Tile International 1/2016

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Batimat Russia & Coverings 2016

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Schlüter®-DITRA-HEAT-E Elektrische Flächentemperierung an Wand und Boden Electrical heating within walls and floors

Vom Boden an die Wand Keramik und Naturstein sind wegen Ihrer Fähigkeit, Wärme zu speichern und gleichmäßig abzugeben, nicht nur für die Bodentemperierung ideal geeignet, sondern auch für den Einsatz an der Wand. Daher haben wir konsequent die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten des innovativen Schlüter®-DITRA-HEAT-E Systems weiterentwickelt und bieten es nun auch für die Temperierung von Wandbelägen an.

From floor to wall Thanks to their ability to retain and evenly dissipate heat, ceramic tiles and natural stone are not only ideally suited for floor heating, but also for use in walls. We therefore have consistently expanded the application options for the innovative Schlüter®-DITRA-HEAT-E system, which is now also available to create heated wall coverings.

Funktionen auf einen Blick: Functions at a glance:

Argumente, die überzeugen: System benefits include: wohlige Wärme  schafft Creates instant cozy warmth

Entkoppeln neutralisiert Uncoupling neutralizes Formveränderung deflection forces

temperierte Zonen können individuell  ausgelegt werden Rissüberbrückung Crack-bridging

Heating zones can be configured individually für Renovierungen dank  ideal niedriger Aufbauhöhe Ideally suited for renovation projects thanks to low assembly height mit bewährter DITRA-Technologie  entkoppelt Uncoupling with proven DITRA technology

Lastabtragung

direkt in den Untergrund

Load transfer

directly into the substrate

Einfache Verlegung der Heizkabel Simple installation of heating cables

geprüft als Abdichtung zugelassen  AbP AbP certified – approved as waterproofing

Schlüter-Systems KG · Schmölestraße 7 · D-58640 Iserlohn · Tel.: +49 2371 971-0 · Fax: +49 2371 971-111 · www.schlueter-systems.com

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Made in Italy alternative PRODESO HEAT is an innovative electrical floor heating system that allows you to have in a short time and with lower cost a warm and welcoming floor surface. A smart and and responsible choice that brings ecological sustainability, energy efficiency and the latest trend in design architecture and home automation. Prodeso Heat system can be installed on any tipe GREEN of substrate thanks to its uncoupling properties. The latest generation of POWER thermostats allow for a complete control of the temperature and schedule to Consumo giornaliero optimize its cost of operation.

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“TCNA Lab’s leadership in precision test methodology and rigorous adherence to ANSI, ASTM, and ISO protocols form the basis of our reputation as one of the preeminent testing facilities for the global tile industry.”

Claudio Bizzaglia Director of Laboratory Services

Product Performance Testing Laboratory 864-646-8453 • www.tcnatile.com CB@tcnatile.com (English, Español, Italiano, Português) Visit us at Coverings booth 7325

since 1974 innovaTions for The Tile seTTing professional

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The mosT compleTe range of equipmenT for large formaT Tiles The “free-cuT” guides perform perfecT cuT on slabs up To a maximum lengTh of 426 cm (14’). furThermore, by applying on The “free-cuT” guides The special cuTTing uniTs wiTh angle grinder (“free-flex”), even The mosT difficulT cuTs are no longer a problem. The “free-flex” allow To perform cuT (wiTh diamond discs) aT 90° or aT variable angles from 35° To 45° noT only on Thin slabs (3 To 6 mm - 1/8” - 1/4”), buT also on regular Thickness maTerials (up To 25 mm - 1”), wheTher They are in porcelain or naTural sTone. for handling large slabs The “Tmove” and “easy-move” sysTems offer The ideal soluTion for every need while The modular Trolleys “cams” are perfecT for convenienTly applying The adhesive on The back of The slabs as well as for TransporTing Them wiTh ease.

booTh 7751

cuT

handling

levelling

The modular bench “bm180” has been insTead designed To provide an easy To TransporT and efficienT workTop. in addiTion To This, we have developed oTher specific Tools for The insTallaTion and processing of These innovaTive ceramic maTerials such as The rubber floaT To expel The air below The slab and improve The bounding of The adhesive, The device To accosT slabs (“closer”) and a line of diamond Tools for finishing and polishing The edges and sides afTer cuT, for hole cuTTing and for bullnosing.

To compleTe The range, our r.l.s. levelling sysTem, wiTh proven efficacy, is The ideal allied To eliminaTe lippage wiThin slabs.

Tools

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N. 1/2016

Publisher: Tile Edizioni S.r.l.

Via Fossa Buracchione 84 • 41126 Baggiovara (Modena) • Italy Tel. +39 059 512 103 • Fax +39 059 512 157 info@tiledizioni.it • www.tiledizioni.it

The NEW

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Contributing editors: - Luca Baraldi - Paola Giacomini - Sara Falsetti - Sabino Menduni - Sabrina Tassini

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Contents

11 - Editorial

Shifting sands

36 40 76 86 94

by Chiara Bruzzichelli

Photonews

12 - 14 - 16 - 18 -

Lynnhaven Mall, Virginia Floor and wall coverings by Rondine Progress Prifiles checks in at the Sheraton Club des Pins, Algiers Caesar for the Scandic Vulkan, Oslo

20 - Tilefax In the spotlight 36 - Interview with Giorgio Squinzi 40 - Porcelanosa, forging ahead for the last 40 years

by Chiara Bruzzichelli

by Paola Giacomini

Economy & markets 44 - 2015 U.S. Ceramic Tile Industry update 52 - Upturn in Europe’s construction market 54 - Confindustrias Ceramica’s data for 2015

by Andrew Whitmire by 80th Euroconstruct

56 - Statistics

2014: Italian manufacturers return to growth

by MECS, Acimac's Research Centre

60 - Economy & markets

Rough waters for Russian construction market 68 - Statistics

World sanitaryware production and exports

by MECS, Acimac's Research Centre

76 - Trends

From Vintage to Authentic Living

by Pamela Albanese - Tosilab

Projects 82 - Landi Renzo SpA chooses ACTIVE 86 - Marazzi porcelain tile for Etruria Resort in Montepulciano 90 - iDesign Shworoom in Transilvania 94 - Balaruc-les-Bains (France): a special kind of thermal bath 98 - Thrive: Medibank’s new HQ at Medibank Place, Melbourne TM

Cover picture: Ceramica Saloni - www.saloni.com

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Advertiser's list: page 33 Subscription order form: www.tiledizioni.it/eng/EcommerceRiviste.aspx Batimat Russia & Coverings 20 2016

Translations: Geoff Day / John Freeman

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TRIBECA

Editorial

by Chiara Bruzzichelli

Shifting sands Complex patterns of shifting sands are emerging and submerging worldwide, streaked by the shocks of an insane war that threatens to ignite ever larger swathes of territory, triggering a human exodus of biblical proportions.

Assessing global economic prospects against this backdrop is no easy task: although still solid, growth in the United States seems to be losing some of the vim it was showing until a few months ago, while fresh difficulties are piling up in the emerging economies, first and foremost Brazil. Activity is slowing in China too, although it is still propping up world GDP growth, together with Asia's other emerging economies. According to IMF estimates, the Chinese economy grew by 6.6% in 2015, in line with the previous year's performance. The recession in Russia and other countries in the area is worrying, and

growth in Europe is still too slow and uncertain.

Such is the scenario in which we approach two of the world's major international trade shows for the construction industry in general and the ceramic tile industry in particular: Batimat in Russia will take place in Moscow from 5 to 8 April, and Coverings in Chicago, USA, from 18 to 21 of the same month.

So let's try and sum up the situation in the construction industry in the respective geographical areas.

Construction in the United States (see article on page 44) is slipstreaming the vigorous growth that raised tile sales to 254.6 million sq.m in 2015 (+10% on 2014), taking tile consumption above the levels reached in 2007, the first year of the recession.

This is a particularly big success for tiles, if you bear in mind that the recovery of the

US construction market, which started in 2012, has given rise to only a partial recovery in construction investment: the residential building segment, for example, although it has doubled in size since the trough year of 2009, is still over 38% smaller than it was at its peak in 2006.

The outlook for the current year is bright across the entire NAFTA area, where the industry is benefiting from vigorous growth in the residential market in both the USA and Mexico, offsetting the slowdown in Canada, and achieving an overall increase in construction investment of 3.6%, according to estimates for 2015.

It's a different picture in Eastern Europe, which has been hit hard by recession in 2015, with obvious repercussions for the construction industry.

It's worth remembering, however, that residential building in Russia (see article on

page 60) continued to grow in 2015, albeit within a sharply shrinking market: Rosstat figures released in November 2015 put growth at 3.4%, which although positive, is still a far cry from 2014, when housing completions (+21%) and total floorspace produced (+18.2%) reached record levels. Moscow was still Russia's top-performer in 2015, with an increase of 14.4% in new housing completions by surface area. This is largely because numerous building projects launched in previous years, when the municipality of Moscow was implementing an expansive urban policy, reached completion last year. In these conditions, national sales of tiles are estimated to have fallen by about 10%, to 198 million sq.m, but by far the biggest fall is in imported tiles, whose losses have affected all exporting countries except for Belarus.

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LYNNHAVEN MALL, VIRGINIA Emilceramica Group has been selected to supply the floor coverings for Lynnhaven Mall, the largest mall in the Hampton Roads metropolitan region in south-eastern Virginia.

The architects opted for Stone Project by the Ergon brand because it’s a technical covering that represents a perfect blend

Tile International 1/2016

of Italian creativity and technology.

Stone Project is an extensive programme comprising seven warm and cool colours, which can be combined with each other, two graphic patterns - crosscut and vein-cut - which replicate the typical details of the two different stone cutting techniques, and three finishes: natural, lapped and

textured. The completeness of the series makes it ideal for designing all types of space with complete freedom of expression.

In the Lynnhaven Mall, the architects chose to combine Grey with Gold in size 30x60 cm, to underscore the design value of the collection and to generate variegated architectural movements.

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FLOOR AND WALL COVERINGS BY RONDINE The owners of the renowned, Sassuolo-based Sausalito restaurant and pizzeria, which specialises in the typical cuisine of the Italian city of Modena, recently decided on a complete remodelling of their premises, with a view to extending their clientèle.

They commissioned SineStudio, a design firm also based in Sassuolo, to produce a design for a suitable environment for

Tile International 1/2016

hosting live music and convivial meetings, so as to attract a younger and less businessoriented clientèle.

So SineStudio came up with a completely overhauled concept for the venue, and opted for Ceramica Rondine products for the floor and wall coverings. For the walls of the new Sausalito, they selected Sand-coloured tiles from the Tribeca* series, measuring

6x25 cm and 10 mm thick, and belonging to the Brick Generation collection.

For the floor, meanwhile, they chose Lead-coloured Amarcord** tiles in the terracotta version with waxed finish, in size 60x60 cm x 10 mm thick.

••• *Belonging to the Brick Generation project, the Tribeca series takes its name from

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one of the Big Apple’s liveliest districts. The upgrading of this area of Manhattan began in the 1970s and turned Tribeca into a fashionable residential district, with cobbled streets and industrial-style lofts. Ceramica Rondine’s new collection is an evocation of the painted-brick façades that are the hallmark of Tribeca. Tribeca by Rondine Group is available in a wide range of colours: sand, white,

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old red, mud, multicolor and grey. **Amarcord is an aesthetic fusion of two different materials, terracotta and wood, in a concrete base. Available in an extremely varied range of sizes and finishes, which differ between the terracotta and wood versions, Amarcord reinterprets the most intimate identity of two of the world’s most traditional flooring materials.

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PROGRESS PROFILES CHECKS IN AT THE SHERATON CLUB DES PINS, ALGIERS The Sheraton Club des Pins Resort in Algiers is the capital’s only hotel on the seafront and the first to be awarded a 5-star rating. Complete with private beach, it stands in a completely secure setting.

For the finishing of the interiors of this prestigious resort, the designers opted for trim profiles made entirely in Italy by the Italian company Progress Profiles.

The majestic lobby, for

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example, features Prolistel profiles, which are the perfect accompaniment to the sumptuous wood panelling that completely envelops the immense area, to which they lend a touch of lustre.

Prolistel is an extensive range of trim profiles offering impeccable technical and decorative solutions for creating chromatic effects on wood, ceramic, marble and mosaic wall coverings,

as well as separations and decorations on floor coverings.

Prolistel is available in a wide range of finishes, including gloss, satineffect, chromed, polished, painted and with builtin LEDs. It also comes in a variety of sizes and materials (aluminium, steel and chromed brass) so that you’ll always find the right combination for your interior design.

Progress Profiles exports

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a range of over 12,500 profiles made of stainless steel, aluminium, brass, PVC and real wood - all certified 100% Made in Italy - to over 50 countries worldwide. Refined styling, high technology and painstaking design are the values that underpin the Italian company’s worldwide success, which extends from the United States to Russia, via the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

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CAESAR FOR THE SCANDIC VULKAN, OSLO One of the smallest capital cities in Europe and, at the same time, one of the most versatile, modern and international: we're talking about Oslo, the capital of Norway that, with its 600,000 inhabitants, is characterised by a winning combination of entertainment, culture and nature.

The Scandic Vulkan in Oslo Design Studio: FagFlis Studio, Oslo - is a modern hotel, 1 km from the city centre in one of the most creative and fashionable districts in town. In order to keep up with the contemporary and natural style of the building, the floors in the hall and common areas were covered using 60x60 cm Beola Bianca of the Absolute collection, the porcelain tile series that interprets the allure of various natural stone with an original style.

The soft chromatic shades of the Flow series in colours Coal and Flight in 60x60 cm, covered the bathrooms at the entrance of the hotel, combining aesthetics and technical quality.

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Tilefax

Companies, News & Markets PROGRESS PROFILES: 3 SPECIAL PROFILES FOR KITCHENS

“HIM” AND “WAZEBO” BY ZUCCHETTI.KOS WIN GOOD DESIGNTM AWARD 2015

Progress Profiles has recently developed three new trim profiles designed specifically for kitchens.

The kitchen is one of the most lived-in rooms in the home, where practicality and styling are equally important, so the Italian company’s kitchen products are specifically designed to protect worktops without neglecting their aesthetics.

Protop, Protermstep and Protop T are made from high-quality materials and suitable for use with any type of worktop.

Protop features rounded corners, while Protermstep and Protop T stand out for their contemporary, minimalist lines.

Strong, high-sheen and easy to clean, these profiles are an interior design complement in their own right.

Progress Profiles celebrated its 30th anniversary last year by opening a new facility in the Italian town of Asolo, for an investment of 11 million euros. The company is continuing to expand on international markets, and its exports, to over 50 countries, now account for 35% of its total revenues. Progress Profiles products have been used in major architectural projects across the Arab world, such as the Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi and the Madinah Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Zucchetti. Kos Group recently scored a double victory by winning the prestigious Good DesignTM Award 2015, from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in conjunction with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, for the Him mixer tap and the Wazebo Water Wellness Gazebo, both designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba.

Established in Chicago in 1950, the Good DesignTM Award is the most historic and internationally recognised award for worldwide design excellence.

It is held annually and places particular emphasis on product innovation.

Over 900 projects and products from 38 different countries were selected in 2015, on the basis of their extremely high quality and outstanding characteristics. The win for Him and Wazebo bears further witness to the trend-setting role of Zucchetti. Kos in bathroom design.

The Him mixer tap stands out for the radical, compact and streamlined design of its flat outlet with waterfall jet. Elegant, understated and linear, the tap is described by its designers as “an architectural object inhabited by an ergonomically almost organic handle”. Offering strong green credentials, the product

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derives from a commitment to minimising the use of materials and creating a light piece that enables water to express its full power and vitality.

With a Design Plus 2015 award already to its credit, Wazebo is a truly unique and innovative object.

FRANKE STONE BY LAPITEC®: A NEW FINISH FOR KITCHENS A new partnership between Franke and Lapitec has spawned an innovative product called Franke Stone by Lapitec®, which will enable the renowned Swiss brand to give its kitchen worktops the technical and aesthetic qualities of through-body sintered stone.

Franke Stone by Lapitec® is a 100% natural material, with no resins or petroleum derivatives. Its patented production process, furthermore, delivers high mechanical strength, so the product can be made in large sizes (1500x3365 mm) and three calibrated thicknesses of 12,

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This minimises the need for joints, making it possible to produce highly elegant and refined kitchen worktops. Franke Stone by Lapitec® is also acid-resistant, heat-resistant, stain-resistant, anti-bacterial, easy to clean and unaffected by UV radiation.

It comes in 10 colours and a choice of four finishes, each offering a specific tactile sensation, including sanded, brushed and satin effects.

The partnership between the two companies was officially unveiled at Swissbau in Basel, from 12 to 16 January.

DIGITALART BY CERAMICA SANT’AGOSTINO HEADING FOR ADI DESIGN INDEX 2016 Taking its design cues from fabrics and graphic art motifs, Digitalart – a new collection by Ceramica Sant’Agostino – sets new standards of decoration in the ceramic industry and joins the short-list for the ADI Design Index 2016, ADI’s annual publication encompassing the best Italian design put into production.

