San Luis Potosi, Mexico—Ceramic tile manufacturer, Vitromex USA, is breaking into the porcelain segment with a collection that will be marketed and merchandised under its new Artemis brand. The line will launch at Surfaces ’06 with five series replicating natural stone from around the world.

The official moniker for the assortment is Artemis Impervious Glazed Porcelain. The word “impervious” is the key element. “The increased popularity of glazed porcelain has put many brands on the retail floor,” said Neal Gray, vice president of sales and marketing. “Talking about impervious will be the differentiator. In a market where there is little difference, you need to talk about an intangible.”

Indeed, many brands claim to be impervious, said Gray. By American Standard Testing Method (ASTM) definition, an impervious tile has water absorption of no more than .5%. But that doesn’t change the fact that some tiles on the market claiming to be impervious are in reality vitreous—water absorption as much as 3%) or semi-vitreous—3% to 7%. But Artemis is a true impervious tile, Gray said, in the right colors and designs, a result of working with leading design and trend experts in Europe and extensive consumer research.

“Vitromex conducted extensive research throughout Italy, Mexico and the U.S. before producing what we believe to be the gold standard,” said Sergio Car-denas, president of Vitromex USA. “Vitromex is already a leader in the ceramic tile industry. Our goal is to become a leader in glazed porcelain as well by providing a high-quality, stylish product at a competitive price.”

Cardenas stressed the move to porcelain is spawned from consumer demand and not a result of a dissipating ceramic business, unlike what’s been the reality for some of Vitromex’ competitors.

“We are not converting to porcelain; we are adding capacity,” he said. To that end, what was already North America’s largest tile factory was expanded by 200,000-sq.-ft., creating a 950,000-square-foot facility and giving Vitromex the capacity to produce about 150 million square feet of tile annually. Built in 2002 to produce 6- and 18-in. tiles, the porcelain expansion includes new lines, new kilns and a new raw material warehouse.

Getting into porcelain allows the mill to reach the lucrative specialty retail channel, something it was unable to do with its ceramic tile mix that skewed toward the low end. Consumer media is marketing porcelain as an upscale, fashion product, and dealers are pushing it because of increased profit opportunities offered by a higher-end residential product.

One thing retailers will not have to worry about is channel conflict issues. While Artemis is the flagship brand, Vitromex will come to market with totally different porcelains to service multiple channels. Gray also assured no product will appear under different brands. “We will not make the same product and attach different names to it for different customers,” he said.

To support the porcelain launch, Vitromex is moving its San Antonio distribution center to Laredo, Tex. “The move will improve lead times for customers,” Cardenas said, “and Laredo offers better availability of carriers and freight than San Antonio.”

Vitromex’s roots go back more than 70 years, when a company was formed in Saltillo, Mexico, that manufactured aluminum and enamel pots and pans. Over the years, new business units were formed, such as one that manufacturers engine blocks for the automotive industry. The company was privately owned until the 1960s when it went public as Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS). It is still traded publicly in Mexico.

The Vitromex ceramic division launched in 1967 by selling bathroom fixtures—soap dishes, towel holders, etc. A few years later it got into the manufacture of 4-in. tiles and gradually added new sizes and designs.

For more on Vitromex, visit it at Surfaces or call 800/848-4146.
—Steven Feldman