Rondinegroup and Seramiksan join forces

Rondinegroup, a historic Italian ceramic brand, and Seramiksan, one of the largest Turkish ceramic groups with operations in the tile and sanitaryware sectors, signed a major agreement on 17 June in Rubiera, Italy.

By acquiring the Rondinegroup shares that had been held by the private equity fund Progressio SGR since 2006, Seramiksan has become a stakeholder in the Italian group, which thus begins its internationalisation process alongside a major industrial partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Giacobazzi family and Seramiksan will each hold 50% stakes and Lauro Giacobazzi will stay on as Chairman and CEO of Rondinegroup.

The two groups will also maintain their complete management, operational and commercial autonomy, although there is plenty of scope for synergy in terms of distribution in various outlet markets, in new product R&D and in creating new business opportunities in international markets.

Lauro Giacobazzi commented: "This marks the beginning of a new phase in Rondine's history. The process of economic globalisation requires a new approach, which our company has chosen to undertake together with a leading ceramic industry partner in Turkey and worldwide."

Founded in 1961, Rondinegroup became an industrial ceramic group through the acquisition of Spray Dry (spray dried bodies) in 2005 and Sadon (a producer of ceramic skirting) in 2010. It uses state-of-the-art technologies and has an annual production of 6.7 million square metres of ceramic tiles and 250,000 tons of ceramic bodies.

In 2012 it reported a consolidated turnover of 63 million euro, of which 85% was generated by tile sales. This is expected to reach around 73 million euro this year. Estimates for the first half of 2013 reveal a turnover that has already risen sharply (+23%) with respect to the first half of 2012. The Group employs 286 people at its headquarters and three manufacturing sites.

Seramiksan, founded in Manisa in 1994, is owned by the Demirdover family, which also has interests in other industrial sectors including clay brick and roof tile production, insulators, ceramic adhesives and machinery. The ceramic sector business has 1,040 employees and an annual manufacturing capacity of 28 million square metres of tiles and a million pieces of sanitaryware and is equipped with state-of-the-art Italian technology.