The selected products then compete for the Compasso D’Oro, the world’s most

authoritative design award.

Previewed at Cersaie 2015 and voted winner of the ADI Ceramics Design Award – the award established in partnership between Cersaie and ADI – Digitalart gives full expression to the philosophy of “materials for a living architecture” that is the hallmark of all of Ceramica Sant’Agostino’s collections.

SICIS OPENS NEW SHOWROOM IN LONDON Sicis has chosen the heart of Mayfair, one of the most chic districts of London, as the location for its new showroom. Arranged over four storeys, offering total floor space of about 500 square metres, the showroom is located in a Victorian town house. The design concept takes the cues and underlying direction introduced by the designer Massimiliano Raggi, who puts a London slant on the world of Sicis, in the form of an eclectically styled home that’s complete in every detail, while offering the utmost modularity and customisation and constituting a fully fledged style workshop.

For Sicis, the new London showroom is a strategic investment aimed at enhancing the brand’s international standing, and on this same basis, the company plans to open another showroom in 2016, on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Screwjack pedestals used for the construction of raised floors, external terraces, decked areas and water features

Adjustable from 15 to 965 mm

Quick and easy installation

www.buzon-world.com

Tilefax

RUBINETTERIE STELLA WINS “SLEEP SET” AWARD Rubinetterie Stella has won the first “Sleep Set” award, as part of “The essence of a fairytale” installation designed by Shaun Clarkson ID and picked as the best hotel interior design project presented at London’s Business Design Centre, within the framework of Sleep Event, a London-based trade show that has become the benchmark exhibition for designer furniture for the hotel business.

The prestigious Italica series with brass finish, made by Rubinetterie Stella, gave extra emphasis to the magically surreal environments created by the Londonbased interior design firm, thus bearing witness to Rubinetterie Stella’s vocation for enhancing the luxury bathrooms of the world’s most prestigious hotels.

held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 4 April.

Tom Pritzker, Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award, announced the winner and explained the jury’s reasoning: “The jury has selected an architect who deepens our understanding of what is truly great design.

Alejandro Aravena has pioneered a collaborative practice that addresses key challenges of the 21st century. His built work gives economic opportunity to the less privileged, mitigates the effects of natural disasters, reduces energy consumption, and provides welcoming public space. Innovative and inspiring, he shows how architecture at its best can improve people’s lives.”

Aravena, who has been appointed Director of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016, is 48 years old and has a long series of works to his credit in Santiago itself, including the UC Innovation Center – Anacleto Angelini (2014), the Siamese Towers (2005) and the Faculties of Medicine (2004) Architecture (2004) and Mathematics (1999). All these buildings respond to the demands of the local climate.

In the United States, Aravena built St. Ed-

PRITZKER PRIZE 2016 GOES TO ALEJANDRO ARAVENA Following in the footsteps of Frei Otto, who won the 2015 award, the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena has won the 41st Pritzker Prize, the world’s highest accolade for international architecture, which was founded in 1979. The awards ceremony for this latest edition will be

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ward’s University Dorms (2008) in Austin, Texas, while in Shanghai, China, he currently has an office building under construction for the pharmaceuticals company Novartis.

Since 2001 he has been Executive Director of the Santiago-based “Do Tank” ELEMENTAL, whose partners include Gonzalo Arteaga, Juan Cerda, Victor Oddo and Diego Torres. The organisation’s work focuses on projects of public interest, including infrastructure, social housing and transportation. ELEMENTAL has designed over 2,500 low-cost housing units.

Floor and Wall Tile Collection Available in 6 different colours and 2 sizes: 6x25 / 12,5x25 cm - 23/8”x913/16” / 415/16”x913/16” Find out more at: www.emilceramica.it Designed and Made in Italy

Tilefax

MARGRAF TAKES MARCO POLO PRIZE Unioncamere Veneto has selected Margraf as winner of the 25th Marco Polo Prize, in recognition of the constant effort and outstanding results of the Vicenzabased company, which specialises in the processing of marble, particularly for export markets.

The prize was collected on 15 December by Margraf’s Chairman Silvio Xompero, who highlighted the company’s constant commitment to foreign trade: “The quality and design of our marble, our machining techniques and our finished products are acclaimed by architects and developers worldwide. As a company, we strive for excellence and aim to provide our increasingly discerning customers with a top-flight design and consulting service and reliable, punctual delivery. These are the strengths on which Margraf has built its worldwide reputation.”

Margraf has always worked in partnership with internationally acclaimed architects, and has become a global monument to the excellence of Italian manufacturing. Margraf established its reputation in the USA, with the construction of the first skyscrapers, which were

followed by a string of other major projects, such as the Coca Cola Building in Atlanta, the IBM Tower in Georgia, the first and the new World Financial Center in New York, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Terminal 3 of the new Beijing Airport designed by Norman Foster, the main tower of Canary Warf in London, the Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi, the Insurance Company in Kuwait City and countless more. Margraf’s marble and natural stone is now a must in the construction of many luxury hotels, residential complexes and collective venues.

means of concealed pivot hinges that allow the door to be opened in both directions. The lock set is magnetic and mounted flush with the leaf and frame, which are available in plain wood or with a lacquered or scratch-resistant synthetic finish.

The bidirectional system is available on all Bertolotto collections, with the exception of the Selesta, Alaska and Venezia Pantographed models with slide-in glass.

BERTOLOTTO INTRODUCES BIDIRECTIONAL DOORS Bertolotto Porte has developed a versatile solution that gives designers a huge amount of extra flexibility, in the form of a new bidirectional door opening system.

What’s new about it? Basically, it’s one door with four different opening systems: push (towards the interior of the room), pull and – by rotating the entire system – left-hand or right-hand opening.

On the technical front, the bidirectional system consists of a frame with linear casing, with the leaf anchored to it by

EXPANSION FOR HALCON GROUP On the back of an 11-million-euro investment and the opening of a new production facility in Onda, Halcon Group has become Spain’s second-largest manufacturer of ceramic tiles.

As part of the continuing expansion process launched in 2009, Halcon Group opened a new production facility in the Spanish town of Onda last December.

The new facility, boasting a surface area of 70,000 square metres, six new kilns

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and an array of latest-generation digital technology, is set to create 100 new jobs.

With this investment of 11 million euros, Halcon Group has taken another step in its ongoing development, and doubled its daily production capacity from 55,000 to 110,000 square metres. In so doing, it has cemented its status as a major player and raised its turnover from 90 to 160 million euros in 2016.

KERLITE PLAYS LEADING ROLE IN “VARIANTE DI VALICO” MOTORWAY On 23 December, the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi officially opened the “Variante di Valico” stretch of the A1 motorway between La Quercia and Barberino.

The project’s specifiers opted to use Kerlite ceramic panels by Cotto d’Este for the wall coverings of the base tunnel, which, at 8,703 metres, is the longest in the entire section. The tunnel was built to the highest quality standards, and that is one of the reasons why non-reflective white Kerlite porcelain ceramic panels, in size 300x100cm with a thickness of just 3 mm, were chosen for the wall coverings. Kerlite offers a host of advantages, first and foremost its flexibility.

With a curvature radius of 5 metres, the product is ideal for the vaulted walls of motorway tunnels. Furthermore, the cost of ceramic compared with alternative materials, partly in terms of its ease of cleaning and consequently low main-

tenance costs, is highly competitive.

And lastly, the fire-resistance and the long service life typically associated with porcelain tile constitute an unrivalled guarantee of safety and quality.

Drivers on the A1 can now choose to cross the Apennines by the old route or by the new 32 km “Variante” alternative route, which saves them about 20 minutes of driving time.

The first design for the Variante dates back to 1982 and was produced by the architect Pier Luigi Spadolini. The definitive route, of which 43.181 km are in the Emilia region and the remaining 14.993 km in Tuscany, is made up of 23 viaducts (totalling 10.4 km) and 22 tunnels (totalling 29.273 km). The longest of these is the base tunnel, whose walls are clad entirely with Kerlite panels.

Tilefax

ANGELO DALL’AGLIO APPOINTED ORGANISATIONAL DIRECTOR OF PROMOS There’s change at the top of Promos srl, the company that organises Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings held annually in Bologna, Italy.

Angelo Dall’Aglio has been appointed as the new Organisational Director for the trade show, taking over from Nerio Manfredini, who will nonetheless remain with the organisation as a consultant.

Aged 46, Angelo Dall’Aglio is an architect and designer with a degree from the Polytechnic of Milan, who has worked for Promos for three years. He has decades of experience in interior architecture, industrial design, exhibition curation and art direction.

ANDAL SYSTEM PRESENTS S.A.P.4 Andal System, a company specialising in floor and wall tile installation products which in the space of four years has successfully expanded its distribution network all over the world, unveiled its S.A.P. 4 installation system at Cersaie 2015.

Tile International 1/2016

The new screw installation system offers a number of improvements over the previous 1 mm S.A.P. 3 version, which had been presented exactly one year earlier: - S.A.P.4 is able to triple the hourly work rate in terms of installed surface area because the cap threads automatically onto the tie-rod, so all the tile setter has to do is tighten the cap to ensure perfect tile alignment.

- Once the adhesive has set, S.A.P.4 can simply be kicked away.

- The S.A.P.4 cap unthreads rapidly from the broken tie-rod and is ready to be reused.

- S.A.P. 4 has a very thin yet tough base which can be inserted easily underneath the tile, ensuring the minimum use of adhesive.

- S.A.P. 4 has two types of tie-rods, a linear T version and a cross version, which can be used to install any kind of tile.

Watch the video at www.andalsystem.it

CEVISAMA ASSIGNS ALFA DE ORO 2016 AWARDS Like every year, the winners of the prestigious Alfa de Oro award organised by the Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society (SECV) were announced at the latest edition of Cevisama. Now in its 40th edi-

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tion, the award is presented to companies that have excelled in terms of product and process innovation.

The jury, consisting of experts from the world of business and academia, assigned the Alfa de Oro award to Efi-Cretaprint for its inkjet printers for large and very large sizes.

Also chosen were the glaze and colour companies Vidres, for developing glazes capable of improving the energy performance of ceramic materials, and Vernis, for developing a new technology for producing glossy non-slip surfaces, as well as the Spanish ceramic tile producer Bouquet in Ceramica (Ceramica Tres Estilos) for developing a new three-dimensional tile decoration process.

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Tilefax

STARLIKE® USED FOR THE NEW SICIS SHOWROOM IN NEW YORK Litokol products, especially Starlike® grout, have been used for the new 450 square metre showroom opened in New York by leading Ravenna-based mosaic manufacturer Sicis.

Sicis and Litokol have long enjoyed a strong business relationship. Sicis recognises the high quality and reliability of Litokol products, particularly the Starlike® epoxy grout chosen by tile setters all over the world for its ease of application. The wide range of colours offered

by Starlike® also gives interior designers and architects plenty of choice of colour combinations between the grout and the mosaics, which can be made from four different materials. Starlike® enhances the gaps between the mosaics and helps to transform compositions into authentic works of art.

For these reasons, in its installation and substrate preparation manual, Sicis rec-

Tile International 1/2016

ommends using Starlike® adhesives and grouts chosen according to the type of materials, substrates and different applications.

Litokol recently supplied the adhesive and grout for a series of display panels to be used in the large showroom. The mosaics were glued with Litoelastic and grouted with the 5 new colours of Starlike® Color Crystal. This new exhibition space will complement the main showroom soon to be opened on Fifth Avenue. Sicis recently moved its Manhattan showroom from Soho to the prestigious Nomad district, where the entire SICIS range of mosaics, furnishings and jewellery will be displayed on five floors, and Litokol will once again stand side by side with SICIS.

NAXB JOINS FORCES WITH DANISH COLOUR CERAMICA Naxb, a strategic partnership of North European floor and wall tile dealers, was recently joined by the Danish company Colour Ceramica A/S, which has been a tile wholesaler since 1987 and is now Denmark’s largest player on the wholesale market.

Colour Ceramica thus joins the 78 retail outlets that already belong to Naxb and operate in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark. Like its associates, it will therefore benefit from coordinated purchasing and marketing policies and pooled business experience.

Colour Ceramica A/S started life as a

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ceramic tile wholesaler in 1987.

In 2002, it was bought by Henry Kristiansen and Steen Scheel-Krüger. Colour Ceramica A/S is now the country’s largest tile wholesaler, and has a distribution warehouse capable of delivering orders anywhere in the country within 24 hours.

As well as a logistics and delivery management service, Colour Ceramica provides professional consulting on products and their installation, and electronic catalogues for both the DIY and professional market.

Naxb was formed in 2008 by a group of North European ceramic tile distributors.

Thanks to its ability to offer manufacturers an extensive and growing distribution network, it can supply its members with products from the major international players at the best market prices.

Naxb can also develop its own specific product ranges, both in terms of formats and design, under its own brand and at extremely competitive prices, for the North European markets. This gives its members a number of compelling advantages. The main factors behind the group's growth are its ability to attract new members, and the new partnerships it forges with international purchasing groups across the whole of Northern Central Europe.

Tilefax

PROFILITEC TO TAKE ON NORTH AMERICAN MARKET Mr. Egli, President of Profilitec SpA, is very pleased to announce that Greg Gelston, formerly of Schlüter-Systems North America, who has served as Sales Director for the last 15 of his 21-year tenure, has been appointed to our global board of directors and to head up our North American operations. “We are very serious about our entry into North America and we be-

lieve that there is no-one in the industry with more experience and past success in this segment then Mr. Gelston,” states Mr. Egli. Greg began his career at Schlüter-Systems in 1993 when it was a small and relatively unknown company and was one of the key individuals who helped build it into one of the most recognised and respected brands in the industry today. “I am very fortunate to be associated with Profilitec and can’t wait to help establish them as a significant

player in the North American market.

They have the best products and product development processes that I have ever seen, which supports my overriding objective to bring to market a product line that surpasses all others in quality, form and function, while respecting the channels of the trade” states Mr. Gelston.

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Tilefax

IMPERTEK: DECKING, THE PERFECT SUPPORT FOR ALL SITUATIONS For 30 years, Impertek has been supplying high quality, high-performance products for the construction and architecture sectors. With a range of reliable products for foundations and coverings and highly skilled technical staff, Impertek is the ideal partner for even the most ambitious projects. However, Impertek’s core strength lies in the field of decking, where it provides dedicated supports with interchangeable headpieces ideal for any type or size of solution. The wide range of headpieces means that the most suitable version can be found for any requirement: whether for laying slabs or for installing decking on joists, poolside or on external floorings in bars and restaurants.

Made of high-strength plastic, our supports can cope with highly saline environments. Thanks to their adjustable width, Megamart supports for outdoor flooring can be used for all types of installations, including old flooring. The innovative Megamart system can achieve outstanding results in a very short space of time. Final flooring can be easy to in-

Tile International 1/2016

spect without demolition and is perfectly level thanks to the adjustable nut and Easy-flat slope corrector. Impertek’s commitment to developing specific flooring products was demonstrated recently at the Brazilian pavilion at the Milan Expo, while its efficiency and reliability are proved continuously to passengers transiting through Dubai international airport. Our high-resistance supports are unaffected by highly concentrated loads and continuous foot traffic. Again this year Impertek will be taking part in the European Floor and Wall Exhibition in Ghent and in the International Roofing Expo in Orlando. These two exclusive international showcases will give you the opportunity to fulfil your needs and dreams. Before these two prestigious fairs open their doors to guests, we would like to invite you to send us your projects carried out using our products to www.impertek.com. We are hosting an entire section where you can show pictures of works that are either completed or in progress and provide detailed descriptions of the project and your company. Once again this year we are ready to offer our invisible support to make your world tougher and more enduring.

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BAUWERK B-PROTECT: 100,000 SQ.M IN 2015 In 2015 Bauwerk supplied sufficient parquet flooring to cover the equivalent of four football pitches. “The more than 100,000 sq.m of Bauwerk parquet with extra-tough surface guaranteed by the new B-Protect® technology could in fact host a few matches without difficulty!”, said a company spokesman.

The B-Protect® finish, last year’s big innovation, protects the wood while maintaining its natural qualities along with an “untreated” effect. It consists of a special water-based lacquer developed from Bauwerk’s research into nanotechnologies and capable of making the surfaces completely waterproof and scratch resistant. B-Protect® is now available in the paler finishes (Crema and Farina) on Cleverpark, Villapark, Megapark and Cleverpark Contract (strip length 833 mm with thickness of 11 mm or 9.5 mm).

Tilefax

GORDON GUILLAUMIER FOR PIEMME Piemme has forged a partnership with the internationally renowned designer Gordon Guillaumier, who has designed a new collection of porcelain tiles for the company. Known as “Bits”, the collection will be unveiled at the Milan FuoriSalone, in Via Brera, and at Coverings in Chicago, USA. Drawing upon the Renaissance past, the collection reinterprets ‘terrazzo flooring’ in an innovative and contemporary way.

