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DIRECTOR: JOSÉ LUIS VALENCIA LARRAÑETA. ISSUE 183. AUGUST 2015www.elperiodicodelazulejo.es

More than 160 Spanish companies will present next month in Bologna their latest designs to boost its international sales

Countdown to Cersaie 2015

We are just weeks away from the

opening of Cersaie. Spanish ceramic

industry is working tirelessly to

present in Bologna a good bunch of

new products to surprise trade buyers

worldwide. Spanish companies will

We are just weeks away from the

opening of Cersaie. Spanish ceramic

industry is working tirelessly to

present in Bologna a good bunch of

new products to surprise trade buyers

worldwide. Spanish companies will

attend the fair (more than 160) trust

in close numerous new orders from

foreign markets. As in years past, some

of the largest tile producers in Spain

will display their latest developments to

an international audience.

EDITORIAL

LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO CERSAIE 2015

Fair Pages 4-6

From September 28 to October 2

it will take place in Bologna (Italy)

the leading fair for the tile industry,

Cersaie. 162 companies from the

Spanish ceramic tile district will be

exhibiting at the international event.

Distribution Pages 6-9

The central purchasing and services

Grupo BdB has invited its more than

165 distribution partners to share a

professional conference in Madrid

focused in strategy, leadership and

bussiness positive attitude.

Design Page 10

Cevisama will be returning to the

Feria Valencia convention center in

Valencia from February 9 to 13, 2015

Design Page 12

After nearly three decades in the

North American market, Porcelanosa

sets up in the heart of Manhattan

Staff Director: José Luis Valencia. Editorial staff: Javier Cabrerizo. Photography: M. Nebot, P. Poyato y G. Utiel. Design: José Martos. Edit: Comunicación y Medios de Levante, SL (GRUPO ZETA). Commercial Area: Director: Jesús Dualde. Account executive: José López. azulejo@elperiodico.com. Ctra. de Almassora s/n. 12005 Castellón. Phone: 964 349 500. Legal deposit: CS-016-2000

Tilling Page 13

Rubi revamps its range of

manual tile cutters developed for

professionals and DIY enthusiasts.

Summary August 2015

Azulejoel Periódico del

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internationalization el Periódico del Azulejo August 20154

M ore than 160 Spanish cera-mic companies and ancillary

industries will participate in the next edition of Cersaie fair held from September 28 in Bologna, Italy. The five-day exhibition will include highlights and innovations from such prominent Spa-nish ceramic companies.

Tile manufacturers, distri-butors, architects, designers and industry professionals from many countries around the world gathered together to share ideas and network, while also introducing new collections and products.

Organized by Edi.Cer SpA and promoted by Confidus-tria Ceramica in collabora-tion with Bologna Fiere, this year’s show is expected to attract 100,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors from more than 30 countries.

Once again, the group of Spanish ceramic companies is the main foreign partici-pation in Cersaie with about

160 exhibitors, which streng-thens the position of Spanish ceramics in international markets and reaffirms the effort to expand the brand Tile of Spain abroad.

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARSFor the seventh consecutive year, Cersaie will provide a packed calendar of conferen-ces and seminars as part of its ongoing cultural program, Building, Dwelling, Thinking” which will host a range of in-teractive talks from various accredited architectural and design professionals.

The show will also host a meeting of European manu-facturers, retailers and tilers. For the first time, these pla-yers will come together to discuss the short and long-term market prospects and explore many topics of sha-red interest, such as techni-

This year, Cersaie is expected to attract 900 exhibitors from 30+ countries, and 100,000 Italian and international visitors

cal training of professionals and the state of internatio-nal standards governing pro-ducts and installation me-thods. Representatives from CET (European Ceramic Tile Producers’ Association), EUF (European Ceramic Tile Fixers’ Association) and dis-tributor and retailer associa-tions from several different countries will be present.

INNOVATIVE APPAll the Spanish exhibitors at Cersaie 2015 including ma-nufacturers of ceramic tiles, sanitary ware and ancillary products, have now a new and innovative app for iPad and smartphones (iPhone and Android) which replaces the traditional paper catalo-gue of exhibitors.

This year, Tile of Spain pre-sents the new app for iPad and smartphones (Apple and

THE COUNTDOWN TO CERSAIE BEGINS NOWMore than 160 Spanish companies are finalizing the details of its participation at the international fair, which this year will celebrate a week later than usual

At the thirty second edition of Cersaie, which takes place in Bologna, Italy, from September 28th to October 2nd, the Spanish ceramic industry will be well represented.

Android) which compiles all the information anyone needs at the fair.

