Italian ceramic machinery on display at Coverings in Orlando

Acimac is leading a group of Italian companies showcasing the latest ceramic industry technologies at Coverings.

Following the appointment with Mosbuild (Moscow, 2-5 April), Italian ceramic technology is heading to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando (FL) for Coverings, the most important North American exhibition for the tile and stone industry to be held from 9 to 12 April. The 30th edition of the show will host 1,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and is expecting more than 26,000 visitors.

Acimac (Italian Ceramic Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association) will be promoting the excellence of Italian machinery in the US by organizing a collective of leading companies including BMR, Certech, Diatex, ICF & Welko, Luna Abrasivi, Officine Smac, Surfaces and System Ceramics.

Despite signs of a slowdown, the US continues to be a very important market for the Italian ceramic industry. Based on the latest available figures (October 2018) published by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and TCNA, it is estimated that tile consumption in the United States reached 288 million sq.m in 2018, an increase of 1.2% on the previous year. Up to 31 October 2018, the country imported 171.7 million sq.m of tiles (4.4% more than the 164.6 million sq.m of 2017), accounting for a 70.3% share of consumption (up from 68.6% in 2017).

Italian manufacturers exported machinery worth 141.1 million euros to North America in 2017, 8.5% of their total exports (but 19.1% less than the previous year).

The next stops in Acimac’s promotional programme are CICEE (China), Asean Ceramics (Thailand) and Ceramic Expo Bangladesh.