It features masterly re-use of valuable scrap materials, such as pieces of murrina glass and marble chips, as re-processed components that create decorative patterns and puzzles for floor design.

Bits is an industrial, mass-produced take on the classic manual workmanship of the ancient Roman Cosmati marble craftsmen. It embraces the topical theme of recycling, and breathes new life into scrap materials by means of a technological and graphic application for printing these motifs on ceramic tiles.

Ceramiche Piemme innovates and

modernises the classic, interpreting patterns and materials in an original way and replacing traditional marble with wood.

Quad, derived from Roman lapis porphyrites (ruby porphyry), and Facet, from opus incertum (irregular work/random paving), are two distinct versions in square and irregular polygonal shapes, which suggest an unconventional use of “Bits”, that puts wood centre stage, by overlaying it onto a cement, marble chip or stone base.

Gordon Guillaumier works with world-famous clients and the highest exponents of Italian manufacturing, including Arketipo, Driade, Foscarini, De Salto, Moroso and Oluce.

TOPCER PRESENTS THREE NEW COLLECTIONS TopCer has added seven new patterns to its extensive line of Victorian Designs, which already comprised over 100 modular, backsheet-mounted patterns. The photos show two of these: “ORLEANS “and “DUNDEE”.

Besides the traditional compositions that can be created with our Hexagon 10x10, we are adding three new pieces to our range: a lozenge, a half hexagon and an equilateral triangle. With these new pieces we have created seven de-

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sign inserts, including “PANJIM” as pictured.

All these new patterns will be included in the new edition of the TopCer “Victorian Designs and Borders” catalogue, which is currently being compiled.

http://www.

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.com

Come to visit Tile International's NEW web magazine

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ANDALSYSTEM AT COVERINGS 2016 Andalsystem is glad to announce its participation in Coverings 2016 in Chicago (IWT Booth #2461). Thanks to an agreement with Flat Lines, its American partner, Andalsystem will be launching a 3 mm clip for its S.A.P. 3 Tile Levelling System this year, in a world premiere for the North American Market.

This is just the latest of several items that Andalsystem will be exhibiting at Coverings. One year since the last edition of Coverings in Orlando, Andalsystem has manufactured a brand new screw-type tile-levelling system, known as S.A.P. 4.

This confirms the company’s leadership in the tile installation sector, with its range of installation systems designed to suit any skill level.

Quality, attention to detail and innovation are the cornerstones of Andalsystem’s success. For further information and to find out how to become one of our partners, please feel free to contact us at www.andalsystem.it, info@andalsystem.it or +39 (0)962 431436.

for indoor and outdoor use, with a factory in Corato di Bari and warehouse in Casalgrande di Reggio Emilia (Italy), will be taking part in Coverings 2016 (Booth 2707) with its new “Muretto” wall covering product.

When laid in an offset pattern and fully grouted, “Muretto” – in the new 3.54x11.62 ft format – yields finished wall coverings in which you can’t make out the individual tiles because the overall effect is one of natural continuity, thanks also to the perfect replication of natural stone on porcelain tile.

First unveiled at Cersaie 2015, “Muretto” has met with wide acclaim on the Italian, British and French markets, and is now heading for the United States.

The range of skirting boards manufactured by the Italian company Ceramica Incontro – http://www.ceramicaincontro.it – which also supplies skirting boards designed to coordinate with the collections of Italy’s leading ceramic manufacturers, is now made entirely of porcelain ceramic, in a huge variety of sizes, of which the most popular measures 11.62 ft in length.

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Inside Back Cover 51

MELANGE . TERRA DI SIENA MIX

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In the spotlight

by Chiara Bruzzichelli

Interview with Giorgio Squinzi

Giorgio Squinzi Mapei Group closed 2015 with aggregate revenues of more than 2.67 billion euros, bringing consolidated revenues up to 2,127 million euros - a rise of 12.36 % on the previous year.

With permanent establishments in 52 countries, including production facilities in 32 countries spanning five continents, the Group has 79 companies in its scope of consolidation, made up of 46 production companies operating through 67 plants (each with its own quality assurance laboratory), 26 sales operations, seven service providers and 18 research centres.

Group revenues are divided into seven geographical macro areas. Asia, Africa and the Americas reported the

Tile International 1/2016

largest increase in sales between 2014 and 2015, while the Americas, followed by Central Europe, have come to account for the largest share of total turnover.

We asked Giorgio Squinzi - CEO of Mapei Group - to talk us through the latest developments in the global construction market and tell us about some of the forecasts for the Group’s definitive 2015 figures, so as to get a clearer idea of which are the liveliest sectors and geographical areas.

Needless to say, the conversation soon turned into a round-the-world tour.

Tile International: First of all, could you explain to us what internationalisation means to you?

36

In the spotlight

Giorgio Squinzi: “Together with Research & Development and specialisation in the world of construction, internationalisation is the cornerstone of Mapei’s success.

Mapei’s internationalisation strategy is based on two key goals: increasing proximity to local needs and minimising transport costs. So there’s no offshoring, only the acquisition of new areas of the market.

With the clear objective of being close to customers, the undisputed strength of Mapei across five continents is that it never overlooks the specific needs of each country it works in, and therefore relies on skilled, local managers and personnel, without ever losing its own cohesive character.

The Mapei Group offers top quality and 15 lines of products, which always comply with local and international certifications. This plays an important role in ensuring dependable products and transparency towards customers and end-users.”

Tile International: Mapei Group produces various product lines: which of these are the most successful at global level, and which geographical areas are the most dynamic?

G. Squinzi: “2015 confirms the same trend that’s been going on for several years, in other words, products for major construction and infrastructure works have generated

37

Tile International 1/2016

In the spotlight

the biggest increases in turnover; and since these belong to one of the lines most recently launched on the market, this is entirely normal. It’s equally normal that adhesives for ceramic - which are historically Mapei’s most significant product line, in which the company is a global leader - have seen the smallest increase (about 2.4% in 2014).

But let’s just look for a moment at the Construction and Concrete Admixtures sector, whose continued growth testifies to the importance of major works to the Group’s business. Mapei Group takes part in all the biggest projects, from Mumbai International Airport in India to the Panama Metro Line in Panama, and the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto, Canada, to the Rayyana Sorouh Residence in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates… and those are just the most recent examples. But we are also involved in the construction of the world’s largest dams, such as the Millennium and the Gibe III in Ethiopia; in underground railways, such as the Circle Line in London and the underground rail networks in Doha and Riyadh; and in tunnels and viaducts for highspeed rail networks, the most recent of which was the Brebemi in Italy.”

Tile International: As far as geographical areas are concerned, Africa is clearly a market with high potential. Has Mapei Group earmarked any particular investments for this area?

G. Squinzi: “Every area requires ‘intelligent’ investments, in line

Tile International 1/2016

with the culture and specific characteristics of the market in question. This has always been one of the basics underpinning the Group’s worldwide growth, and it’s even more relevant to Africa, where action needs to be ongoing, however, and initiatives have to contribute to local growth, partly to stem the tide of migration. The aim of the E4Impact (Entrepreneurship for Impact) Foundation, presented in Milan in mid-September, is to support the culture of entrepreneurship, through a farreaching alliance with African universities. As well as Mapei, a host of other major players signed up to the founding of the initiative, including Securfin, owned by Letizia Moratti, Salini-Impregilo with Pietro Salini, Franco Anelli, Rector of the Sacred Heart Catholic University and Mario Molteni with the association Always Africa. More specifically, the E4Impact Foundation intends to take part in the training of new entrepreneurs by offering a Masters in Business Administration in partnership with local universities, under the coordination of the Sacred Heart Catholic University.”

Tile International: Would it be fair to say that the E4Impact Foundation is part of the legacy of Expo 2015?

G. Squinzi: “Yes, because since the end of Expo, the E4Impact Foundation has benefited from additional resources due to the transfer of the funds from the Milano per Expo Foundation. Both as an entrepreneur and as a citizen,

I would like to see the creation of a deep and lasting alliance between Europe and Africa: our presence there needs to be more specifically targeted and constructive, we cannot go on being just buyers and beneficiaries, and we need to combat unbridled invasion.

One of our duties is to create jobs, and this project has the potential to create a class of administrators that’s capable of helping to solve the perennial problems of the African continent. By 2022, we expect to have trained over 3,000 entrepreneurs and 500 new businesses, generating thousands of jobs.”

Tile International: Mapei has two production plants in Africa. Do you have any other investments in the pipeline?

G. Squinzi: “Yes, we only have two production sites at present, at the two opposite ends of the continent, one in Egypt - Vinavil Egypt for Chemicals Sae - and one in South Africa - Mapei South Africa. But our short-term goal is to open four or five more production sites, staffed with local labour. According to the figures, what’s more, Africa generated an increase in turnover of over 20% in 2015.

Business across North Africa and beyond is obviously suffering heavily from war and political instability at the moment, but let’s not forget that sub-Saharan Africa was reporting one of the world’s highest rates of GDP growth (5%) as early as 2014. In the same year, Nigeria was by far the best performer in the re-

38

gion’s construction industry, with estimated growth in investments of 8%.

Africa has benefited from massive investments from Asian countries in recent years, aimed mostly at infrastructure projects, but as entrepreneurs and Europeans, there is no justification for us not being involved.”

Tile International: And what can you tell us about the Asian market, where you achieved your largest percentage increase in turnover in 2014?

G. Squinzi: “We stepped up our presence in the region again in 2015, yielding a 21.3% increase in turnover. We operate 11 companies in this geographical area: seven manufacturers, four sales operations and three research centres.

Mapei Korea and Mapei Vietnam achieved the highest growth in 2015, with +47% and +33.5% respectively. In line with this growth in the area, we are continuing to invest in new production sites, like the ones in Nilai in Malaysia, Wacol in Australia and Baroda in India, which will come onstream in the early months of 2016. Asia’s emerging economies also boosted world GDP growth in 2015, with a rise of 6.6%, in line with the previous year, according to IMF estimates.

The Chinese construction market is the largest in the world, with an estimated value of around 1,800 billion euros, accounting for over 26% of the total value of the world construction market. The Indian

In the spotlight

construction market has also seen a 7% increase in investment, and we are opening a new plant there. Of Asia’s other emerging economies, the top performer in 2014 was Indonesia, where Mapei has just opened a new company, with estimated growth of 7%, a trend that was replicated in 2015 and is set to continue this year.”

Tile International: And what’s the news from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates?

G. Squinzi: “Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the largest markets in the Middle East, and saw an estimated increase in construction investment of 4% to 5% in 2015.

Like in Russia, public investments of this type will be adversely affected by the fall in the oil price. We must not overlook the fact that if oil prices fall too far, the Middle Eastern economy will suffer, and this could have repercussions on investment in infrastructure.

Having said that, the region is due to hold a number of major events over the next few years, including Expo 2020 in Dubai and the Football World Championship in Qatar in 2022.

Mapei Group, which has had a presence in the area since 2009, with a large production site in Dubai and a company in Doha formed to support major works in the region, has seen a substantial increase in turnover, to the tune of +55.8%.

This excellent result is partly due to our participation in the region’s key infrastructure

and residential projects, for which our products and systems were chosen because of their innovation and quality, and also because we have a highly specialised Technical Support team, which has always been one of the standout features of our Group.”

Tile International: Moving onto the Americas: is the gap between North and South widening there too?

G. Squinzi: “Consolidated group turnover across the whole of the Americas exceeded 601.7 million euros in 2015, representing a rise of 30.55% on the previous year.

This was partly due to outstanding performance from Polyglass US, a specialist manufacturer of bituminous membranes and waterproofing paints (+42.12%), and Mapei Corp (+31.20%). The Group operates in the area through 15 companies: eight manufacturers with 23 plants, four sales units and three service providers. We also have four research centres in the region and will be adding more in 2016.

According to International Monetary Fund estimates, the economy in the NAFTA countries grew by 2.3% in 2015, on the back of GDP growth of 2.5% in the USA, 2.3% in Mexico and 1.2% in Canada, where growth has slowed.

Strong growth in the residential market in the United States and Mexico has undoubtedly boosted the overall buoyancy of the region’s construction market, with a 3.6% rise in construction investment. After the

collapse of the North American building market between 2006 and 2011, the upturn that started in 2012 has led to a partial recovery of construction investment, which is estimated to account for about 19% of the value of worldwide construction.

In South America, however, the emerging economies, firstly Brazil, closely followed

by Argentina and Venezuela, are in increasing difficulty. Social and political instability in these countries have been compounded by falling demand for raw materials and the continuing risk of a financial default in Argentina.

As a result, the recession that hit the construction market in 2014 carried on into 2015. Mapei operates manufacturing plants in Argentina, Panama and Venezuela, so is suffering the fallout from this severe instability. We firmly believe, however, that Latin America is an important, strategic development area for the near future, which we intend to support with more production facilities.”

Tile International: We’re almost back home after a round-the-world- trip: what can you tell us about the situation in Europe?

G. Squinzi: “Western Europe is still an important market for Mapei Group, not least because of its strategic importance and complexity, and we have seen significant growth here again this year, to the tune of 6.2% year-on-year. We have 23 companies in this region, of which the top perform-

39

ers in 2015 in terms of revenues were undoubtedly our UK operation (+24.87%) and Mapei Germany (+15.96%). The value of construction investment in Western Europe saw a modest recovery in 2014 (0.4%), putting an end to the decline, after years of recession. 2015 then saw a further improvement in all countries, except Italy, and according to estimates from the Euroconstruct conference in December, growth will reach 3% this year, followed by a further two years of expansion.

The outlook in Eastern Europe, where Mapei Group has 17 companies, is slightly less rosy, and 2015 revenues were just 4.62% up on 2014, due to recession in Russia, Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia, offset by the good performance of countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, where we have consolidated our position.”

Tile International: And what about Italy? Are major works the driving force behind Mapei’s success here too?

G. Squinzi: “Definitely, and the new Variante di Valico stretch of the A1 motorway is a case in point. Mapei supplied concrete admixtures and other products, from the excavation stage through to the finishing, as well as high-performance adhesives and grouts for the installation of about 140,000 square metres of large-format, slim-gauge porcelain tiles (1x1 and 1x3 metres) for cladding the Base Tunnel. At 8,703 metres, this is the longest tunnel on the new route.”

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Tile International 1/2016

In the spotlight

by Paola Giacomini

Porcelanosa, forging ahead for the last 40 years

Héctor Colonques From 25 to 29 January, the Porcelanosa Group’s headquarters in Vila-Real hosted the 23rd International Exhibition of Global Architecture, the annual appointment at which the renowned Spanish group kicks off the new year and unveils new products from its brands Porcelanosa, Venis, Gamadecor, Systempool, L’Antic Colonial, Noken, Butech and Urbatek.

In perfect “Porcelanosa style”, nothing was left to chance: from the impressive logistic organisation that over the course of a week welcomed more than 12,000 guests from all over the world to the 13,000 completely renovated square metres of exhibition space equipped with the most innovative multimedia in-

Tile International 1/2016

stallations. The event offered an almost sensorial journey through the widest range of finishings for home and building, from ceramic, stone and wood floors and walls to bathroom furnishings and wellness equipment, taps and kitchen furniture, Krion® surfaces for interiors and exterior façades.

A touch of glamour was provided by Isabel Preysler, the face of Porcelanosa for the last 35 years, accompanied by Nobel Prize winning author Mario Vargas Llosa and other illustrious guests such as Michael Smith, the interior designer of Hollywood celebrities.

At the event we had the opportunity to meet once again company chairman Héctor Colonques, a highly charismatic figure renowned for the

40

In the spotlight

The new vertival warehouse

passion with which he constantly explores new business opportunities.

Showroom Porcelanosa. Vilareal 41

Tile International: Mr Colonques, Porcelanosa began 2016 with a new milestone in terms of turnover.

HÊctor Colonques: That’s right, in 2015 we marked up 12% growth in consolidated group sales to more than 800 million euros. All product segments we operate in have grown. Demand has been particularly high in some markets such as the United States, Mexico, the UK, France, Italy, Nigeria, South Africa and India. But the same applies to our domestic market. In Spain sales rose by 10%, compared to 5% the previous year. This result rewards the efforts we have made in recent years and our commitment to maintaining our presence in Spain so as to build customer loyalty. Today we are seeing grow-

Tile International 1/2016

In the spotlight

ing demand in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. To a large extent this is still concentrated in the remodelling segments, but we are gradually seeing new building projects start up again.

Tile International: The Porcelanosa policy has always been to control distribution by opening brand showrooms, of which there are now more than 400 all over the world.

What importance has this massive presence had for the Group’s growth?

H. Colonques: It’s been very important. Our distribution business now makes up 50% of global turnover, equivalent to around 400 million euros. It has been described as a “unique business model” that – according to a study

by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Financial Times – has helped to make us “one of the most prestigious ceramic companies worldwide”. Perhaps both definitions are correct, what is certain is that our presence in the distribution market dates back to 1973 when we were founded. When José Soriano Ramos and I began producing tiles with a focus on design and product image, we realised that building materials distributors at the time were not properly equipped to start selling these new ceramic products. Fortunately, we had plenty of experience in trade as well as ceramic tile production, so it was fairly natural for us to decide to look after that side of the business by opening our first

Tile International 1/2016

showrooms. This commercial approach gradually prompted us to expand our range to meet the demands of specialist distribution and a market in search of products catering for the entire home.

