Cesar Cardenas (Vitromex): "2019 will be a year of growth in the USA"

Ahead of the appointment with Coverings 2019 (Orlando, 9 to 12 April), we asked some of the leading figures in the US ceramic industry to comment on the current state and future prospects of the US market.

Cesar Cardenas, CEO of Vitromex

“ We see the US market becoming continuously more competitive. Those manufacturers participating must be very focused on what they do well and drive their advantages as deeply as possible into the market. As trends in the US are constantly changing and evolving, it is important to ultimately remember to stay aligned with the end-user. Vitromex Mexico, as well as Vitromex USA, has recently affirmed its commitment to the end-user by re-asserting our identity, “Best Economic Value”. We are very pleased with our progress last year as it was a year of market position and self-analysis with heavy emphasis on our production capabilities and development. This renewed focus comes at a good time for us with respect to international trade. Thankfully, our current distributor base (as well as new prospective distributors) have turned to Vitromex USA for help. I suspect this is evidence of a more competitive position for Mexican manufacturers in general for most ceramic and porcelain categories across the board. No one expects Chinese imports to go away, but if trade tensions on duties levels the playing field enough to allow the US market and Mexico to partner and strengthen the business relationships, we believe this will be the preference of the US markets.

2019 will be an exciting year for Vitromex. With trends already pointing to growth, we expect to be well ahead of the US market’s anticipated 2-3%. „