior decorators. Mr Barraquand concluded by expressing his wish that "natural stone" producers would work together more closely at European level in order to defend the sector and in particular pave the way for its future.