Tile International: In this respect too Porcelanosa is almost unique in the ceramic sector. Why do you think your model hasn’t been copied?

H. Colonques: I believe it’s because most entrepreneurs in the tile sector are 100% “ceramists”. I have many friends amongst the industrialists in this sector and one day one of them, visiting our installations here in Vila-Real, said to me smiling that our group resembled a Meccano model! It certainly took courage at the beginning to enter unknown territory such as kitchen and bathroom furnishings, but we succeeded and the Gamadecor brand is now a market leader in the kitchen segment in Spain. Likewise, when we decided to introduce stone and wood floor and wall coverings into our range, people asked us whether we were worried about competing with our ceramic tile production. But we had no doubts: if we hadn’t occupied that space ourselves, someone else would have done it!

In this spirit we have continued to reinvest everything to support our project. And above all we are fortunate to have thousands of people working for our 8 companies who have embraced this philosophy.

Tile International: What share

of Porcelanosa Group’s turnover is currently made up of ceramic tiles?

H. Colonques: In 2015 tiles accounted for 60% of turnover, but as I said all divisions are growing and this share may well drop to around 40% within 4 years.

Tile International: You recently announced a 15 million euro investment programme to modernise the Porcelanosa and Venis production facilities in 2016-2017. What will this involve exactly?

H. Colonques: Although our lines are already extremely advanced in terms of technology, we are aware that you have to keep moving – even if this means replacing equipment before it has entirely paid for itself. The production process is developing constantly thanks to the efforts of the plant and machinery manufacturers, an extremely dynamic sector that has introduced real technological innovations over the last 15 years. Personally, I find these developments really exciting.

Just think for example of the recent production of large-format tiles and panels…

Tile International: On the subject of production, Porcelanosa Group is undoubtedly a distribution multinational, but you’ve never thought of internationalising your manufacturing activities in key markets.

Why is this?

H. Colonques: Our Porcelanosa and Venis factories turn out approximately 40 million square metres of tiles each

42

In the spotlight

Isabel Preysler and Mario Vargas Llosa at the opening of Porcelanosa Store in New York (picture on left)

year. These are sold on the market at a fairly high price, justified by the set of values associated with our brand: quality, research, design and image, right down to the packaging. In this context, maritime transport doesn’t have a particularly significant impact on the final cost. Think for example of the United States, which is certainly our largest market together with Europe (the two areas together account for 60% of our sales): road transport from Tennessee to New York would cost more than sea transport from Spain. Instead we have chosen to control the market through distribution. We currently have 500 employees working in Porcelanosa showrooms and in distribution centres in the United States, as well as a further 500 in the UK. Tile International: You have announced the allocation of a further 15 million euros to expand your network of stores.

Which areas will you be expanding in?

H. Colonques: We will be opening new outlets in the United States where we already have 30 stores, mainly concentrated on the East and West Coast, including 9 in New Jersey. After the September opening of what has inevitably become our flagship store, namely the showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York, we will continue to concentrate on metropolitan areas with around 5 million inhabitants.

Houston, Texas is one example and will be followed by Tampa,

43

Florida and cities in other US states. Forthcoming openings are also planned in Toronto (Canada), Mexico and Chile.

In the UK we will be opening two showrooms in Cambridge and Reading, while in China we are completing new stores which will join the one in Shanghai, opened three years ago.

Tile International: Will Africa play a role in Porcelanosa’s future?

H. Colonques: Africa is a market with strong growth prospects, but we are approaching it more slowly. We already have two showrooms in Angola and Mozambique, and we have our sights set on South Africa.

Tile International: What’s your view of the current widespread instability in the global geopolitical and economic scenario?

H. Colonques: The current situation is very serious and I’m not particularly optimistic.

Along with ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world and the slowdown in many emerging economies, we’re also facing problems closer to home as it currently appears impossible to form a stable government in Spain. Having said this, over our 40 years of history we have learned to adapt to situations and have always tried to emerge stronger from every crisis, sometimes learning to optimise and tighten our proverbial belts, on other occasions simply reinventing ourselves.

5

Tile International 1/2016

Economy & markets

By Andrew Whitmire, Tile Council of North America

2015 U.S. Ceramic Tile Industry update



2015 was another year of strong growth for the U.S. ceramic tile market. Supported by gains in the construction and housing markets, as well as low interest rates and falling unemployment, ceramic tile consumption increased for the sixth consecutive year.

In the housing market new home starts increased for the sixth year in a row, reaching their highest annual level since 2007. The 1.11 million units started in 2015 represented a 10.8% increase from the previous year. However, even with new home starts’ more than doubling from 2009 (their lowest point on record) to 2015, they still have a ways to go to reach their prerecession total. In fact new home starts in 2015 were down 38.3% vs. 2006, the year prior to the start of the last re-

cession (Fig. 1).

Single-family new home starts in 2015 jumped 10.4% from 2014 to 715,300 units, and multi-family starts were up 11.4% from 2014 to 395,900 units.

According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), new housing starts are expected to experience double-digit growth again in 2016. NAHB is predicting 2016 total new starts to be at a level of 1.26 million units, up 13.4% from 2015.

New single family home sales rose for the fourth straight year and were at a total of 501,000 units, up 14.5% vs.

2014. Despite the recent growth, new home sales were still less than half of what they were just ten years ago (Fig. 2).

After experiencing a decline in 2014, existing home sales rose in 2015 to a level of 4.65 million units, up 7.0% vs. the previous year.

2015 also saw strong gains in remodeling, which is an important segment for the ceramic tile market. The National Association of Homebuilders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Index, which takes into account both current remodeling activity and indicators of future remodeling activity, showed remodeling was at its highest annual level since the index’s inception in 2008.

Foreclosures, a major indicator of the residential market’s health, were down for the fifth straight year to their lowest annual total since 2006. The 1.08 million foreclosure filings on U.S. properties in 2015 represented a 3.0% decline from 2014 and a 62.3% decline from the peak foreclosure year (2010).

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell from 4.17% in 2014 to 3.85% in 2015, the second lowest annual rate on record.

These historically-low rates

U.S ceramic tile consumption Through 3Q 2015 U.S. ceramic tile consumption was 2.10 billion sq.ft. (194.8 million sq.m), up 12.1% vs. 3Q 2014 YTD (table 1). Based on data availa-

FIG. 2 - USA: New single family home sales

FIG. 1 - USA: New Housing Starts

Source : U.S. Census Bureau Tile International 1/2016

should help spur potential buyers to purchase homes, boosting home sales and starts in the near future.

The U.S. unemployment rate in 2015 was 5.3%, down from 6.2% in 2014 and the lowest annual rate since 2008.

U.S. construction spending (includes both private and public residential and nonresidential construction) in 2015 was $1.1 trillion, a 10.5% increase from the previous year.

The overall U.S. economy experienced its sixth consecutive year of expansion, as GDP increased 2.4% from 2014 to 2015.

Source : U.S. Census Bureau 44

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Economy & markets

ble to date, we estimate 2015 U.S. ceramic tile consumption to be 2.74 billion sq.ft.

(254.6 million sq.m), up 10.0% vs.

2014. This sixth consecutive year of growth has brought consumption back to its highest level since 2006, the year before the recession began.

Imports Through 3Q 2015, 1.44 billion sq.ft. (133.6 million sq.m) of imported ceramic tile arrived in the U.S. This represented a 12.0% increase from 3Q 2014 YTD. For the year based on available data, we project 2015 U.S. imports to be 1.88 billion sq.ft. (174.7 million sq.m.), up 9.8% from

TAB. 1 - U.S. ceramic tile shipments, sales and consumption Year 2015 (est.)

U.S. shipment

Imports

Exports

U.S. Consumption*

% var. in consumption from previous year

83.4 (+10%)

174.7 (+9.8%)

3.5

254.6

10.0

3Q 2015

64.2

133.6

2.9

194.8

12.1 (on 3Q 2014)

2014

75.8

159.1

3.4

231.5

0.5

2013

73.8

160.2

3.7

230.2

12.9

2012

69.5

138.6

4.2

203.9

5.4

2011

66.7

131.1

4.2

193.6

4.0

2010

60.3

129.6

3.9

186.0

7.7

2009

53.1

123.9

4.2

172.8

-18.1

2008

58.9

156.6

4.7

210.9

-15.2

2007

50.6

202.4

4.4

248.7

-19.3

2006

58.5

253.8

4.2

308.1

1.8

2005

61.1

245.1

3.4

302.8

3.5

*Shipments include exports. Consumption = Shipments-Exports+Imports Values in million sq.m - Source: U.S. dept. of commerce & TCNA statistics Tile International 1/2016

46

Economy & markets

TAB. 2 - US Ceramic tile imports by country of origin, in volume Total 2014 and 3Q 2015 Country

total 2014 sq.m

2014/2013 % change

% on total 2014 imports

3Q 2015 sq.m

3Q 2015/2014 % change

% on total 3Q 2015 imports

China

46,789,121

-2.8

29.4

38,944,032

13.1%

29.2

Mexico

46,940,893

-1.5

29.5

37,015,205

1.6%

27.7

Italy

28,717,436

3.8

18.1

24,120,697

14.0%

18.1

Spain

9,588,747

3.7

6.0

9,168,873

29.9%

6.9

Turkey

6,909,701

22.2

4.3

6,305,893

19.6%

4.7

Brazil

6,535,147

-12.9

4.1

5,890,117

18.7%

4.4

Peru

4,129,967

15.0

2.6

3,726,895

29.1%

2.8

Colombia

2,404,635

-22.0

1.5

2,055,733

8.7%

1.5

Thailand

1,030,494

-31.2

0.7

976,082

17.2%

0.7

Germany

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

668,175

890.9%

0.5

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce

the previous year. Through 3Q 2015 imports comprised 68.6% of U.S. tile consumption (in sq. ft.), down slightly from 68.7% in 2014.

China regained the position as largest exporter in volume to the U.S. (3Q 2015 YTD) after Mexico held the top place in 2014. Chinese tile made up 29.2% share of U.S. imports (3Q 2015 YTD), followed by Mexico with a 27.7% share of imports, and Italy with an 18.1% share. Spain and Turkey rounded out the top five with a 6.9% and 4.7% share of imports, respectively (Table 2).

None of the top ten exporting countries to the U.S. experienced a decrease (3Q 2015 YTD), on the contrary most of them registered a double-dig-

TAB. 3 - USA: ceramic tile imports by country in value. Total 2014 and 3Q 2015 Country

total 2014 (US$)

% on total 2014 imports' value

2014/2013 % change

3Q 2015 (US $)

3Q 2015/2014 % Change

% on total 3Q 2015 imports' value

Average price 3Q 2015 ($/m2)

Italy

634,888,206

34.8

8.7

525,077,118

11.3%

34.3

21.8

China

469,208,103

25.7

4.7

400,510,553

16.2%

26.2

10.3

Mexico

300,680,754

16.5

0.4

225,859,058

-2.4%

14.8

6.1

Spain

161,599,182

8.9

13.0

142,140,990

18.4%

9.3

15.5

Turkey

79,781,165

4.4

32.2

73,467,889

21.2%

4.8

11.7

Brazil

48,772,435

2.7

-7,6

45,075,990

20.7%

2.9

7.7

Peru

21,258,308

1.2

11.2

20,324,280

34.3%

1.3

5.5

Colombia

14,534,662

0.8

-25,5

12,190,782

6.6%

0.8

5.9

Japan

12,843,353

0.7

2.3

11,269,523

17.9%

0.7

n.a.

Argentina

11,796,082

0.6

11.8

9,901,917

25.9%

0.6

n.a.

1,822,777,268

100.0

5.7

1,529,597,523

12.5%

100.0

All Countries

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce Tile International 1/2016

48

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Economy & markets

it growth: Spain (+30% vs. 3Q 2014 YTD), Peru (+29%), Turkey (+20%), Brazil (+19%), Thailand (+17%), Italy (+14%), China (+13%), while Germany entered the ranking thanks to its +890.9% (vs. 3Q 2014 YTD).

Through 3Q 2015 the value of imports was $1,529 million, up 12.5% vs 3Q 2014 YTD. Italy ($525.1 million, up 11.3% vs 3Q 2014 YTD) remained the largest exporter to the U.S. on a dollar basis, comprising 34.3% of U.S. imports. China was second with a 26.2% share, and Mexico was third with a 14.8% share (table 3).

U.S. Shipments While imports comprised 68.6% of the U.S. market (in volume) through 3Q 2015, U.S. produced tile has made significant inroads over the last decade; as recently as 2006 imports comprised 82.4% of the market.

The increased domestic capacity has certainly contributed to the growth in consumption of U.S. produced tile. In fact 2014 was a record year for U.S. manufacturers, as an all-time high of 816 million sq.ft. (75.8 million sq.m.) were produced domestically (including domestic shipments and U.S. exports), and 2015 production is projected to exceed the 2014 total by approximately 10%.

Through 3Q 2015 YTD, domestic shipments (less exports)

Tile International 1/2016

TAB. 4 - Canada: ceramic tile imports by country in volume Country

3Q 2014 sq.m

3Q 2015 sq.m

3Q 2015/2014 % change

% on total 3Q 2015 imports

China

11,299,429

11,192,998

-0.9%

38.2%

Italy

6,872,341

7,210,080

4.9%

24.6%

Turkey

5,541,143

5,458,002

-1.5%

18.6%

United States

1,539,773

1,729,295

12.3%

5.9%

Spain

1,481,166

1,683,758

13.7%

5.7%

Mexico

398,552

557,757

39.9%

1.9%

Portugal

280,052

240,338

-14.2%

0.8%

Thailand

207,155

163,649

-21.0%

0.6%

Israel

220,010

149,716

-32.0%

0.5%

322,378

131,686

-59.2%

0.4%

28,940,324

29,338,964

1.4%

2.8%

Brazil All Countries

Source: Statistics Canada were 659.2 million sq.ft. (61.2 million sq. m), up 12.3% from 3Q 2014 YTD. In dollar value U.S. FOB factory sales of domestic shipments (less exports) through 3Q 2015 were $965.6 million, up 11.5% vs. 3Q 2014 YTD. The per unit value of domestic shipments (less exports) decreased from $1.48 sq.ft. (15.9 $/sq.m) (3Q 2014 YTD) to $1.46 sq.ft. (15.7 $/ sq.m) (3Q 2015 YTD).

Exports U.S. exports through 3Q 2015 were 31.5 million sq.ft. (2.9 million sq.m), up 19.6% vs. 3Q 2014 YTD. The vast majority of these exports (in sq. ft.) were to Canada (57.0%) and Mexico (18.1%).

The value of U.S. exports rose

22.4% from $30.5 million (3Q 2014 YTD) to $37.4 million (3Q 2015 YTD). The major exports markets of the US ceramic tile were once again Canada (57%) and Mexico (18.1%).

The Canadian ceramic tile market The Canadian ceramic tile market has not experienced the same level of growth so far in 2015 as its southern neighbour. Based on data available to date, we estimate 2015 Canadian ceramic tile consumption to be 420.0 million sq.ft. (39.0 million sq. m), up 1.0% vs. 2014 (note: to our knowledge there is no significant ceramic tile production in Canada, so im-

50

ports are approximately equal to consumption).

Through 3Q 2015, 315.8 million sq.ft. (29.3 million sq.m) of ceramic tile arrived in Canada. This was an increase of 1.4% from 3Q 2014 YTD. Their total value was 301.2 million Canadian Dollars* (US $218.7 million). The three major exporting countries to Canada, in volume, were China (38.2% of total imports), Italy (24.6%) and Turkey (18.6%). On a value base, Italy ranked first with a share of 36.3% on total import value.

5

* Canadian imports are valued

FOB place of direct shipment to Canada. The import valuation excludes costs of freight and insurance in bringing the goods to Canada from the point of direct shipment.

www.topcer.com

Economy & markets 80th Euroconstruct, Budapest, 4 Dec 2015

Upturn in Europe's construction market

ď ‘

According to a report released at the end of the 80th Euroconstruct conference, held in Budapest on 4 December, Europe's construction industry enjoyed a year of recovery in 2015.

For the second year running, total construction output in Euroconstruct's 19 member states set a positive trend, with growth of 1.6% compared with the previous year, although this figure fell short of forecasts made at the previous conference (held in Warsaw in June), which envisaged growth of 1.9% by the end of the year.

Some countries are still dealing with the consequences of recession, however, such as France, which closed 2015 with negative growth indicators, and other coun-

tries, such as Italy and Germany, whose production levels only just exceeded those of the previous year.

The industry's best performers in 2015, however, were Ireland, which reported growth of 10.6%, followed by Slovakia (+10.3%), Czech Republic (+7.4%) and the Netherlands (+6%). Growth in Poland and Ireland is expected to continue at a similar pace in the period 2016-2018, with annual increases in construction output of between 7% and 9%.

