Porcelanosa posts 806 million euro turnover in 2018

The Spanish group registered 3.4% growth in 2018. Work on the new wall tile factory is continuing and will be completed in 2021.

Despite uncertainties and economic instability in numerous countries, the Vila-Real, Spain-based Porcelanosa Group posted 3.4% revenue growth in 2018 to reach 806 million euros.

The result was announced by the group’s managing director María José Soriano at the inauguration of its traditional annual event, the 26th International Exhibition of Global Architecture and Interior Design, which took place from 21 to 25 January and was attended by more than 12,000 professionals from all over the world.

The event involved an investment of around a million euros and brought together all eight of the group’s companies (Porcelanosa, Venis, L’Antic Colonial, Gamadecor, Krion, Butech, Noken and Urbatek), who offered customers a preview of the new 2019 products in an exhibition space of approximately 13,000 square metres.

Commenting on the 2018 results, María José Soriano confirmed that the best performing markets were Spain, Portugal, Russia, Mexico and the Netherlands. She also discussed the expansion programme for the group’s global sales outlets, which already number more than a thousand. New openings are planned for 2019 in Virginia (USA), Guinea, Uzbekistan and Siberia along with new branches in Cologne, Buenos Aires and Johannesburg.

In step with its economic growth, the group is also expanding its workforce (in 2018 Porcelanosa took on 300 new employees in Spain) and is continuing to invest in its production activities in accordance with the 2018-2020 development plan. It invested 100 million euros in 2018, while a further 150 million euro investment is planned for the two-year period 2019-2020 with the aim of improving energy efficiency, waste management and product innovation.

In particular, it has built a new wall tile factory which will become fully operational in 2021 (work is proceeding without halting production) and will extend over a surface area of 100,000 sqm with heights of up to 16 metres. It will have 13 pressing and glazing lines and 4 new 101-metre kilns and when fully operational will increase wall tile production by 25% compared to the previous facility.

Maria José Soriano is cautiously optimistic about 2019. “We are not looking for double-digit growth but for sustainable and stable development without excessive fluctuations that might pose a risk for the company,” she said.