Niro Ceramic continues its expansion

The last two years have brought a further acceleration in the international growth of Niro Ceramic Group, a technical and glazed porcelain tile manufacturer headquartered in Malaysia since moving there from Switzerland in 1988.

After acquiring the Spanish company Zirconio in May 2013, last year Niro Ceramic Group started up in India, establishing Niro Ceramic India in Mumbai started outsourcing production in Morbi, and last September completed the expansion of its facility in Bogor, Indonesia.

"After a presence of 20 years, Niro Ceramic Indonesia has built up a strong organization, with Niro Granite well established as a leading brand in the Indonesian market." - Managing Director Bong Kuan Shin, told us.

"Given the increasing market demand, we decided to invest about USD 15 million to expand the capacity of the factory in Bogor (Jakarta) from 2 to 5 million sq.m/year. The new complete line was successfully commissioned in September last year. The main machines - presses, dryers and kiln - were supplied by the Italian SITI B&T Group. The kiln is 250 metres in length and is said to be the longest in Southeast Asia.

"Both the dryer and the kiln are highly energy efficient, which is of utmost importance for us given that energy saving and environmental friendliness should be the key goals of any organization. We have noted that the major Italian suppliers offer machinery with a greater innovation content than their competitors and are also increasingly focused on the market and on reducing production costs. These are very important factors for manufacturers in today's increasingly competitive environment."

Read the full interview with Bong Kuan Shin published on Ceramic World Review 112/2015