Stone industry in the US is cyclical in nature, as it depends on activities in the residential, commercial, public infrastructure and other construction markets. Slowdown in the US residential construction market experienced over the recent years has led to the decline in crushed and dimension stone consumption levels. The fall in demand for construction aggregates has continued even in 2009 owing to the economic crisis. Decline in consumer spending owing to the financial crisis also had an impact on various market segments including home improvement, new home construction, as well as new prestige markets. In the long term, private and public construction activities are likely to boost the demand for construction aggregates, along with other construction related activities associated with security and safety measures employed across the country. The US dominates the global dimension stone market as stated by the new market research report on granite, marble & stone. Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Vermont and Wisconsin are the five major stone producing States in the US. Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas are the five major crushed stone producing States in the US. The granite industry is turning into an increasingly complicated and capital-intensive industry. Apart from investing in modern and costly machinery for stone processing, companies are being driven towards investing in advanced technology for extraction of raw materials, as well as in highly expensive infrastructure ventures such as establishing warehouses of their own to be nearer to their clients. Nevertheless, such strategic moves emphasize on the need for improved management skills. Key players profiled in the report include American Marazzi Tile, Inc., Benchmark, CaesarStone, Cambria, CCM Enterprises, Craig Baker Marble Co., Inc., Dakota Granite Company, Dal-Tile International, Inc., Duracite, Inc., Precision Countertops, Inc., RockSolid Granit USA Inc, U.S. Stoneworks, Inc., and Vangura Surfaces Products, Inc. among others.