Lasselsberger Group, strategies for competitiveness

Lasselsberger Group closes a good 2019, with very positive results in the raw materials division and an increase of ceramic tile sales.

As one of the world’s largest ceramic tile producers, Lasselsberger Group is uniquely positioned to observe the various markets of Central and Eastern Europe. The Pöchlarn, Austria-based multinational is the market leader in Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic, where it has its own manufacturing facilities, and it also has a factory in Russia. The group has a ceramic tile production capacity of around 50 million sq.m/year and also operates in the segments of raw materials and building materials.

As one of the world’s largest ceramic tile producers, Lasselsberger Group is uniquely positioned to observe the various markets of Central and Eastern Europe. The Pöchlarn, Austria-based multinational is the market leader in Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic, where it has its own manufacturing facilities, and it also has a factory in Russia. The group has a ceramic tile production capacity of around 50 million sq.m/year and also operates in the segments of raw materials and building materials.

“Out of our three divisions – raw materials, building materials and ceramics – the first performed very well and exceeded the other two in terms of its contribution to the group’s total turnover”, managing director Martin Hofmann said. “We are also satisfied with the results of the ceramic division” – he added. “Although we won’t achieve the ambitious goals we had set ourselves, our sales forecasts are higher than the 2018 figures. As for profitability, our Group’s results are influenced by the significant increase in energy and labour costs."

In 2019, the group has been mostly concentrated on the launch of larger sizes and higher thicknesses, such as the 60x60 cm size with a 20 mm thickness, manufactured in the new plant in Pilsen in the Czech Republic; the facility was completed in 2018 with an investment of around 40 million euros. As for future projects, the rebuild of the next line in the Czech factory in Rakovnik is currently getting under way.

The investment will give the opportunity to automate the production flow of the entire factory and improve the ability to work with Lasselsberger’s own raw materials. The Austrian group also plans to finalize the rebuilding of the existing factories in Hungary and Romania, while in Russia they want to proceed with a new expansion step in production capacity.

Read the interview with Martin Hoffmann published in Ceramic World Review 134.