Gambarelli Group acquires interest in Poceram

At the end of July the Ceramiche Gambarelli Group finalised the acquisition of an interest in Poceram, an historic Coimbra-based Portuguese company which has been led since 1973 by the Marques family and closed 2007 with a turnover of 20 million euro.

This alliance, announced at Cevisama in February, meets a twofold requirement. On the one hand it offers Ceramica Gambarelli a production facility with competitive costs, while on the other it brings Poceram the Italian company's extensive experience in the field of research and marketing, particularly as concerns large-scale distribution. Gambarelli, which will have its own representatives on the board of Poceram and will directly handle the activities of research and organisation of the Portuguese factory, will produce its own series of products for the American market directly in the Coimbra facility along with the lines for construction sites and lower-priced series. Production will amount to around 5 million sq.m. The highest quality and technologically advanced products, including the Oxygena antismog tile, will continue to be manufactured in Italy.

In 2007 the company led by the Pozzi family had 200 employees and generated a turnover of 51 million euro. With this new joint venture, Gambarelli expects to reach a production of 10 million sq.m and a turnover of approximately 80 million euro in 2009 with 350 employees.