Silestone® Turns 25

This year Silestone® celebrates 25 years of providing homes around the world with design, quality and style. Silestone® was created in 1990 and came in a limited range of six colours that were only available in Spain. Today there are more than 60 colours and the brand is available in more than 80 countries spanning six continents. Constant commitment to innovation, product diversification and international expansion has led the multinational company based in the Spanish province of Almería to increase its capacity from a single production line to the 11 that exist today. Silestone® is now the market leader in quartz surfaces, with a worldwide distribution network of more than 90 Cosentino Centres.

To commemorate this anniversary, the Cosentino Group held an event at its Cantoria headquarters yesterday in which Cosentino’s founders, the Martínez-Cosentino Justo Brothers, the executive board and a group of employees celebrated 25 years of the brand’s history. Special mentions went out to almost 60 people who experienced the creation of Silestone® first hand.

Image number 32 of the current section of Silestone® Turns 25 in Cosentino Australia

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At this emotional ceremony, the Cosentino Group’s founders, brothers Francisco, Eduardo and José Martínez-Cosentino Justo, wished to show those present at the event their gratitude for the effort and enthusiasm shown to them over the years. “Without your invaluable collaboration, it would not have been possible to have taken Silestone® to the leading position it enjoys today. You have set an example for all of us and represent the company’s true spirit,” said Francisco Martínez-Cosentino, Chairman of Cosentino, in his speech.

The creation of Silestone® in 1990 was a revolution for the stone industry and for professionals working in the sector. The new material came about through the determination to combine the best of natural stone in a single surface with one-of-a-kind physical and mechanical qualities, which was made possible thanks to Cosentino’s strategy of research and innovation. All the improvements developed in its performance have led to the consideration that Silestone® is more than just a simple material for decoration or construction, but one that brings new concepts in design and colour to kitchens in particular, and more recently to bathrooms.

Silestone® allows the creation of exciting designs ranging from the most beautiful kitchen work surface to the most innovative commercial project owing to its extremely wide range of colours, unique finishes and unrivalled technical and aesthetic properties.

To mark this 25th anniversary, Cosentino is extending its warranty on Silestone® from 10 to 25 years on any work surfaces purchased after January 1st 2015.

Another important change has been the inclusion of the Eco product line as a new Silestone® series, known as Silestone® Eco Line. It consists of 11 colours manufactured with at least 50% recycled materials such as glass, porcelain and vitrified ash, among others. The Silestone® Eco Line series also contains an environmentally friendly exclusive partially vegetable resin.

Image number 33 of the current section of Silestone® Turns 25 in Cosentino Australia

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Essential to the development and growth of the Silestone® brand has been the role played by the company’s collaborators, customers and, naturally, end users.

As the Group’s chairman Francisco Martínez-Cosentino rightly pointed out: “The international recognition achieved through the Silestone® brand and Cosentino company over these 25 years has made the names of Almería, Andalusia and Spain become better known around the world.”

Important events in the history of Silestone®

1990 Silestone® is created in only six colours: Apollo Grey, Mars Red, Electra Blue, Medea Green, Olympus Beige and Thebes Black. The range currently extends to more than 60 colours and three innovative textures.

Cosentino has a single Silestone® production line. Today there are 11 production lines for the product and a daily production capacity of 4.000 sheets.

1992 For the first time in its history, Silestone® collaborates with two great mass events: the Barcelona Olympics and Expo 92 Seville.
1997 Silestone® crosses the Atlantic through the creation of its subsidiary in the United States.
2000 Cosentino opens its first subsidiary in Brazil (Latina Vitoria) and marketing of Silestone® begins in Latin America.
2002 Silestone® reaches Asia through the Chinese market.
2002 Cosentino UK+IE subsidiary launches
2004 Cosentino creates bacteriostatic protection for Silestone®.

The prestigious TIME magazine considers the brand as one of the technological innovations of the 21st century.

2005 Cosentino, through its Silestone® brand becomes the first Spanish company to advertise during the Super Bowl, one of the world’s most highly watched sporting events.
2008 For the first time, Silestone® collaborates with a leading figure in world sport: Fernando Alonso.
2009 Cosentino launches its Eco product (now named Silestone® Eco Line series) combining the highest level of design, performance and properties in one decorative surface, together with a genuinely green and sustainable component.

Cosentino launches the Silestone® Bathroom Collection with its innovative large-format concept, greatly reducing the number of joints.

2010 Cosentino lauches the Integrity® sink, setting a benchmark for the industry with the first three-dimensional product made from a single piece of Silestone®.

Marketing of Silestone® begins in Africa.

2011 Marketing of Silestone® begins in Australia.
2012 Silestone® continues to innovate through a new texture: Suede.

The Cosentino Group will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Silestone® with more actions planned throughout 2015.