Responding to builder customers' challenging market conditions, Owens Corning Masonry Products LLC has introduced a value-engineered manufactured stone veneer. An economical alternative to the company's premium Cultured Stone line, ProStone provides what product developers note is a quality option for use where affordability is a major consideration.

Compared to the 120-style flagship brand, ProStone is a lighter-weight, shallower-profile product available in a dozen color and texture combinations. Early ProStone users have attributed units' lighter weight to improved shipping economy and higher site productivity rates versus deeper profile stone veneers. During the line's formal NAHB International Builders' Show unveiling, a company spokesman notes, “Builders were all ears for ProStone.”