Against the backdrop of a stabilizing Spanish ceramic tile industry, Vives Ceramica continues to exemplify the innovation and quality that have made Spain a dominant force in global tile exports. In this exclusive interview, Jose Ruiz-Roscigno, business development director of Vives Ceramica and Vives by Grove, offers insights from one of the family-owned businesses contributing to Spain's €4.9 billion [U.S. $5.24 billion] ceramic tile sector. This content has been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below.

Floor Trends & Installation: What new collections are you showcasing at Cevisama 2025?

Jose Ruiz-Roscigno: Right now, we have our two latest collections. We have the dual collection, which is a combination of four different concrete-look tiles. We also are bringing the Tandon collection, which are three different types of marble looks with concrete looks and accent walls that we anticipate will be great for new construction. These custom homes are looking for really luxury products.

Floor Trends & Installation: What makes Vives tile designs unique in the industry?

Ruiz-Roscigno: Our veining is more elaborate. We really take care of our products from the moment of raw material sourcing all the way up to the final product. For example, the marble that we see on this table is real natural stone, and our graphic designers and interior designers later improve it pixel by pixel internally.

Floor Trends & Installation: What was your most successful collection from last year?

Ruiz-Roscigno: Last year, Vives introduced the Article collection, which is our travertine looks, and it was a massive success. The industry was not looking for travertine-looking porcelain tiles. People thought that was not possible to reintroduce it. And so far we see almost 50% of our total sales were with that specific collection.

Floor Trends & Installation: How does Vives research what the North American market wants?

Ruiz-Roscigno: We have teams of architects and designers that work in-house, visiting the U.S. market every two weeks. So they are in the United States and are in Europe for two weeks, and we are constantly exchanging information... As a European company, we listen, but we also try to push with innovation in products, materials, and textures to talk and not convince but motivate these lead designers and lead architects into absorbing these new technologies and trends in design.

Floor Trends & Installation: What is Vives' relationship with the SAMA show?

Ruiz-Roscigno: Vives Ceramica is still a family-owned business... Since the very beginning of SAMA and all our tile organizations, we have been supporting them with investments in order to make sure that the fair continues alive. We believe that both Cevisama and Cersaie continue, and we need to keep bringing people to trust about the Spanish market and the Spanish type of production, which is one of the most advanced based on technology quality and design production.

Floor Trends & Installation: What flooring trends are you seeing in the North American market?

Ruiz-Roscigno: We suffered for many years under the scales of grays in the industry until about two years ago. Later, we continued covering and bringing travertine looks and warmer tones. So we brought a lot of greens... But our travertine collections were far more accepted... everything towards the warmer tones has been the lead on the industry.

Floor Trends & Installation: How are you educating contractors on proper installation techniques?

Ruiz-Roscigno: We partner with custom home builders in workshops. We provide several lunch and learns weekly for them. Our technical teams travel from Spain, and the goal is to collaborate with them, teach them the best practices and techniques, and ensure that they have less waste while also following the design trends and patterns.

Floor Trends & Installation: What's your business outlook for the North American market in 2025?

Ruiz-Roscigno: Right now you may see a trend of LVT coming stronger and stronger in the United States... But these are products made of plastic... We try to educate our architects and our designers to specify products that are sustainable... We do see a trend that is not going to go down, specifying large format tiles. Right now, 24x 48 is what we sell the most... but we do see that the trend will continue to go larger and larger.

Floor Trends & Installation: What sets Spanish tile apart regarding quality and sustainability?

Ruiz-Roscigno: We recognize that price sensitivity is a significant factor in the United States market. Our approach is to offer the optimal balance between competitive pricing and superior quality, highlighting the added value that distinguishes our products from those of competitors. The difference becomes evident in real-world applications. For example, when a high-quality hand shower from Calista impacts tile surfaces, inferior tile will crack or break. Our tiles undergo a rigorous firing process, spending approximately one hour in our kilns—significantly longer than industry averages. This extended firing requires more resources, including gas, time, and overall production costs, which is reflected in the final price. However, this investment results in a product with superior durability and longevity, making it more sustainable and cost-effective throughout the lifespan of your project.