Cosentino(R) Sponsors The Ugly Kitchen Contest to Inspire and Reward Interior Designers for Continued Support and to Showcase New Platinum(TM) Series and Colors

HOUSTON, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Cosentino(R) North America, a nationwide leader in natural stone and the world's largest producer of quartz surfacing, is sponsoring The Ugly Kitchen Contest to correspond with Cosentino's recent addition of seven new designer colors to its Silestone(R) offering.

The Ugly Kitchen Contest categories include small, medium and large, so that interior designers have an opportunity to enter a project of any residential size project as long as it incorporates any of the colors from the Mountain, Life, Zen, Platinum or River Series of Silestone. The winner in each of the three categories will receive an "all expenses paid trip" to Spain for two where they'll have an opportunity to take an up close look at how Silestone is made. The value of each winning package is approximately $5,000 per person. The second and third place winners will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. The Ugly Kitchen Contest runs from July 1st through Oct. 30, 2009. Winners will be announced on Nov. 15, 2009. Further information and details about the contest are available at www.silestoneusa.com/contest.

The Ugly Kitchen Contest color options include Silestone's newest color additions that are represented in the Silestone Platinum Series(TM). The latest innovation in quartz surfacing, the Platinum Series offers four distinctive metallic color choices that integrate the performance of Silestone's antimicrobial properties and the chic look of stainless steel. Colors available in the Platinum Series are Chrome, Zirconium, Carbono and Steel. In addition to launching its Platinum Series, Cosentino has added three new colors to its Silestone lineup: Magenta, Tao and Kenzo. Designers can obtain free samples of the colors required to qualify for entry in The Ugly Kitchen Contest by visiting www.silestoneusa.com and using promo code "UGLYK2009."

"These colors are ideal for designers who are looking to incorporate the latest design trends with the functionality of a surface that is scratch-, stain- and scorch-resistant," commented Lorenzo Marquez, vice president of Marketing for Cosentino North America.

Marquez explained that Cosentino has introduced these bright new colors as part of The Ugly Kitchen Contest, which is intended to encourage designers to continue to be creative in spite of the economic downturn and to encourage them to use Silestone on their current or near-term remodeling projects.

"Our ongoing commitment to the interior design industry is a driving force for us at Cosentino. Our unparalleled production capacity, coupled with an extensive research and development effort, allows us to have the widest and most reliable quartz color offering across the United States. We've spent the last few years working with designers on developing our product portfolio, and 2009 is the year that we are aggressively bringing these new products into the market," Marquez said.

When asked about the purpose of The Ugly Kitchen Contest, Marquez responded: "The idea behind this contest is to recognize designers for their talent as they focus on transforming dated kitchens through beautiful, elegant, and state-of-the-art design. "We have selected a panel of expert designers who will evaluate kitchen remodel entries to ultimately select a winner for each of the three categories we defined."

Nancy Braamse, Bath and Kitchen Buying Group president, and owner of Olde World Cabinetry out of Tampa, Fla. has more than 20 years of experience as a kitchen designer and is one of the panel of judges for the Ugly Kitchen Contest. Braamse has been working closely with Cosentino for many years offers Silestone as the only quartz solution for her clients.

"In today's market, we need the support of manufacturers like Cosentino to add innovative products and provide incentives that support our business," she commented. "The color additions from Silestone make our job much easier as they provide a higher level of design easily adaptable to our client's needs and lifestyle."

Silestone quartz is a cleaner and safer surface, offering the unique combination of built-in Microban(R), GREENGUARD certification for clean air quality and National Sanitation Foundation certification for food preparation. Silestone quartz is available nationally in over sixty-five colors nationally and offers a 15-year limited manufacturer's warranty.

About Cosentino(R)

Cosentino(R), a global natural stone manufacturer, began harvesting precious stones from the finest quarries in Europe close to a century ago. The Spanish company currently distributes material in more than 80 countries. With 11 manufacturing lines, Cosentino is the largest manufacturer of natural quartz surfaces in the world. The company covers the entire process of producing natural stone products including quarrying, manufacturing, fabricating and installing surfaces, such as kitchen and bathroom countertops, wall cladding and many other applications. In 2008, Cosentino received ISO 14001 Certification for its environmental management, measurement, evaluation, and auditing practices. Cosentino North America was established in 1998 to distribute and market Silestone(R) natural quartz surfaces in the US, Canada and Mexico. The Cosentino North America family of brands include: Silestone Natural Quartz with built-in Microban(R) protection; ECO by Cosentino(TM), an eco-friendly line of surface material made of 75 percent recycled post-consumer and post-industrial content; SenSa(R) Granite with SenGuard(R) offering a 15-year warranty against staining; Scalea Natural Stone, which includes marble, travertine and soapstone; Marlique(TM) Marble, enhanced marble for vanities; MURO(TM) Mosaics, pre-meshed tiles made with recycled Silestone; and the Prexury(TM) Collection, a semi-precious stone line handmade by expert craftsmen. For more information visit www.cosentinona.com.

(C)Cosentino N.A. Silestone and Ugly Kitchen trademarks and logos are the property of Cosentino N.A. under exclusive license from Cosentino, S.A.