Ecosphere Associates brings flexible stone to market

By Courtney Mueller -- Casual Living, 3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Ecosphere Associates, Tucson, Ariz.-based manufacturer of outdoor accessories, has been crafting its planters, Oracle fountains and other decor from Txtr-Lite, a flexible stone veneer, for the past five years, and recently has brought the product to the U.S market for use as a horizontal surface for contractors and installers, barbecues, wall decor and more.

Txtr-Lite is a micro-thin layer of real stone that, with new technology, has been removed from a solid slab and backed up with a polymer resin. The stone veneers are think and flexible enough to wrap around an eight-inch diameter column.

Offered in 10 colors, Txtr-Lite can ease work applications, but also allows those in the architectural market to save money, costing between $10 and $12 per square foot. It also can be used in flat, contoured or curved areas.

"Buyers are blown away," said Dan Harmony, president of Ecosphere Associates. "As a finished product, we're able to produce heavy-looking stone product that is actually lightweight."

For more information on Txtr-Lite, visit www.txtr-lite.com or e-mail info@txtr-lite.com.

A flexible stone veneer makes up the construction of fountains from Ecosphere. The stone is now available in additional applications.