Forecasts for 2016-2018 According to Euroconstruct forecasts, the recovery should gain further momentum in 2016, with growth expected to reach 3% (follow-

ing the conference's upward revision of its previous forecast of +2.4% for 2016).

The upturn in the construction market is then expected to continue into 2017 and 2018, albeit at a slightly slower pace, of around +2.7% and +2% for the next two years respectively, reflecting signs of weakness in two of the area's key markets, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The estimated value of construction output is forecast to reach 1,412 billion euros in 2016 and 1,450 billion in 2017, before rising to 1,478 billion in 2018.

Despite this growth, however, the market is still struggling to return to pre-crisis levels. Construction output in the Euroconstruct member states in 2007, after all, stood

at 1,523 billion euros.

Essentially, 2016-2018 will mark a turning point for growth in the construction industry in all 19 of Euroconstruct's member states, although differences will continue to exist from country to another.

In 2016, the six largest European markets - Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and Poland - will be the biggest contributors to growth in the industry, and this is a pattern that has not been seen for many years.

These six countries, in fact, are expected to account for 2.3 percentage points of the 3% total growth forecast. In other words, of the 3% market growth, valued at an additional 40 billion euros, 75% will be generated by the above six countries, equat-

GDP and construction output in the Euroconstruct member states (% change Y o Y)

Tile International 1/2016

52

Economy & markets

ing to a value of 30 billion euros.

Segments The segment offering the highest growth margin over the next two years is residential building, which will be driven mainly by a substantial influx of migrants into countries in North-Western Europe, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

This influx will undoubtedly impact on the real estate market, by fuelling demand for new homes and prompting people to sell or rent out existing units. In the wake of a welcome 2.2% rise in output in 2015, largely thanks to remodelling and maintenance work on existing stock (which accounted for no less than 60% of the total for the residential segment), the industry should see the growth

rate rise to +6.1% in 2016, before slowing slightly to +4.1% in 2017.

In the non-residential building segment, 2015 closed with a slight fall (-0.6%), attributable to the negative performance of commercial building.

The fall is not expected to continue into 2016, however, which should see a strong return to growth, of around +3.8%.

As for the two-year period thereafter, the non-residential segment will also be affected by the slowdown, which will involve the entire market, bringing growth down to +3.0% in 2017 and +2.1% in 2018. The United Kingdom and Poland are

expected to be the top performers, while France and Germany set a more moderate pace. By segment, however, commercial construction will witness the highest growth, while the forecasts are also good for office building and industrial building, whose growth is expected to exceed the average for the non-residential sector.

The civil engineering segment reported the best performance in 2015, with growth of +3.3%. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe enjoyed the industry's most substantial growth, because they made efforts

53

to use all the funding set aside by the European Union in the previous planning period. Poland, which was the seventh largest market for civil engineering works in 2015, will see a further increase in the pace of growth, with values staying in double figures until 2018. In the Euroconstruct area as a whole, however, construction industry output will swing back and forth in the period 20162018, with growth slowing to +2.7% in 2016, climbing back to +4.2% in 2017, before slowing again to +2.8% in 2018.

5

Tile International 1/2016

Economy & markets

Confindustria Ceramica’s data for 2015 ica di Milano, Fabrizio Togni, Managing Director of BPER, and Vittorio Borelli, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica.

• Italy’s ceramic tile industry closed 2015 with a slight increase in exports, to approximately 320 million square metres (+1.8%), and broadly stable sales volumes of 81 million square metres on the doVittorio Borelli mestic market (-0.3%).

Average selling price rose to 13.6 euros/sq.m, from 13.1 euros/sq.m in 2014.

2015 marked The best-performing gethe second consecographical areas in 2015 utive year of recovery for Itwere the Far East (+7.2%), aly’s ceramic industry: sales the NAFTA area (+6.3%), rose by a larger percentthe Gulf States (+5.5%) age (+1.4%) than the preand the Balkans (+3.7%). vious year, thanks to the Turnover fell in North Africa long-awaited end of fall(-3%) and Eastern Central ing demand on the Italian Europe (-5.6%), where the market (-0.3%) and to an insituation in Russia has has crease in exports (+1.8%) halved the market’s caand production (+3%), alpacity, partly as a result of beit at a slower rate than in EU sanctions.

2014.

The Eastern European Levels of company capimarkets, which account talisation were favourable for approximately half of and sufficient to support inItalian exports by volume, vestment programmes, and saw growth of 1.3%, markstocks of finished product ing a deceleration comwere successfully reduced. pared with the rate of Presented at the end-of-year 5.3% recorded the previconference, these were the ous year. key findings of studies con• Italian ceramic producducted by Confindustria Cetion increased by several ramica in partnership with million square metres (to Prometeia and Banca Pop393 million, +3.0%), partolare dell’Emilia Romagna. ly to meet rising demand The conference saw the parand partly due to the runticipation of Professor Marning down of inventory. co Fortis of Università Cattol-



Tile International 1/2016

• According to forecasts

by Prometeia, 2016 could see further consolidation of growth, with sales on the domestic market finally hitting a positive trend, estimated at +0.9%, and exports at +3.5% largely on the back of demand from the NAFTA countries and the Gulf states, and an estimated increase in national production of +3.4%.

All of the above is susceptible to international tensions, however, which could scupper the forecasts.

The view of Vittorio Borelli, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica At the end of the conference hosting the presentation of the 2015 data, Vittorio Borelli, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica, made the following comments: “Italy’s Stability Law for 2016 includes positive provisions on tax, especially in relation to the abolition of IMU and TASI (two municipal taxes) on first homes and the extension of incentives for building renovation and energy saving, for which we are pleased to see confirmation of percentages and upper limits, although we would have preferred these to have been made structural.

We also welcome the abo-

54

lition of IMU on relocatable structures.

This goes some way towards lightening the tax burden on businesses, which is still too heavy, however.

Improper duties payable for the financing of renewable energy sources, tax on energy produced by co-generation, charges for funding the Antitrust Authority, and local waste collection tax procedures all harm the competitiveness of Italian companies, and require urgent government action.”

The Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica then outlined two major challenges facing the Italian ceramic industry in 2016: “China’s application for “Market Economy” status is at odds with the actual situation that we have to deal with on a daily basis.

Confindustria and the Confederation of European Business were right to lobby vigorously against the concession of this status, which would invalidate duties on imports of ceramic tiles into Europe.

The current measure is due to expire on 16 September, and we urge the Italian government and the European Commission and Parliament to make a firm and specific commitment to renewing it for a further five years.

We also welcome the position taken by the Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, on overcoming trade sanctions

Economy & markets

Tab. 1 - The Italian ceramic tile industry 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

% var 15/14

Production

569

559

512

368

387

400

367

363

382

393

+3.0

Total sales

566

547

506

408

413

413

382

389

395

401

+1.4

Domestic market

170

168

151

127

124

115

93

87

81

81

-0.3

Exports

396

379

355

281

289

298

289

303

314

320

+1.8

affecting the Russian market.”

His second point relates to the infrastructures serving Italy’s ceramic cluster: “We welcome the firm stance of the Emilia Romagna Regional Council in making the Campogalliano/Sassuolo road link one of the Region’s infrastructure priorities, and an-

nouncing the start of construction work by the end of the regional legislature’s current term of office.

One year since the initiative was signed off, however, we are still waiting for work to start, and we trust that this will happen as soon as possible.

The business community invests in this region to generate development, employment and widespread wealth, and appreciates political forces that take decisions and set specific deadlines for their implementation.”

5

The Italian ceramic tile industry: forecasts for 2015-2017 2014

2013

2014

2015

Million sq.m

2016

2017

Variation %

Sales in Italy

81

Total exports

-7.2

-6.6

-0.3

0.9

1.9

314

4.8

3.6

1.8

3.5

4.1

Western Europe

156

-0.8

5.3

1.3

2.0

2.7

Eastern Europe

37

4.3

-2.2

-5.6

2.8

3.6

Balkans

15

0.4

4.9

3.7

3.7

4.4

NAFTA

42

11.7

2.5

6.3

7.1

6.1

6

19.8

-5.4

3.1

4.5

5.8

12

14.5

-1.3

5.5

7.3

7.5

Latin America Gulf States North Africa - Middle East

12

34.1

-4.2

-3.0

2.8

4.5

Far East

16

17.3

8.5

7.2

5.1

5.2

Rest of the world

17

8.9

13.1

6.1

5.9

6.4

Total sales

395

1.8

1.4

1.4

3.0

3.6

Production

382

-1.0

5.0

3.0

3.4

4.0

National consumption

96

-6.8

-3.7

-0.1

0.9

1.8

Imports

15

-4.1

15.3

1.0

0.9

1.3

Source: Prometeia, “Osservatorio Previsionale per l’industria delle piastrelle in ceramica” [Forecasting Report for the ceramic tile industry] (December 2015)

55

Tile International 1/2016

Statistics

by MECS, Acimac Research Department - studi@acimac.it - www.mec-studies.com

2014: Italian manufacturers return to growth



An analysis of the financial reports published by the world’s largest ceramic companies, undertaken by the ACIMAC-MECS Research Centre, clearly highlights a process of return to growth and profitability for Italian tile manufacturers in 2014.

The phenomenon becomes particularly clear when 2014 figures are compared to those of the previous year: turnover was up by an average of 4.3%, demonstrating a growth rate 1.3 percentage points higher than the +3% recorded in 2013, and total turnover reached almost 5 billion euros. Against the usual and long-lasting backdrop of falling production, Italian ceramic tile companies actually achieved growth in exports in 2014, though turnover from the domestic market continued to decline.

As in 2013, growth in sales came exclusively from exports and from a more or less constant rise in average selling prices.

The slight but noticeable rise in price to customers confirms the Italian ceramic industry’s progressive implementation of its repositioning strategy and its growing focus on high-quality, high-price market segments that it can more easily defend against international competition.

The widespread process of restructuring and rationalisa-

Tile International 1/2016

tion in human resources and stock also continued in 2014.

This was confirmed by a trend towards lower average stock levels in the industry as a whole and by more rapid stock turnover.

The profitability of Italian tile manufacturers improved significantly.

This can be partly attributed to growth in value-added compared to turnover, an indicator that represents the efficiency of a company’s production processes (the provisioning of raw ma-

terials, semi-finished products and services and the management of stock, fixed overheads and variable costs excluding personnel costs).

Italian ceramic tile companies saw value-added/turnover, the first (upstream) indicator of gross profit in the value chain, grow by almost 1% between 2013 and 2014 to a figure of around 31.1% (against 30.6% for Spanish and 27.4% for Asian manufacturers).

Despite significant improvements, the values of other Ital-

ian company performance indicators remain slightly below those of Spanish companies and well below those of our Asian counterparts.

CLUP (cost of labour per unit produced) remained virtually unchanged in 2014 compared to 2013, at just over 20% of turnover, the same figure achieved by Spanish ceramic manufacturers. ULC (unit labour costs) on the other hand, rose to 52,300 euros per employee, against 51,400 in 2013. A stable CLUP is certainly a positive sign: it implies

PERFORMANCE IN 2014: ITALIAN CERAMIC COMPANIES AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

56

Statistics

flow and the earnings to interest ratio also improved. The only negative note came in the form of a slight increase in leverage (from 3.1 to 3.2).

As a consequence of these improvements, the number of companies actually making a profit rose significantly.

In particular, though Italy be-

gan 2013 in a far deeper crisis than Spain, the number of Italian companies now recording profit grew by almost 30% in 2014, compared to only 20% in Spain.

The previous report of the ACIMAC Research Centre pointed out that “only major investments in production technology and develop-

2014: %OF PROFIT-MAKING CERAMIC TILE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD

that reductions in the labour force and rising unit labour costs are counterbalanced by improvements in workforce profitability.

The main profitability indices, ROE, ROI and ROS (re-

turn on equity, return on investments and return on sales respectively), like other profit indicators downstream of value-added, all improved significantly in 2014 compared to the poor figures returned last year. ROE and ROI grew by over one percentage point to settle at 3.4% and 3.2% respectively. ROS grew even more impressively, jumping from 2.4% to 4.3%. Downstream profit indicators like EBITDA, EBIT and net profit (all linked to turnover), grew by 2%, evidently unaffected by finance and asset management costs. Cash

2014: CERAMIC TILES COMPANIES WORLDWIDE RECORDING PROFITS

% OF PROFIT-MAKING CERAMIC MANUFACTURERS AROUND THE WORLD 2014

2012

ITALY

73.8%

57.3%

SPAIN

84.5%

71.0%

ASIA

77.0%

75.8%

WORLD

77.0%

67.8%

57

Tile International 1/2016

Statistics

2014: ANALYSIS OF PROFITABILITY IN ITALY BY COMPANY SIZE ITA > 100 mln 2014 ROI

5.51

ITA 40-100 mln

Media 12-14

ITA <40 mln

Media 12-14

2014

3.99

3.80

2014

2.94

2.09

ITA TOT

Media 12-14

2014

1.68

3.24

Media 12-14 2.39

Value-Added/Turnover %

37.08

35.39

32.87

31.71

28.10

28.11

31.08

30.39

Cost of labour/Turnover %

21.30

22.08

20.67

20.90

19.93

20.56

20.08

20.59

EBITDA %

14.63

12.17

10.23

8.96

7.47

6.58

9.36

8.20

EBIT %

8.24

5.72

4.63

3.68

2.54

1.50

4.15

2.95

Profit/Loss %

7.96

4.57

3.73

2.38

1.15

-0.23

2.99

1.45

58.98

56.24

54.18

52.95

49.08

48.62

52.29

51.05

450.30

412.26

362.02

355.98

432.16

422.33

406.86

392.85

1.89

2.05

2.84

2.91

4.05

3.79

3.19

3.17

Cost of labour per employee Total assets per employee Leverage

ments of new products and processes capable of differentiating Italian products and repositioning them in premium-quality markets can enable Italian manufacturers to counter falling demand and prevent declining sales volumes from reducing profitability.”

The fact that this virtuous management strategy has been applied is confirmed by the dynamics of investment in fixed assets (machinery and plant, capital goods and productive assets) which grew by over 25% in 2014 compared to 2013.

Growth in investment was also boosted by the Italian government’s industrial policy and the introduction of finance facilitations under the “Nuovasabatini” law (2013 provisions for capital goods).

Tile International 1/2016

Further confirmation comes in the fall in overall employment in the ceramic sector (a trend that has been continuing for over 10 years), and in the consequent reduction in the average number of persons employed per company.

Average labour force size contracted further, with a loss of over 1,100 jobs in the sector between 2013 and 2014.

One effect of these two processes is growth in total assets per employee.

This figure shot up to almost 407,000 euros per employee in 2014, putting Italian companies in first place among the world’s ceramic tile manufacturers. The average figure for total assets per employee in our global sample of tile producers rose to only 278,000 euros in 2014. In Spain, which has a concen-

tration of ceramic tile companies similar to Italy, total assets per employee is well below the Italian average at only 317,000 euros.

We can therefore conclude that the driving force behind growth in the Italian ceramic sector was the increase in production efficiency obtained through investments in plant and technology and through further optimisation of the workforce.

In terms of size…

Analysis of the financial reports of Italian manufacturers arranged into three size classes (0-40 million, 40-100 million and over 100 million) shows that while the profitability of all companies improved, large ones did better than medium ones, and medium ones did

58

better than small ones. For example, capital invested by large companies delivered an ROI of 5.5%, while that invested by the smallest companies barely exceeded 2%.

Similar differences can be seen in cash flow: that of the larger operators in the ceramic tile sector exceeded 11% of turnover, while that of smaller operators failed to reach 5%. Financial management is proportionally far more costly for smaller companies and this means greater financial risk, aggravated by a low level of capitalisation. Average leverage for smaller companies stands at 4.05 (and rising), while for large companies the figure remains well within threshold limits (1.9 on average and falling).

5

Statistics

INFO AND BOOKING: www.mec-studies.com studi@acimac.it

MECS

N

3 ED2IT0IO15 year nd

PTION

UM D CONS TION AN C U D O S R P MIC TILE WORLD OF CERA

C ACIMA hione 84 sa Buracc a (MO) Via Fos Baggiovar 41126 ITALY 6 9 510 33 T. +39 05 cimac.it @a info ac.it www.acim

Machinery Economic Studies

59

Tile International 1/2016

Economy & markets

Rough waters for Russian construction market



The Russian economy is in rough waters, although in the wake of a turbulent 2015 that saw GDP fall by 3.8% by the year’s end, the situation is now slowly stabilising. However, according to World Bank forecasts, the upturn (+1.5%) will not arrive before 2017, and 2016 is expected to see a further contraction, of around 0.6%.

Against this macroeconomic backdrop, the construction industry is also going through a difficult patch, and

continued to shrink throughout 2015, in line with a downward trend that dates back to December 2013. According to preliminary figures released at the beginning of January by Rosstat (Russia’s National Statistics Institute), the country’s construction output fell by 7% year-onyear in 2015. This indicates that the pace of decline accelerated compared with the previous year, when the industry reported a 2.3% fall on 2013 (Graph 1).

