CLEVELAND, OH — United States demand for cabinets is forecast to expand 3.9% per year through 2012 to $18.5 billion, according to Cabinets, a new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., an industry research firm.

A rebound in new housing construction from a low base as well as building design trends that lead to greater cabinet use per residence will support new residential cabinet demand. In improvement and repair applications, which are the single largest end use for cabinets, demand will be aided by ongoing growth in spending through 2012. Changing consumer preferences in cabinet design and various demographic factors will also support demand. In the nonresidential market, a healthy outlook for both new construction and renovation activity will bolster cabinet demand through 2012.

Kitchen cabinets, which represented about 85% of cabinet shipments in 2007, will benefit from a continuing trend toward using more cabinets to provide increased utility, as well as from an expanding range of kitchen cabinet styles and options. In addition, the rising use of kitchen-type cabinets in other rooms of the home will also aid increases. Shipments of bathroom cabinets will offer slightly stronger growth prospects through 2012, supported by design trends such as larger bathrooms and a greater number of bathrooms per house, as well as by a recovery in new housing construction and ongoing gains in improvement and repair expenditures. Demand for other types of cabinets will be led by the strong performance of garage and non-office cabinets, which will benefit from the ongoing popularity of built-in cabinetry where it has not been traditionally used. In addition, store display fixtures and other cabinets will see growth, bolstered by a healthy construction environment in the nonresidential market.

Residential buildings accounted for the largest share of cabinet demand in 2007, with 81%. The residential market will continue to hold this leading position through 2012, given its greater intensity of cabinet use compared to nonresidential and non-construction markets. Through 2012, the nonresidential market is anticipated to see solid gains, supported by growth in both new construction and improvement and repair spending.

The 338-page Cabinets is available for $4,700 from The Freedonia Group Inc., 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, OH 44143-2326. For further details, contact Corinne Gangloff by phone at (440) 684-9600, fax at (440) 646-0484 or e-mail [email protected].