[Asia Economy Reporter Park Soyeon] 'Viatera - Sea Pearl,' which naturally implements wave-like vein patterns on the surface, 'Hi-Macs - Terrazzo,' which expresses natural stone-like particles in large and vivid forms, and 'Hi-Macs - Aurora,' marble that evokes the mystery of nature just by looking at it, are all engineered stones. Engineered stones with reasonable prices and durable materials are attracting the attention of consumers both domestically and internationally.
◇Types and Advantages of Engineered Stone= Acrylic-based engineered stone is made by mixing resin called methyl methacrylate (MMA) with inorganic materials and pigments. It is highly durable, easy to process, and resistant to contamination, making it popular for residential spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms as well as commercial spaces. Its excellent thermal processing properties also make it suitable for interior and exterior building materials and artists' works.
Engineered Stone contains about 90% natural quartz-based materials, making it an engineered stone product very similar to natural marble. Thanks to its design similar to natural marble, it can realize a more luxurious appearance than acrylic-based engineered stone. Recently, due to the global trend toward premium interior design, the demand for engineered stone is rapidly increasing.
◇Korean Engineered Stone Gaining Global Attention= LG Hausys participated in 'KBIS (The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) 2020,' the largest kitchen and bathroom exhibition in North America, showcasing differentiated designs of engineered stone new products.
LG Hausys unveiled 20 new products of engineered stone and acrylic-based engineered stone. At this exhibition, they not only introduced various premium new products but also decorated the exhibition hall with actual residential spaces such as kitchens, dining rooms, and laundry rooms using these products, receiving high praise from visitors.
During the exhibition, LG Hausys invited about 200 major customers from North American architecture and kitchen companies to introduce new products and held customer invitation events showcasing actual residential spaces furnished with the new products.
LG Hausys currently holds a market share in the North American acrylic-based engineered stone market in the 20% range, ranking second after DuPont, and holds about 10% market share in the engineered stone market, ranking fourth, continuously expanding its market share.
In particular, with the completion of the expansion of the third production line for engineered stone at the Georgia plant in the U.S. during the first quarter of this year, production capacity in North America will increase by 50% from the existing scale to 1.05 million square meters.
Kim Kwangjin, Executive Director of LG Hausys' U.S. Business Division, said, "Once the third engineered stone line is fully operational in the first quarter, supply will increase further, accelerating growth in the North American market. This year, we plan to participate in exhibitions such as KBIS mainly with new products produced locally and conduct various sales and marketing events to build LG Hausys' strong brand power in the North American region."
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