As part of a $10.5 million expansion, tile maker Crossville Inc. is about to install a new 21' high, 180 metric ton SACMI PH7500 press that is being shipped from Italy, in a three-month voyage by sea and river. It will be a major feature of Crossville’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and headquarters in Crossville, Tenn.

“Crossville is in the midst of the most significant expansion project in terms of production capability since its founding three decades ago,” said John E. Smith, president and general manager of Crossville. “The SACMI PH7500 will be the largest and only tile press of its kind in the Americas. By June of this year, Crossville will have the technology and equipment that will enable us to offer more sustainable and innovative products than ever before."

With the press, Crossville will "soon be able to produce extra-large tile, 24" by 36", that is double-filled, rectified, modular, honed and certified to have 20% recycled content," Smith added.

Another major component of the expansion is a new R&D facility that will allow Crossville to move forward with design and development concepts quickly, the company said. "It is an investment that reflects our optimism about the future of the company and the tile industry,” Smith noted.