Cambria Recognizes Exceptional Uses of Its Natural Quartz Surfaces Across North America

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambria, the exclusive producer of natural quartz surfaces in the United States, today announced the winners of the Second Annual Cambria Lifestyles Contest. Winners are recognized for their innovative design and application of Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces(TM).

The Cambria Lifestyles Contest recognizes use of Cambria in the following categories: kitchens, bathrooms, commercial restaurant/food service and commercial public spaces. Cambria selected 13 designs that demonstrate creative and innovative applications of its product.

"Designers, installers and fabricators of Cambria use remarkable creativity and innovation and this contest is our way of recognizing the exceptional work that they do," said Tom Annexstad, Cambria's Senior Vice President of Sales. "Each year, we are impressed by the variety of uses of Cambria and the skilled craftsmanship our partners demonstrate."

The Cambria Lifestyles Contest was open to Cambria certified installation and fabrication partners, designers, builders and retailers.

    This year's Cambria Lifestyles Contest winners:

    --  Grand Prize and Calendar Cover winner: Factory Direct Countertops,
        Cincinnati, OH -- Via Vite Restaurant
    --  January: Factory Direct Countertops, Cincinnati, OH -- Via Vite
        Restaurant
    --  February: Bedrock Quartz Surfaces, Jordan, UT -- Megaplex20 Theater
    --  March: Custom Cabinets & Woodwork, La Porte, IN -- Residential Kitchen
    --  April: Interior Expressions, Oro Valley, AZ -- Street of Dreams
        Bathroom
    --  May: TBD Homes, Minneapolis, MN -- Contemporary Kitchen
    --  June: StoneTrends, LLC, St. Louis, MO -- Medtronic Employee Cafeteria
    --  July: Sander and Sons, Inc., Littleton, CO -- Residential Kitchen
    --  August: Classic Stone, LLC, Indianapolis, IN -- Midwest Living Kitchen
    --  September: Sander and Sons, Inc., Littleton, CO -- Residential Kitchen
    --  October: A. Maas Construction, Inc., Burnsville, MN -- KSTP-TV Dream
        Home Kitchen
    --  November: Howard's Kitchen Studio, Cincinnati, OH -- Retail Showroom
        Kitchen
    --  December: Infinity Stone Corporation, Portland, OR -- Country Home
        Kitchen
    --  January 2009: Kitchen Distributors, Inc., Highlands Ranch, CO --
        Residential Kitchen

The 2008 Cambria Lifestyles Contest grand prizewinner, Factory Direct Countertops, installed more than 340 square feet of Cambria at Via Vite restaurant, located in downtown Cincinnati's newly renovated Fountain Square. Designed by renowned architect Don Beck, Via Vite showcases Cambria complementary colors Victoria(TM) and Park Gate(TM). Cambria is featured throughout the restaurant on the main bar, bar rails, service counters and tabletops. The partnership between Cambria and Via Vite makes for a perfect match as both boast a luxurious, high-end appeal.

"We are proud that Via Vite is featured as Cambria Lifestyles Contest Grand Prize winner," said Nicola Pietoso, owner of Via Vite restaurant. "The Cambria countertops in Via Vite add a natural flare to the décor of our restaurant and its nonporous surface is ideal for our food preparation and dining areas."

Via Vite will be featured on the cover of Cambria's 2008 Lifestyles Contest calendar and Factory Direct Countertops will receive a cash prize for their installation.

As a leader in design innovation, Cambria offers more colors with unique design capabilities than any other surfacing material. Cambria's 12 new colors complement existing colors from the Desert and Quarry Collections, offering unique opportunities to incorporate multiple colors on a variety of surfaces, creating more depth and character in a home. Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces(TM) are used for residential and commercial applications including countertops, shower and tub surrounds, vanities, flooring and more.

Cambria is a stain-resistant, non-porous surface that is harder, stronger and easier to care for than other stone surfaces including granite and marble because it does not require sealing with harsh chemicals. In addition, Cambria is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality(R) and GREENGUARD For Children & Schools(SM) certified, which means it does not off-gas or emit harmful chemicals into the air. Cambria is also certified by NSF International as a safe surface for food preparation -- there is no safer surface available to consumers.

Cambria recycles and recovers 100 percent of the water used in its processes through unique settling and filtering techniques. In addition, the product's GREENGUARD certifications make projects eligible for one (1) LEED point in any LEED-certified building project in the Indoor Environmental Quality category. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an accreditation program conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council that certifies building projects based on performance under the LEED rating system.

Cambria is available to consumers, builders, contractors, architects and designers throughout North America and the world. Cambria has operations and fabrication facilities in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and Toronto.

About Cambria

Cambria is a privately held, family-owned company with more than 550 employees. Headquartered in Le Sueur, Minn., Cambria is one of the few quartz surface plants in the world and the only producer of natural quartz surfaces in the United States. Cambria has a North American network of stone fabricator and installation partners that share Cambria's commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Cambria focuses on quality, innovation and growth in their respective markets. Cambria is available to consumers via retail partners throughout North America. Cambria also exports its products throughout the world. For additional information about Cambria, or to locate the closest Cambria dealer, call 1-866-CAMBRIA or visit Cambria on the web at http://www.CambriaUSA.com.