By value, construction output dropped from 6,125.2

billion roubles (€71.52 billion) in 2014 to 5,945.5 billion roubles (€69.42 billion) last year, which represents a fall of 2.9%.

More detailed analysis reveals that, while the industry saw average year-on-year falls of 2.5% in each quarter of 2014, the first quarter of 2015 showed a downturn in construction output of 6.8% on the same period in 2014.The speed of this downward trend increased in the two subsequent quarters, to -11.1% and -12.5% respectively, before slowing to -4.4%

in the last quarter.

The devaluation of the rouble also took its toll on the construction industry’s health, by increasing the price of raw materials and machinery. Between January and September 2015, according to Rosstat, the composite price index for the construction industry rose by a substantial 8.4% compared with the same period in 2014 (the previous year’s increase was 3.8%). In the same period, the cost of machinery rose by 13%, while the average retail prices of building ma-

Graph. 1 - Construction output in Russia (billions of roubles) and real year-on-year change, 2014-2015

Tile International 1/2016

60

Economy & markets

terials were 10% higher than the previous year.

Residential building holds the line Despite substantial shrinkage in the market as a whole, residential building enjoyed continued growth in 2015, albeit at a slower pace than the previous year, in a sign that difficulties are beginning to spread to this segment too. After a flying start, with first half growth of 15.3% on the same period

Graph .2 - Construction output in Russia (% change year on year) for the period January 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 2015

Tile International 1/2016

62

Economy & markets

in 2014, equating to 34.3 million sq.m of housing completions, output in the segment dropped by 6.2% (Graph 3) compared with the same period in 2014 (equating to 17.7 million sq.m of housing completions). In the first nine months of the year, a total of 52 million sq.m of floor space reached completion, which still equates to +7% compared with the same period in 2014. The latest data released by Rosstat covers the period from January to November 2015, and points to a further slowdown in growth to just +3.4% (Table 1). Although positive,

this figure indicates how residential building is also losing the vigour it showed last year, when growth was running at +18.2%. It’s worth noting, however, that 2014 was a record year for residential building in Russia, in terms of new housing completions, with total floor space of 84 million sq.m commissioned – the highest figure since 1990.

Moscow was the top-performer in residential building in 2015, with 3.8 million sq.m of new housing completions, representing a rise of 14.4% on 2014 (3.3 million sq.m) and the best result since 2007. According to a repre-

sentative of the Moscow Department of Construction and Urban Policy, however, the figure should be treated with caution because it derives from the completion of numerous projects launched several years ago, when the city council implemented a new urban policy and issued a large number of building permits.

In St Petersburg, by contrast, residential building dipped by 7%, with 3 million sq.m of completed floor space.

The trend in the residential segment remained broadly stable in the Krasnodar region, where 3.82 million

sq.m of floor space was completed in the period January-October 2015, representing a slight fall on the 3.99 million sq.m reported the previous year. The number of new housing units brought to completion was 47,900.

The segment also showed strong performance in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Sverdlovsk region, and the country’s third largest city. 1.9 million sq.m of floor space were completed there between January and October 2015, representing a rise of 19.6% on the same period in 2014. The bulk of the in-

Graph 3. - New housing completions in Russia (in million sq.m) and annual change, Q1 2013 – Q3 2015

Tile International 1/2016

64

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Economy & markets

crease was concentrated in January, when the volume of housing completions was six times higher than the equivalent figure for January 2014.

Lastly, in Novosibirsk, the largest metropolis in Siberia, residential floor space completed in the period January-September 2015

amounted to 1.78 million sq.m, equating to a 30% increase on the same period in 2014 (1.37 million sq.m).

Production of building materials The downturn in the industry also had adverse effects on

the production of building materials.

According to Rosstat, production fell by 7.4% year-onyear in the period JanuaryNovember 2015, whereas figures for 2014 show a yearon-year rise of 1.1% compared with the previous year. The worst-hit materi-

al was cement, which saw an 8.9% fall in production over the first 11 months of the year (Table 2). Brick production also fell, by 6.9%, to 6.3 billion units. Ceramic tiles bucked the trend, however, to see year-on-year growth in production of 3.2% (158 million sq.m)

Table 1. Housing completions in Russia, by volume and floor space (period 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January-November 2015)

Table 2. Production of building materials in Russia (November 2015 and January-November 2015)

Tile International 1/2016

66

Economy & markets

The ceramic tile industry Ceramic tile production went against this trend, growing by 3.2% until November and then stabilising at a lower level of +2.2% at 31/12/2015, equivalent to 170.4 million sq.m.

This positive year-end result was mainly attributable to the wall tile segment, which expanded from 70.8 million sq.m in 2014 to 75.1 million sq.m in 2015 (+6%), while the floor tile segment contracted slightly (-0.7%) to 95.3 million sq.m in spite of the growth in output on the part of Kerama Marazzi.Imports dropped sharply to an estimated 46 million sq.m (-36.4%).

With the exception of Belarus which managed to limit the decline, all the other exporter countries suffered between 30% and 60% losses by volume (Table 3).

5

Table 3 - Russian imports of ceramics tiles 2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2014

% share

Est.

% Var. 2015/14

1. Belarus

8.2

7.7

9.2

11

10.9

14

14.1

12

14.4

15.8

15.3

33.0

-3.2

2. Ukraine

1.3

1.9

2.8

5.7

6.2

10.1

13.8

17

20.5

15.2

10.9

23.5

-28.3

3. Spain

7.9

10.1

11.2

13.9

7.1

9.3

10.4

13

13.1

13.1

7

15.1

-46.6

4. China

6.8

11.7

12.5

13.9

4.8

7.4

10.6

10.8

14.9

12.8

5

10.8

-60.9

5. Poland

4.4

4.6

7.4

5.5

2.7

3.4

3.9

4.6

4.9

4.5

3.3

7.1

-26.7

6. Italy

4.9

5.6

6.1

6.3

3.5

4

4.7

5.8

5.6

5.1

2.8

6.0

-45.1

7. Germany

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.9

0.5

0.6

1.2

1.5

1.7

2

0.8

1.7

-60.0

8. Turkey

1.7

1.3

0.8

1

0.4

0.7

1.3

2

1.8

1.5

0.5

1.1

-66.7

Other countries

3.3

2.8

4.8

4.6

2

1.9

2.9

5.5

3.6

3

0.8

1.7

-73.3

38.9

46.2

55.4

62.8

38.1

51.4

62.9

72.2

80.5

73

46.4

100.0

-36.4

TOTAL

Values in million sq.m Source â&#x20AC;&#x153;World Production & Consumption of Ceramic Tilesâ&#x20AC;?, Acimac November 2015 and estimates for 2015

67

Tile International 1/2016

Statistics

by MECS, Acimac Research Department - studi@acimac.it - www.mec-studies.com

World sanitaryware production and exports



World sanitaryware production is estimated to have grown by 61.3% from 216.6 to 349.3 million pieces over the decade 20042014, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%. Asia, the largest production

area with 172 million pieces in 2014 (85% growth since 2004), further increased its share of total production over the decade to almost 50%. China in particular is the world’s largest producer and has almost doubled its volumes to reach an estimated 120 million

2004 Mill. pcs

2014 Mill. pcs

% on total % on total 2004 2014

CAGR 14/04

Asia

93.1

172.0

43.0%

49.2%

EU

44.6

41.5

20.6%

11.9%

-0.7%

South America

14.6

38.5

6.7%

11.0%

10.2%

Middle East

12.0

33.8

5.5%

9.7%

10.9%

NAFTA

33.9

28.0

15.7%

8.0%

-1.9%

Other Europe

12.1

17.5

5.6%

5.0%

3.8%

Africa

4.4

16.0

2.0%

4.6%

13.8%

Oceania

1.9

2.0

0.9%

0.6%

0.5%

WORLD

216.6

349.3

100.0%

100.0%

4.9%

6.3%

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

Simas

TAB. 1 - WORLD PRODUCTION OF SANITARYWARE

BY AREA pieces.

However, the most significant growth was in Africa (+300%), the Middle East (+181.7%) and South America (+163.7%), the latter region driven by Brazil as the world’s second largest producer country (24 million pieces). In a context of steady globalisation of production and markets, the negative fig-

ure for the EU and NAFTA regions hardly comes as a surprise, with production volumes dropping over the decade by 3 and 6 million pieces respectively.

This is despite the fact that in the NAFTA region Mexico has almost tripled its volumes, which are now estimated at 18 million pieces. Reflecting the trend in other areas of the

GRAPH. 1 - MAIN SANITARYWARE MANUFACTURING COUNTRIES 2014 2004

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

Values in million pieces / Next 11: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam.

Tile International 1/2016

68

Globo

Ideal Standard

Statistics

economy, the fast-growing BRIC and Next 11 regions also registered the highest growth rates in the sanitaryware industry over the decade (respectively +74% and +108%) compared with the more modest average figure of +27% in other countries.

World sanitaryware production is also increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few very large multinational

groups. It is estimated that in 2014 the top 20 groups (excluding those in China) have produced over 45% of total world production.

Exports and imports World sanitaryware exports are estimated to have doubled over the decade in question, rising from 63.4 million pieces in 2004 to 127 million pieces in

2014 (equivalent to 2.8 million tons). This means that in 2014 some 36% of global production was sold outside the borders of the country in which it was produced, compared to 29% a decade ago.

Exports saw 11.3% year-on-year growth in 2014 alone, with a positive, if irregular, trend in all regions except South America (-7.3%). While the EU area, North America (NAFTA) and

other European countries showed fairly limited growth of +2.2%, +2.9% and +4.2% respectively, Asia marked up 17.6% growth and Africa 35.7% (although output volumes in the African continent are still low).

Looking at the ten-year period as a whole, a very clear picture of how exports have evolved in each area emerges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in particular the exceptional growth

TAB. 2 - EXPORTS OF SANITARYWARE BY AREA (TONS) 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Asia

300,566

383,738

441,314

494,821

506,206

978,208 1,094,185 1,234,911 1,207,035 1,358,893 1,597,444

EU

555,594

577,433

633,529

667,564

614,212

507,696

521,840

532,374

522,813

506,092

Other Europe

147,031

155,018

163,166

167,297

148,512

125,190

132,117

145,709

169,167

NAFTA

294,183

270,193

286,986

296,347

271,861

262,645

268,325

303,495

South America

182,222

202,550

181,265

169,495

125,559

86,579

99,980

39,165

39,807

41,824

53,888

47,041

35,534

2,702

4,035

1,688

1,821

1,968

2,058

Africa Oceania TOTAL

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

% var.

14/13

CAGR 14/04

17.6

18.2

517,209

2.2

-0.7

171,066

178,280

4.2

1.9

290,678

320,295

329,576

2.9

1.1

108,809

102,268

88,711

82,244

- 7.3

-7.6

35,822

37,151

68,554

73,638

99,902

35.7

9.8

1,959

1,063

875

608

847

39.3

-11.0

1,521,463 1,632,774 1,749,772 1,851,233 1,715,359 1,998,863 2,154,228 2,364,413 2,362,023 2,520,030 2,805,502

11.3

6.3

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

69

Tile International 1/2016

Statistics

of Asia, whose exports have risen from 300,000 to 1.6 million tons (+431%). Asia’s percentage share of global exports rose from 20% to 57% in terms

of both volume and value, eroding the shares of all other areas: the EU, which lost 7% of its exports over the decade, saw its share decline from

36.5% to 18.4% (or from 50% to 26% in dollar terms); the NAFTA region’s share fell from 19.3% to 11.7% (and from 14% to 9% in value); that of South America

from 12% to 2.9%, with export volumes slumping by 55% in 10 years; and other European countries’ share fell from 9.7% to 6.4%. Once again, the out-

TAB. 3 - THE MAIN EXPORTING COUNTRIES (TONS) 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

China

102,564

149,076

199,636

260,386

244,264

766,344

899,642

955,990

915,450 1,012,181 1,275,018

Mexico

255,721

233,672

245,833

245,536

227,734

223,709

226,569

245,964

237,954

268,502

Turkey

110,242

117,909

121,199

118,369

101,154

84,925

94,339

101,272

113,424

India

29,522

49,814

42,917

46,383

81,313

68,947

14,846

87,811

Portugal

84,055

88,390

104,651

108,959

85,517

78,286

75,025

Thailand

69,606

75,911

70,619

73,039

71,919

52,833

Poland

43,809

56,007

72,479

84,084

85,166

Germany

44,126

45,758

52,528

63,550

Vietnam

9,962

12,051

17,349

Bulgaria

50,794

44,112

51,327

Var 14/13

CAGR 14/04

26.0%

28.7%

276,984

3.2%

0.8%

119,404

125,054

4.7%

1.3%

115,681

130,737

115,418

-11.7%

14.6%

65,543

67,245

68,502

78,353

14.4%

-0.7%

57,134

58,694

56,954

68,096

75,769

11.3%

0.9%

59,326

67,572

70,341

66,722

70,889

69,912

-1.4%

4.8%

66,057

58,721

63,742

68,291

66,708

56,554

58,286

3.1%

2.8%

23,849

20,883

16,231

19,391

24,387

32,021

42,747

57,424

34.3%

19.1%

51,294

45,042

35,829

40,565

47,955

51,895

53,082

55,728

5.0%

0.9%

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

TAB. 4 - IMPORTS OF SANITARYWARE BY AREA (TONS) % var.

14/13

CAGR 14/04

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Asia

207,795

236,600

257,556

280,772

285,683

429,708

477,326

616,893

581,086

657,778

805,725

22.5

14.5

EU

610,121

645,679

705,522

753,529

661,925

663,492

692,236

712,674

667,798

652,130

713,372

9.4

1.6

Other Europe

86,682

95,287

107,659

120,582

122,982

91,631

96,487

107,822

115,890

124,113

124,190

0.1

3.7

NAFTA

501,646

520,138

525,176

523,565

454,115

575,276

620,330

606,511

626,270

703,497

747,738

6.3

4.1

South America

57,684

60,146

71,656

78,630

80,459

90,809

119,651

138,918

147,261

133,800

135,574

1.3

8.9

Africa

39,853

54,422

61,714

70,356

87,070

117,962

108,184

140,258

183,280

203,049

225,284

11.0

18.9

Oceania

17,271

20,502

20,489

23,799

23,125

29,985

40,689

40,873

40,140

45,388

53,618

18.1

12.0

TOTAL 1,521,463 1,632,774 1,749,772 1,851,233 1,715,359 1,998,863 2,154,228 2,364,413 2,362,023 2,520,030 2,805,502

11.3

6.3

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

Tile International 1/2016

70

Statistics

standing performance of Asia has largely been driven by China, whose exports grew from just over 102,000 tons in 2004 to 1.27 million tons in

2014 (45% of world exports), corresponding to an annual growth rate of 28.7%!

India and Vietnam also performed strongly (4th and 9th

largest exporters), reporting a CAGR over the decade of 14.6% and 19% respectively.

The dominance of Chinese ex-

ports is also evident in the analysis of its target markets, in other words by observing its percentage share of the imports of each geographical

TAB. 5 - THE MAIN IMPORTING COUNTRIES (TONS) Var 14/13

CAGR 14/04

622,110

6.4

3.4%

112,226

132,780

18.3

2.9%

111,368

108,071

123,608

14.4

4.6%

105,233

94,913

99,654

115,816

16.2

24.5%

104,680

92,441

105,658

104,119

109,482

5.2

8.1%

111,245

115,108

118,930

118,078

105,629

101,202

- 4.2

1.4%

104,902

82,378

83,634

84,759

70,252

69,803

82,240

17.8

-3.4%

56,034

56,202

40,181

44,433

55,537

63,321

65,243

69,902

7.1

4.7%

1,183

1,434

7,154

17,019

13,023

2,509

14,429

63,854

342.5

57.7%

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

444,171

463,530

462,178

454,427

388,228

477,431

500,029

495,803

508,056

584,436

UK

99,502

91,031

99,029

110,137

93,234

98,383

103,730

107,933

106,439

Germany

78,816

80,932

88,125

99,124

94,541

100,140

107,509

114,714

Rep. Korea

12,972

13,692

15,701

21,028

19,002

69,345

84,344

Canada

50,362

52,245

56,222

63,148

58,207

84,545

France

88,436

94,573

106,964

112,985

102,426

Spain

115,755

129,129

148,729

144,306

Russia

44,169

47,106

52,089

673

779

1,245

USA

Iran

Simas

Source: Acimac Research Dept. on BSRIA and ITC data.