It replaces the traditional paper catalogue and provi-des additional information about the exhibitors, such as new ranges, images, contact details and location of stand. This app also includes seve-ral filters that enable brow-sing by company name, sec-tor or hall.

The Tile of Spain-Cersaie’15 app hopes to be a useful tool in the fair helping visitors to plan their visit, providing wide information and even offering users the possibility of creating a favorite list in order to organize their visit.

Some of the advantages that this app offers are: list of companies; quick and useful search of companies by sector or company name; possibility of selecting favorite compa-nies; and company relevant information (a compilation of ranges, location at the fair, images and contact details in Spain and in Italy). H

Cer-Stile, the new show about renovation

Another highlight of this year is Cer-Stile, an entirely new show feature. It will be set up as a three-stage journey, extending over an area of 1,500 square meters, where the visionary concept will be combined with concrete aspects of renovation. At the center, an unused railway station will become the conceptual hub of the exhibition.

At the thirty second edition of Cersaie, which takes place in Bologna, Italy, from September 28th to October 2nd, the Spanish ceramic industry will be well represented.

Cer-Stile, the

1. ABSOLUT KERAMIKA 2. ACQUABELLA 3. ADEX 4. ALAPLANA 5. ALCALAGRES 6. ALEA 7. ALFOBEL 8. ALTTOGLASS 9. AMERICAN TILE SPAIN10. APARICI11. APAVISA PORCELÁNICO12. APE13. ARCANA CERÁMICA14. ARGENTA CERÁMICA15. ARKAIS-LLAC16. ATLANTIC TILES17. AZTECA18. AZULEJOS ALCOR19. AZULEJOS BENADRESA20. AZULEV21. AZULIBER22. AZUVI23. BAGLINOX BASMAT24. BALDOCER25. BATHCO26. BELLACASA CERÁMICA27. BESTILE28. BONALIFE29. BORMIOLI ROCCO30. BUTECH - GRUPO PORCE-

LANOSA31. CERACASA32. CERÁMICA ANTIGA33. CERÁMICA CAS34. CERÁMICA DA VINCI35. CERÁMICA ELIAS36. CERÁMICA GEMAS/ONEKER37. CERÁMICA LATINA38. CERÁMICALCORA39. CERÁMICA MAYOR40. CERÁMICA RIBESALBES41. CERÁMICAS BELCAIRE42. CERÁMICAS MIMAS43. CERÁMICA VILAR ALBARO44. CERANOSA45. CERLAT46. CEVICA47. CICOGRES48. CIFRE CERÁMICA49. COBSA50. CODICER9551. COLLAGE52. COLOR ESMALT53. COLORKER54. COLOROBBIA ESPAÑA55. COLORONDA56. CRISTACER57. DECOCER58. DREAMTILE59. DUAL GRES60. DUNE61. DURSTONE62. ECOCERAMIC 63. EL BARCO64. EL MOLINO 65. EL PERIÓDICO DEL AZULE-

JO / MEDITERRÁNEO66. EMAC67. EMIGRES68. EMOTION CERAMICS69. ENTICDESIGNS70. EQUIPE CERÁMICAS71. ESMALGLASS72. EUROSHRINK73. EXPOSITORES ALCORA74. EZARRI MOSAICO75. FABRESA76. FANAL CERÁMICAS77. FIORA78. FRITTA79. GAMA-DECOR80. GAYA FORES81. GEOTILES

82. GRECO GRES 83. GRES DE ALLOZA84. GRES DE ARAGÓN85. GRESMANC86. GRESPANIA87. HALCÓN CERÁMICAS88. IBERO PORCELANICO89. IBX 200390. INALCO91. INSCA92. INTERMATEX93. ITT CERAMIC94. KERABEN GRUPO95. KERAFRIT96. KERATILE97. KEROS CERÁMICA98. LAND PORCELANICO99. L’ANTIC COLONIAL100. LA PLATERA101. LEVANTINA102. LIMESTONE CERÁMICA103. LIVING CERAMICS104. MAINZU105. MAPISA106. MAYOLICA107. MIJARES108. MONOPOLE CERÁMICA109. MOSAVIT110. MUNDILITE111. MUSEUM112. MYR CERÁMICA113. NA-NUEVO AZULEJO114. NATUCER115. NAVARTI116. NAXANI DESIGN117. NEOLITH118. NEWKER119. NIRO GRANITE120. NOKEN DESIGN121. NOVOGRES122. ONIX123. OSET124. PAMESA125. PERONDA126. PLASDECOR127. PLAZA128. PORCELANICOS HDC129. PORCELANITE DOS130. PORCELANOSA131. PRISSMACER132. QUIMICER133. REALONDA134. REVIGLASS135. ROCERSA 136. ROSAGRES137. ROYO GROUP138. RUBI139. SALGAR140. SALONI141. SANCHIS142. STN CERÁMICA143. STRUKER 144. SYSTEM-POOL145. TAU CERÁMICA146. TERCOCER147. TERRACOTA148. TODAGRÉS149. TOGAMA150. UNDEFASA151. UNICER152. URBATEK CERAMICS153. VENETO DESIGN154. VENIS 155. VENUS156. VERNI-PRENS157. VERNIS158. VICENTE CAMP159. VIDREPUR160. VIDRES161. VIVES 162. ZIRCONIO- Información facilitada por la organización de Cersaie.

