Turkish tile maker Vitra has acquired a majority stake in
Villeroy & Boch, one of the industry’s oldest ceramic tile brands. Plans
call for Vitra to oversee all production and marketing of Villeroy & Boch’s
tile division, V & B Fliesen GmbH. This includes two tile plants in Germany
and an additional manufacturing plant in France, as well as a workforce of
about 1,000.
Vitra said the purchase of a tile
operation with annual sales of more than $200 million, will give the Turkish
ceramic producer a greater global profile. “The new agreement raises the
company’s production capacity to 35 million square meters and the number of its
workers to 2500,” the company said.
Villeroy & Boch noted that the agreement would allow it to
concentrate on its Bathroom and Wellness, and Tableware divisions. The company
spun off its ceramic tile operations, which produces approximately 10 million
square meters of product annually, as a fully owned subsidiary last year.
Report Abusive Comment