71

Tile International 1/2016

Simas

Statistics

area. In Asia, which in 2014 also became the biggest import area for sanitaryware (806,000 tons, up 22.5% on 2013), 64% of imports originated from China, while the corresponding figure for Oceania was 67%. But Chinese products also maintain a significant presence outside their now historic local market, confirming China as the only real exception to the rule whereby imports and exports tend to be limited to geographical areas close to the place of production, or at least on the

same continent. In Africa, Chinese products make up 50.6% of imports (followed by India in second position with just 18.4%); in the NAFTA region they account for 50% of imports (followed by Mexico with 36.2%); in South America 37.7% (followed by Colombia with 23%); in Europe they have a 21% share of EU markets (followed by Turkey and Portugal with 9.9% and 9.6%) and in non-EU countries 27.7% (where Ukraine and Turkey account for 14% and 10.6%).

5

FIG. 2 - PRODUCTION, EXPORTS AND IMPORTS BY AREA: 2004 VS. 2014

Tile International 1/2016

72

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Statistics

Main Brands / Companies

Employees (total group)

Total group turnover (mill. €)

ramic industry (tiles, tableware, heavy clay) and the supply chain (raw materials, distribution), as well as other sectors (bathroom and kitchen furnishings, non-ceramic surface

Sanitaryware plants / Location

generated purely from sales of sanitaryware.

This allows for a more uniform comparison between large groups which often operate in multiple segments of the ce-

Turnover only SANITARY segment (mill. €)

Exports share

Production (mill. Pcs.)

Country

Group / Company

To round off the international trade figures for the sanitaryware sector, we are presenting

the key figures for the sector (large multinationals, groups or individual companies) updated to 31 December 2014.

Where available we also provide the figures for turnover Installed capacity (mill. Pcs.)

THE BIG PLAYERS IN THE SECTOR

1

Roca

Spain

n.a.

35.4

85

n.a.

1,646.0 (sanitaryware, tiles, distribution)

22,200

74 (total group). Sanitaryware plants in Spain (9), Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Poland, Czech Rep., Bulgaria, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Egypt, Malaysia, India, China

2

Kohler Group

USA

22.0*

18.0*

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

>30,000

12 in USA, Mexico, Brazil, France, Morocco, Thailand, India, China

Kohler, Jacob Delafon, Sterling, Ann Sacks

3

Sanitec (Geberit Group)

Switzerland

14.0*

12.0*

n.a.

689.4

6,200

Sanitaryware plants in Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine

Kolo, Keramag, Ido, Ifo, Colombo, Koralle, Selles, Allia, Pozzi Ginori, Porsgrund, Sphinx

689.4

Roca, Laufen, Celite, Incepa, Parryware, Jika, Ying, Santeri, Santek

Geberit AG completd the acquisition of 99.77% shares of Sanitec on March 2, 2015 Japan

11.0

11.0

15

n.a.

3,800.0 (bathroom, tiles, other)

26,000

16 in: Japan (4), China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, USA, Mexico

TOTO

Corona

Colombia

12.0

9.0

21

294.7

498.8 (sanitaryware, tiles)

13,000

6: 2 in Colombia, 1 in USA, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala

Corona, Mansfield, Incesa Standard, American Standard, Ecoline

6

Duratex

Brazil

12.2

n.a.

n.a.

432.0 (Deca division only)

1,281.0 (sanitaryware, wood panels, metal fittings)

14,462

6 in Brazil

Deca

7

Lixil Corporation

Japan

10-12*

7-8*

n.a.

n.a.

7,030.0

14,382

10 in Japan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa

AS, Lixil, Inax, Grohe, Vaal Sanitaryware

8

Rovese

Poland

7.4*

6.0*

n.a.

n.a.

418.0 (tiles, sanitaryware, other)

7,068

10 (total group). 4 sanitaryware plants in Poland, Romania, Ukraine

Cersanit, Opoczno

9

Lecico

Egypt

6.7

5.3

58

84.8

178.6 (sanitaryware, tiles)

6,500

3 (incl. tiles) in Egypt, 1 in Lebanon

Lecico

10

Eczacibasi Vitra

Turkey

5.5

4.7

65

n.a.

700.0 (tiles, sanitaryware, other)

1,600

1 in Turkey, 1 in Russia,

VitrA

11

Ideal Standard

Belgium

5.5*

4.0*

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

2 in Italy, 1 Czech Rep., 1 in Bulgaria, 1 in UK

Ideal Standard, Jado, Armitage Shanks, Dolomite

12

RAK

UAE

4.6

4.5

70

100.0

730.0 (tiles sanitary, tableware)

15,000

2 UAE, 1 Bangladesh, 1 India

RAK Ceramics

13

CISA Group

Ecuador/ Chile

4.5

3.6

28

85.0

104.0

1,700

2 in Chile, 1 Ecuador

Edesa, Briggs, Fanaloza

14

Duravit

Germany

4-5*

3.5

80

n.a.

390.0

5,775

3 in Germany, 2 Egypt, 2 China, 1 France, 1 Turkey, 1 Tunisia, 1 India

Duravit

4

Toto

5

Tile International 1/2016

703.6

74

Statistics

Turnover only SANITARY segment (mill. €)

Total group turnover (mill. €)

Employees (total group)

2.8

2.7

45

n.a.

n.a.

3,400 (group)

Main Brands / Companies

Exports share

Mexico

ing that the international imports/exports of sanitaryware partly consist of exchanges within the group, although it is not possible to determine the share of total exports. .

5 Sanitaryware plants / Location

Production (mill. Pcs.)

Sanitarios Lamosa

Considering the corporate structure of the leading companies in this sector, which in many cases are multinationals with production facilities in various countries, it is worth not-

Installed capacity (mill. Pcs.)

15

employees. The figures were supplied directly by the companies themselves or in some cases were based on estimates or obtained from public sources.

Country

Group / Company

coverings, building materials, chemicals, etc.).

To provide a more complete picture of group size, we also include total or consolidated turnover and the number of

2 in Mexico

Lamosa, Ambiance, Vortens

1 in Peru

Trebol, Barcelona

In 2015 Sanitarios Lamosa sold its Sanitaryware Division to Corona-Colceramica

16

Corporación Ceramica (Trebol)

17

Saudi Ceramics

18

Villeroy & Boch

19

Ferrum

20

The Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCG)

21

Peru

3.0

2.6

10

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

Saudi Arabia

n.a.

2.5

2

n.a.

386.0 (sanitaryware, tiles)

4,000

4 in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Ceramics

Germany

3.5*

2.4*

n.a.

469.3

766.3 (sanitaryware, tableware)

7,657

14 (total group) in Germany, Mexico, Thailand

Villeroy & Boch

Argentina

n.a.

2.4*

n.a.

n.a.

103.3

n.a.

2 in Argentina

Ferrum

Thailand

2.8

2.3

28

90.0

882 (tiles, sanitaryware)

3,000

4 in Thailand (2 sanitaryware, 2 sanitary fittings)

COTTO

Ceramica Cleopatra

Egypt

2.5*

2.0*

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

2 in Egypt

Cleopatra

22

Kirovskaya Keramika

Russia

1.8

1.8

0

n.a.

n.a.

950

1 in Russia

Kirovskaya

23

Ceramic Industries

South Africa

2.0

1.7

20

22.5

172.0 (tiles, sanitaryware)

350

1 in South Africa

Betta

24

Golsar Fars

Iran

1.3*

1.3*

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

500*

12 in Iran

Golsar

25

Kalevit

Turkey

1.1

0.9

39

21.0

330.0 (tiles, bathroom products)

424 (sanitaryware only)

1 in Turkey

Kale

26

Sanindusa

Portugal

1.0

0.8

70

22.0

34.0 (sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, fittings)

349

5 in Portugal

Sanindusa

* Estimates by Acimac research dept.

MECS

Machinery Economic Studies

MORE INFO? www.mec-studies.com!

75

Tile International 1/2016

Trends

by Pamela Albanese - Tosilab

From Vintage to Authentic Living 2

1



The term vintage is commonly used for objects dating from several decades ago that we might gaze at nostalgically in a shop window or at an antiques fair or admire in the pages of furniture magazines devoted to icons of the past.

In particular, it refers to cult objects that were once top-ofthe-range products and even today can offer fresh creative energy and inspiration.

The sociologist and consumer trend expert Francesco Morace refined the concept by introducing the phrase “Retro-Scapes” to refer to a way of looking back in time and “attempting to recall the mythical figures of the past and above all previous historical periods and focusing on

Tile International 1/2016

the positive aspects [...], the defining feature of the phenomenon is its chaos, and the speed with which the ideas of the recent past are adopted”.

An equally important aspect is that the process draws inspiration simultaneously from different historical periods and fields of application. A good example in the world of design is the popularity of a retro style for furniture and electrical household appliances, although this trend is almost always limited to aesthetics and has nothing to do with functionality – effectively combining vintage forms with latest-generation technology to create innovative products.

As always, one trend is inevitably integrated with others. The

values of the past become part of a narrative, reflecting the power of storytelling as one of the most influential and

76

universal trends in contemporary culture. The themes that are expressed through words and images provide content

Trends

1 - Bedside table "I Love Retrò" 2 - "Vespa" Piaggio 3 - Floor tile "Waterfront" by

Coop. Ceramica D'Imola 4 - “Monty's Vintage” Vase

3

4

for our sense of nostalgia. By narrating and reinterpreting this aesthetic in many different ways, we have acquired the habit of surrounding ourselves with past objects in our daily lives. As a result, this form of “transversal nostalgia” is much more than a passing trend.

In her book entitled Vintage, Daniela Pasetti describes this as a key concept for understanding our times and lifestyle. “I wake up and turn on the wobbly arc lamp found in

77

a bric-a-brac store and now perched on my Ikea bedside table. I get up and make coffee with the latest model of Nespresso machine, rigorously modelled on a sixties bar design. Then I open my wardrobe and choose a flared skirt purchased at Asos, a nineties blazer found in a second-hand store and a hippie style bracelet pilfered from my mother’s jewellery box.”

Who can claim not to have found themselves in similar sit-

Tile International 1/2016

Trends

uations over the years? She adds: “The essence of nostalgia lies in the nature of the relationship between past and present, which is no longer one of stark opposition but of complex convergence. [...

This] is rooted in the mediatised nature of our culture, which thanks to the systems of reproduction, storage and retrieval, has made the past – or rather its more or less symbolic representations – something that can be continuously revisited, reused and above all

experienced.”

In short, it is we ourselves who feed the myth of the past.

And paradoxically, the new technologies help us do this more effectively. Think for example of the hipster aesthetic that emerged in the midst of digital age, modelled on pure vintage stylistic cues and yet perfectly integrated into the world of social networking, apps and digital devices.

As a result, the world of interior design and fashion now

makes extensive use of surfaces with two key characteristics: a look that can be defined as one of decadent beauty and content that reveals a sense of generational transition and a strong focus on tradition.

Revisiting previously used materials is now standard practice for many companies.

It matters little whether the change is major or minor, the important thing is that the surface must clearly have derived from something that previously had a different function. The

5

Tile International 1/2016

6

78

different types of wear these materials have experienced reflect their previous existences. They tell an authentic story that transforms them into something living that is capable of bringing together different times and distant places.

This quest for novel surfaces involves searching for or recreating different kinds of alterations according to the base used: oxidised metal; wood damaged by light and humidity; concrete that has been scratched, stained or con-

Trends 5 - The Bath Works Inc. 6 - Retro Modern Mid Century Dining Suite.

Angle Legged Natural Table With White Replica Danish Scandinavian Eames Chairs 8

7 - Skinflint Industrial Czech Pendan Lights 8 - Brionvega radio 9 - Handmade ceramic and gold vase

9

7

79

Tile International 1/2016

Trends

taminated by other substances; scuffed, faded stone worn down by many years of foot traffic and covered with salt efflorescence or mould.

Fashion, in turn, has embraced these stylistic trends and simulated aged effects in many different ways to create fabrics with a smoked patina, a dĂŠlavĂŠ effect or frayed seams, all of which help to create a contemporary underground look. Typical examples include the Superdry brand

renowned for its tee-shirts with ragged necklines or the latest Todâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban casual menswear collection.

High fashion is no exception.

Leading brand photo shoots are invariably staged in industrial settings or locations clearly inspired by the past.

These examples help us acquire a broader perspective and an understanding that vintage style is itself part of an even more pervasive phe-

nomenon.

As analysts, we have defined this attitude as authentic living, a preference for things that are real and therefore display all the imperfections that are associated with this condition of authenticity. Consider the field of music. The rhythms of the seventies and eighties are enjoying a revival and are all around us. Even more interestingly, talent scouts are now looking for voices that stand out for their

authenticity rather than their perfection or precision. Instead of range and virtuosity, the factors that determine success today are character and originality. All the better if the voice has a raw, catchy quality that actually sounds as if it was generated by human vocal chords.

Never before has simple authenticity with a wealth of content been so fashionable.

10 11

12

80

Trends

10 - Vintage Bricks wallpaper 11 - "SJ" bookcase by We Do Wood 12 - "Sisma" lamp by Karman 13 - Olivetti typewriter 14 - "Maps International"

by Executive World Map Wallpaper 15 - Vintage Copper Stool

13 14

15

These trends are also evident in the world of theatre. Stage designs, sets and costumes for both opera and ballet make clear reference to places that have been lived in, as in the case of a recent staging of Beethovenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fidelio at the La Scala opera house in Milan, where the characters appear in an urban context with decaying pillars, abandoned rubbish bins and recycled beams.

Last but not least, when design magazines run features on homes they propose them as stories that intertwine with the biographies of the owners. The message con-

81

veyed is that todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes must have the clear purpose of promoting well-being. Their beauty derives from the fact that they are an authentic expression of specific habits and needs, with an emphasis on comfort and emotions. This means that the imprint of the architect and the fashion of the moment are not the predominant elements.

The most important aspect is the personality of the people who live there, expressed as a melding of old and new, craft and hi-tech, design objects and bric-a-brac.

5

Tile International 1/2016

Project

Landi Renzo SpA chooses ACTIVE

TM



Landi Renzo SpA has recently opened a New Technical Centre, set to spearhead the company’s future developments and complement its production facility in Corte di Tegge di Cavriago in the Italian province of Reggio Emilia, which occupies a total area of 40,000 square metres, including some 12,000 square metres of buildings.

The design of the New Technical Centre and the HQ complex as a whole is a tangible expression of the corporate philosophy of Landi Renzo SPA, a leading manufacturer of LPG and CNG engines and components for eco-sustainable mobility. So its entire design revolves around effective use of materials and technologies for optimising the building’s energy resources and formal harmony.

The Landi Renzo New Technical Centre consists of a single building, encompassing design and engineering offices, Research & Development laboratories, engine test rooms and toilet facilities.

Working on the assumption that the best energy is saved energy, the design brief placed particular emphasis on achieving a

Tile International 1/2016

82

Project

*ACTIVETM ceramic is an innovative material

that uses the latest scientific and technological discoveries to create a ceramic that is not only attractive but also offers the unique benefit - unmatched by any other product in the world - of actively improving the quality of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives.

ACTIVETM is an advanced application for porcelain and glazed coverings, incorporating photocatalytic titanium dioxide, which turns a simple tile into an advanced, eco-active ceramic material. Tiles with ACTIVETM technology are highly stable and retain the strength and hardness of porcelain tile in the long term, while adding new, ISO-certified surface properties.

83

Tile International 1/2016

Project

high level of energy efficiency for the building, through the shape of the building envelope, the choice of materials, the use of alternative energy sources and the deployment of energy recovery systems.

Exhaustive studies were conducted on the form of the building, which is deliberately regular, and its orientation in relation to the changing position of the sun through the course of the day.

The architects also paid close attention to the exterior infill walls, which are made with prefabricated masonry alternating with high-performance structural faรงades equipped with effective sun screens.

For the infill walls, they opted for prefabricated panels made with photocatalytic cements selected for their capacity for the abatement of airborne pollutants by means of the photocatalysis caused by the reaction of titanium dioxide with sunlight.

The same concept of photocatalysis also prompted the company to opt for over 3,000 square metres of Silver Ground Active*, by Fiandre, in size 60x60 cm for the floor coverings of the offices, toilet facilities, laboratories and test rooms. These were laid as both conventional and raised flooring produced by Granitech, a technical division of Fiandre, in various sizes and thicknesses.

As well as ensuring an enviable degree of comfort for users, this combination of construction features earned the building a Class A energy efficiency rating.

5

Tile International 1/2016

84

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Marazzi porcelain tile for Etruria Resort in Montepulciano ISSUU



We’re in Montepulciano, in the Italian province of Siena. It’s a fully fortified town built along a narrow ridge of limestone, which reaches an altitude of 605 metres and separates Val di Chiana from Val d’Orcia.

Steeped in history, the town dates back to Etruscan times, as witness a large water receptacle found during archaeological excavations of the top end of the town (the site of the earliest settlement); and it’s well worth a visit.

It’s worth a visit partly for the beauty of its perfectly preserved Renaissance architecture, partly for the renown of the fine wine produced from

Tile International 1/2016

86

multimedia

Project

the orderly, gently sloping vineyards adorning its surrounding hillsides, partly for the clarity and purity of its air, and partly because it lies at the centre of a string of uniquely appealing and evocative towns.

