Filippo Marazzi wins Aldo Villa prize

Sep 26, 2003

26/09/03 - The Aldo Villa prize, set up in 1988 by the Italian Ceramic Society in memory of its first chairman, is awarded every two years to an entrepreneur, executive, technician or researcher who has made a substantial contribution to the growth of the ceramic sector. This year's prize will go to Filippo Marazzi, chairman of the Ceramiche Marazzi Group, and will be presented at the end of the opening conference of the 21st Cersaie.

The 2003 jury unanimously voted him winner of the eighth international prize "for his exceptional contribution to the increased use of ceramic tiles all over the world and for the farsighted entrepreneurship that on numerous occasions has allowed him to establish technical and technological innovations and lead the way in productive globalisation".

The in-focus section contains a list of the previous winners of the prize and a short biography of Filippo Marazzicers_ok.gifWinners of the international Aldo Villa awardWinners of the international Aldo Villa award

Past winners of the Aldo Villa award are:

1989 - Adriano Bossetti, chairman of S.I.T.I. of Marano Ticino

1991 - Alex Muller and Georg Bednorz, Nobel prize winners for physics in 1987

1993 - Romano Minozzi, chairman of Iris Ceramiche of Sassuolo

1995 - Philip Rosenthal, chairman of German company Rosenthal

1997 - Leopoldo Cini, honorary chairman of the Italian Ceramic Society and university lecturer

1999 - Josè Soriano Ramos, chairman of Porcelanosa group

2001 - Vittoriano Bitossi, chairman of Colorobbia GroupShort biography of Filippo MarazziShort biography of Filippo Marazzi

In 1971, at the age of 21, he was appointed vice chairman of Ceramica Filippo Marazzi, the Group's holding company. The following year he took over general management, and in April 1978 after the death of his father Pietro he became chairman and managing director.

In the early 1980s, he launched the Group on its internationalisation process, setting up Marazzi Iberia in Spain and American Marazzi Tile in the United States.

In the autumn of 1989, he became chairman and managing director of Ceramiche Ragno following the acquisition of the entire capital by the Marazzi Group.

In 1993 he became chairman of Hatria.

In February 1992 he received an honorary degree in chemistry from the University of Modena.

In June 1995 he was appointed a Knight of Labour by the President of the Republic.

In 2002 he received the "Pico della Mirandola" award.

Following joint ventures and partnership agreements, acquisitions and building of new plants, Filippo Marazzi now leads a Group consisting of 18 factories in Italy, Spain, France and the USA (plus one under construction in Russia), a branch in Japan and a clay reserve in the Ukraine.

The Ceramiche Marazzi Group closed fiscal 2002 with a turnover of 975 million euro and an annual production of more than 80 million square metres (59% floor tiles, 41% wall tiles)