If you travel a few kilometres to the west (you can do it by

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bike), head into the magnificent Val dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orcia and then approach the foothills of Monte Amiata, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come to Pienza, San Quirico and Montalcino, followed by Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antimo, Bagni Vignoni and Bagni di San Filippo. Or head in the other direction, down towards Val di Chiana and on to Lake Trasi-

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meno and the border with Umbria, and you’ll find Cortona, Castiglione del Lago, Passignano sul Trasimeno and Chiusi.

With such a concentrated essence of history, art and nature to offer, it’s no surprise that this area attracts tourists and visitors from all over the world.

And right here in Montepulciano, a stone’s throw beyond the city walls - a short walk takes you to the town’s lowest gate, the Santa Agnese - the Etruria Resort & Natural SPA, a boutique hotel that retains the central building of the 19th Century villa and its secret garden, was developed from an aristocratic country residence.

Adjacent to the original 19th Century structures, the developers built the “La Perla Spa” wellness centre, the swimming pools, the gym, the “La Corte di Bacco” restaurant and the residences in the surrounding grounds, which still play host to trees hundreds of years old.

The combination of materials used for the floor and wall coverings of the various parts of the complex create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, that combines tradition with a contemporary feel. The ceramic coverings supplied by Marazzi welcome you as soon as you step into the lobby on the ground floor, where the white of the Stone Collection* large-format porcelain tiles reflects the light from the large windows, and illuminates the reception area and adjacent bar.

As you continue into the building, the *STONE

COLLECTION

by Marazzi: modern and understated, this collection comes in four colours - Ivory, White, Anthracite and Green and a wide range of versatile formats. Stone Collection has numerous eco-sustainable features and is complemented by a vast range of mosaics of all colours. It’s a porcelain tile that can be used as a floor and wall covering in both residential and commercial environments.

Sizes: 60x120, 30x120, 60x60, 30x60 and 7.5x60 cm Thickness: 10.5 mm

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brightness of these areas gives way to a more closeted atmosphere, in which the stone walls and the floor tiles made with EvolutionStone Piasentina** with orange-peel finish provide the framework for a relaxing wellness area.

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FLEXIBLE, ESSENTIALLY

DISPLAYS & SHOWROOMS - CONCEPT, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING Marocchi s.r.l.

Via G. Di Vittorio, 3

Tel. +39 0542 666136 Fax +39 0542 666762

marocchi@marocchi.com www.marocchi.com

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iDesign Showroom in Transilvania ISSUU

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Cluj-Napoca, the antique capital of Transilvania is still today the second most important university city of Romania. Built by the Romans, it takes it’s current name from the ancient latin “Castrun Clus”, meaning a closed fortress. From 1687 the old fort was used as barracks by the Austrian army. In 1715 work began on a new fort designed by the Italian military engineer, Giovanni Morando Visconti, then completed in 1735.

In 2014 a building originally used for gunpowder storage, was bought by “Arhimar” , the most important Architect Group in Cluj. The old warehouse was to be transformed into offices for Arhimar professionals and a new showroom in the basement for tile wholesaler “DS Ceramica”, which gave birth to a new brand called iDesign by DS. The careful restoration work has transformed the old powder magazine into a prestigious “frame” for the most famous Italian brands of ceramic tiles and bathroom furnishings.

The project presented varies difficulities: raising damp from the pre-existing clay substrate, a low ceiling which required the use of a thin floor application, the necessity to render the floor as strong as possible in order to bear the important weight of the showcases. Plus, with a view to energy savings, a heating system easily to be

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managed according to the shop opening hours was also required.

In order to meet all of the above requirements, the choice fell to Schlüter®BEKOTEC-THERM: a safe, low-height, tension free underfloor heating assembly patented by the German multinational Schlüter-Systems.

Schlüter®-BEKOTEC - THERM creates a low-height substrate, using a simple con-

ventional sand and cement screed, without any fibre reinforcement, applied on the preformed panel in polystyrene Schlüter®-BEKOTEC-EN. • With Schlüter®-BEKOTECTHERM is possible to obtain a screed of just 8 mm above the studded panel if combined with ceramic tiles or just 15 mm for a resin flooring (as was the case with this project) obtaining a

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height of just 36-38mm, flooring not included.

• Thanks to such a reduced screed coverage, heating tubes are located close to the floor surface. The radiant system therefore reacts quickly to temperature variations and is characterized by a low thermal inertia.

Schlüter®-BEKOTECTHERM is to all effects an innovative “underfloor heating system” that al-

lows low supply temperatures and a consequent reduced energy consumption.

• With Schlüter®-BEKOTEC system, the screed shrinks in accordance to the panel structure, releasing tensions in a controlled manner along the entire surface. The entire surface remains perfectly flat, avoiding any up- or downbending of the screed.

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• In case of rigid type of flooring such as ceramic or natural stones, installation of the uncoupling Schlüter®DITRA membrane would be required.

For this specific case of Cluj project, instead, a naturally elastic epoxy resin was chosen. In combination with the Schlüter®-BEKOTEC system, a long-lasting crack free flooring is therefore guaranteed even without the necessity of installing Schlüter®-DITRA. • By using Schlüter®-BEKOTEC the contraction that occurs when the screed cures is reduced within the pattern of the studs, so that no tension can build as a consequence of contraction buckling. It is therefore not necessary to divide the screed into separate fields with movement joints.

Therefore, thanks to Schlüter®-BEKOTEC, it was possible to apply the resin with no disturbing disruption of continuity for the entire surface of the showroom.

Entering the finished iDesign showroom gives visitors a breathtaking impression.

The contrast between the ancient and rustic medieval stone-walls and the minimalistic continuous resin floor creates a perfect “stage” for the exhibition of top brand ceramic-products.

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Approximately 30 km to the southwest of Montpellier in the French region of LanguedocRoussillon, the spa Balarucles-Bains is located, which is rich in tradition and has been well-known for the high quality of its thermal water already since the 16th century.

There, directly on the shore of the Mediterranean lagoon Étang de Thau, a new thermal bath was realized, which started its normal operation in spring of 2015 for up to 4,200 spa guests every day a number which is just as impressive as the architectural level of this project.

Ceramic tiles of Agrob Buchtal decisively contribute to its aesthetic overall picture.

Balaruc-les-Bains (France): a special kind of thermal bath 1

Diverse possibilities The building planned by the architecture offices DHA (Lyon) and AMG Architectes (Montpellier), whose appearance intentionally is to be reminiscent of a ship, focuses on water, health and well-being. On a total of five floors and an area of approximately 16,800 m², the new building provides space for numerous water pools, relaxation, waiting and treatment rooms as well as a healthcare and a conference area.

The light-flooded bathing area on the ground floor is the centre of the building.

There, five big, slightly curved water pools with massage

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jets for the back and the legs as well as water-treading facilities are located. Thus, the pools invite to spa treatments and therapies just as to relaxing. Thanks to large glass surfaces, this central area is well visible from the promenade.

From inside, the visitors can enjoy the wonderful view of

the Mediterranean lagoon Ă&#x2030;tang de Thau and the Mont Saint-Clair limestone hill visible from far away.

Inspiring transparency This cheerful transparency is typical of the entire interior design. In this connection, the

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The colours, forms and proportions combine discreet attractiveness and sovereign elegance.

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In the foot traffic and waiting zones, however, vigorous colours are intentionally added to lend the long corridors dynamism and rhythm or to create contrasts. In the relaxation zones dark shades radiate intimacy and security.

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colour white plays an important part. The architects quite intentionally chose it e.g. for the tiles in the pools: on the one hand, to make the water appear in a pleasant natural colour, and on the other hand, to generate a special mood of the light by reflections. Light wall surfaces and tiles are also characteristic of the design in other areas. This is advantageous for cleanliness and hygiene, but also conveys a fresh and friendly impression.

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Perfect feeling of well-being In the relaxation zones, on the contrary, dark ceramic floor coverings are to be found, which radiate intimacy, calm and security. Great care in detail finds expression in ceramic special pieces, which are a particular strong point of Agrob Buchtal at the realization of comprehensive concepts.

Typical examples for this are

skirtings used as easy-care and at the same time elegant transition between wall and floor or functional gutter tiles with discreet look. In foot traffic and waiting zones, colour was intentionally used as stimulating element: wall surfaces in vigorous pink, yellow or green shades set accents, lend the corridors an attractive dynamism and avoid the often monotonous atmosphere in classic thermal baths.

This objective is also under-

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lined by the fact that the visitors generally do not see the technical infrastructure necessary for the operation: conduits, pipes and installations are discreetly â&#x20AC;&#x153;hiddenâ&#x20AC;&#x153; within the sophisticated building in order to prevent even the slightest disturbances of the well-being.

High functionality In Balaruc-les-Bains, not only the aesthetic but also the

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4.Great care in detail finds expression in ceramic special pieces such as discreet gutter tiles (at the left border of the floor surface) or skirtings (at the right border of the floor surface) as practical and visually attractive transition between floor and wall.

5.For the pools, just as in many other areas, one intentionally chose white ceramic tiles for impressive clarity.

6.In the reception area as well (see floor tiles, ceiling, counter), white is dominating in combination with warm wood shades.

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functional aspects are convincing. Among other things, this is ensured by the variety of tiles used from the Agrob Buchtal series Emotion, Geo 2.0 and ChromaPlural. Apart from numerous colours and formats, these collections are also available with different slip resistances, which cover a wide spectrum. In areas walked on with shoes, coverings of the slip-resistance categories R10 or R11 were used.

For the many barefoot zones

in which water brought in makes the floors slippery, the whole range of the relevant slip-resistance categories A, B and C was utilized in order to realize - subtly differentiated the optimal solution in each individual area.

Another advantage is the permanently effective HT coating applied in-plant.

The tiles of the series Emotion and ChromaPlural provided with it are extremely easy to clean and have an antibacte-

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rial effect without using any chemical products. In addition, they contribute to a healthy indoor climate by the elimination of unwelcome or harmful odours - characteristics which are absolutely advantageous in Balaruc-lesBains, and that not only in the central swimming area but also in changing rooms, showers, treatment or conference rooms, corridors, reception zones and other foot traffic areas.

Impressive result Carefully selected materials, a stringent architecture and a well thought-out concept formed the basis for an extraordinary overall result. The positive response since the opening shows that this contemporary interpretation of a thermal bath meets with great acceptance and the guests feel good in this place perfectly joining health and recreation together.

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Thrive is a 23-storey building in Melbourne’s Docklands, designed by Hassell Studio for Cbus Property, the development’s owners, and Medibank, the country’s leading health insurance company, which has taken out a lease on a large portion of building, and moved its headquarters there.

The design of the Thrive is geared entirely towards sustainability and a health-based working culture. Ingrid Bakker, Managing Director of Hassell Melbourne, explained: “The Thrive is a landmark on the Melbourne skyline and an ideal workplace for the staff of Medibank and the other companies based there. In keeping with the company’s slogan for better health, Medibank’s design brief focused on the creation of a

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Thrive: Medibank’s new HQ at Medibank Place, Melbourne ISSUU work environment that would contribute to nurturing the health of employees and promoting a healthy lifestyle.”

Medibank has signed a 10year lease on the 100 milliondollar project, which aims to become one of just a handful of buildings in Australia to obtain a 6-star sustainability rating under the Green Star certification system and a 5-star rating under NABERS, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System.

The Thrive’s façades With almost 10% of its exterior covered with indigenous plants, distributed between 520 façade-mounted planters and two “green walls” measuring 25 metres in height and overlooking Bourke Street, the Thrive is a “living, breathing

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PROJECT DETAILS

Project name: Thrive, a 23-storey commercial and office building Architects: Hassell Melbourne Client: Cbus Property, Medibank Dimensions: 46,000 sq.m (net commercial surface area), 26,000 sq.m of which are occupied by Medibank Year of construction: 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia

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building” that provides an oasis of greenery in the midst of a highly built-up area.

The combination of the plants and the curved lines of the façade soften the building’s outline and give it an unpredictable profile, in stark contrast with the hard outlines usually associated with urban towers.

The design of the green façades is particularly ambitious, partly because of Melbourne’s temperate climate and partly because of the building’s exposure to salt air.

So in order to select the most suitable plant species, Hassell’s design department worked in partnership with Fytogreen, a company specialising in systems and technologies for greening the built environment.

“The Thrive is probably the largest green façade project ever undertaken this far south of the equator,” explained Travis Hemley, a Senior Associate at Hassell. “The plants form an integral part of the concept embraced by both clients, Cbus Property and Medibank.”

Medibank Place - 720 Bourke Street In designing the Thrive, Medibank, Australia’s largest health insurance company, gave top priority to creating a healthy work environment for its staff and a monument to environmental integrity that benefits the whole community.

The design of the work environment thus embraces the principles of Activity Based Working, and complements them with those of Health Based Working (an approach

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* GERFLOR’S POLICY OF ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1. Eco-responsible materials: • Free from heavy metals, solvents and formaldehyde • 100% conformity with REACH standards 2. Interior air quality: • VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) < 10 µg/m3 for the homogeneous range and < 100 µg/m3 for all other floor coverings • All products have Floorscore, AgBB and M1 certification 3. Recycling: • 100% recyclable materials • Gerflor contributes to the recycling of its products at the end of their life 4. Environmental footprint: • Gerflor’s production facilities are ISO 14001 certified • Eco-designed products: low environmental impact throughout their life-cycle • EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) available for all products from our virtual library • Environmental assessment methods for the construction of buildings: LEED, HQE, BREEAM.

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Photography Earl Carter Peter Bennetts

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to workplace design that places the mental and physical health of people at its heart).

The result is that Medibank staff are free to choose where and how they work, because a range of options are open to them, including indoor quiet spaces, a library, Wi-Fi-enabled balconies designed as collaborative hubs, standing workstations, and green areas that aid concentration by enabling people to walk around as they work.

The interior design also pays close attention to colour, which it uses as a creative stimulus and key element in achieving environmental wellbeing.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why the architects specified over 3,000 square metres of visually striking floor coverings from the Taralay Premium range by Gerflor*, which was awarded the highest level of certification obtainable by resilient floors under the Australian Green Tag green product certification scheme. The Taralay range combines eco-sustainability with low maintenance and a fantastic palette of pastels.

The new Medibank HQ also features an innovative system of Circadian lighting, which mimics natural daylight patterns and enhances performance by supporting peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biorhythms.

Staff can also make use of a multi-purpose sports court at ground level, built next to an edible garden and demonstration kitchen, which is used for promoting healthy eating to both staff, organisations and the wider community.

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Exhibition Calendar

REVESTIR Sao Paulo, Brazil - 1/4 March 2016 KIEVBUILD Kiev, Ukraine – 2/4 March 2016 UZBUILD Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 2/4 March 2016 KBB – Kitchen, Bathroom+Bedroom Birmingham, UK – 6/9 March 2016 KERAMIKA Jakarta, Indonesia– 17/20 March 2016 HOME SHOW DESIGN Miami, USA – 18/21 March 2016 DOMOTEX ASIA/CHINAFLOOR Shanghai, PRC - 22/24 March 2016 DIHAD DUBAI Dubai, EAU – 21/23 March 2016 DOMOTEX ASIA CHINA FLOOR Shanghai, RPC – 22/24 March 2016 SIBBUILD Mosca, Russia – 5/8 April 2016 BATIMAT RUSSIA Moscow, Russia - 5/8 April 2016 MOSBUILD CERSANEX Moscow, Russia - 5/8 April 2016 CONSTRUMA Budapest, Ungary – 6/10 April 2016 BAUMA Monaco di Baviera, Germany – 11/17 April 2016 I SALONI Milan - 12/17 April 2016 COVERINGS Chicago USA - 18/21 April 2016 PROJECT QATAR Qatar National Convention Centre - 2/5 May 2016 ISH Frankfurt, Germany - 14/18 March 2017 CERSAIE Bologna, Italy – 26/30 September 2016 TECNARGILLA Rimini, Italy - 26/30 September 2016

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Silvia Spitaleri, Polytechnic School - University of Palermo (Industrial Design Laboratory III, Degree in Industrial Design)

BOLOGNA, 26 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 promoted by CONFINDUSTRIA CERAMICA

in collaboration with

CERAMICA CONFINDUSTRIA organized by

show management

Promos srl

free ticket online: www.cersaie.it/onlinebooth

25 th International exhibition of technology and supplies for the ceramic and brick industries

The future of ceramics

26 -30 SEPTEMBER 2016 RIMINI - ITALY th

Organized by

In cooperation with

With the support of

tecnargilla.it

th

Wood Selection

Matter is the protagonist of this selection which Piemme dedicates entirely to wood. The two versions, Parquet and DĂŠcapĂŠ, make it possible to stylishly furnish both environments of classic taste and more modern interiors. Elegant in homes and carefully designed for public areas, Wood Selection is a versatile surface offering numerous furnishing solutions.

Industrie Ceramiche Piemme S.p.A. Via Del Crociale 42/44 - 41042 Fiorano - Modena - Italy - tel+39 0536 849111 - fax+39 0536 849402 - www.ceramichepiemme.it - info@ceramichepiemme.it