EMPRESAS ESPAÑOLAS EN CERSAIE 2015One of the outdoor exhibi-tion areas within BolognaFiere.

Spanish exhibitors at Cersaie

August 2015 5el Periódico del Azulejo internationalization

DUEL BETWEEN SPANISH AND ITALIAN COMPANIESThis year the ‘fight’ to convince customers in Bologna will be almost a duel between Spanish and Italian companies. The two contingents will have 606 of the 746 companies in Cersaie 2015. In other words, 81% of the total brands at the international fair will be of Spanish or Italian.

The remaining coun-tries in the international context of the ceramics industry will have a minor role in Bologna, especia-lly emerging producers, because the event orga-nizers limite their presen-ce and whose delegation will be minimal: China (6 companies), Brazil (2), Egypt (4), Saudi Arabia (3), Vietnam (1), India (3), Iran (1) or Arab Emirates (4).

The German group brands (25), Tur-key (28), Portugal (15) and France (8) are the most numerous significantly behind of Italy and Spain. Both coun-tries will remain its ‘supremacy’ in the BolognaFiere pavillions.

T iling Town will be back in a new and more prestigious location alongside

the Services Centre at the Exhibition Centre’s main entrance (Area 49). Now in its fourth edition, the event will bring together the en-tire world of tile laying at Cersaie. In the space of just a few years, it has seen a con-siderable improvement in quality and attracted cons-tantly growing numbers of participants and visitors.

Tiling Town 2015 will be divided into 3 separate areas. A large space will be occupied by Assoposa (Ita-lian ceramic tile layers’ asso-ciation), whose Master Tilers

NEW TILING TOWN AT CERSAIE 2015This show will be back alongside the Services Centre at the Exhibition Centre’s main entrance

landro (Bolzano), which will take part in Tiling Town in cooperation with the associa-tion lvh.apa Confartigianato Imprese of Bolzano. Eleven apprentices accompanied by their tutors will carry out some highly complex work requiring a high level of ma-nual skill, precision and me-ticulous workmanship.

The school in Silandro is the only Italian educatio-nal institute taking part in Worldskills 2015, the world championships of profes-sional skills to be held in August in São Paulo (Brazil) which will also include a ti-ling competition.

In another area, the Asso-posa master tilers will carry

In the space of just a few years, it has seen a great improvement in quality and attracted constantly growing numbers of visitors.

shared interest such as tech-nical training of professio-nals and the state of interna-tional standards governing products and installation methods. The meeting will see the participation of re-presentatives of CET (Euro-pean ceramic tile producers’ association), EUF (European ceramic tile fixers’ associa-tion) and distributor and re-tailer associations from seve-ral different countries. H

out a particularly complex installation to demonstrate the enormous adaptability of ceramic tiles to any requi-rement in the field of buil-ding and architecture.

Cersaie 2015 will also host a meeting of European ma-nufacturers, retailers and ti-lers. For the first time, these players will come together to discuss the short and long term market prospects and to explore many themes of

will give demonstrations of how to install large-format and thin tiles for interiors and exteriors. Numerous de-monstrations will be given each day and will be open to all visitors to Cersaie.

Following last year’s succe-ss, the 2015 event will once again see the participation of the vocational school of Si-

COVERINGS SEEKS SPEAKERS FOR ITS EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Coverings, the largest global tile and sto-ne exhibition in North America, is seeking conference speakers and professional deve-lopment seminar leaders for its 2016 exhi-bition programming. Making its return to Chicago, Illinois, for the first time in seven years, Coverings 2016 will be held from April 18-21, 2016 at McCormick Place.

Highlighted for its comprehensive spea-king and education programs, Coverings is calling for leading authorities in the cate-gories of architecture and interior design, building and remodeling, fabrication, ins-tallation, green building, health and safe-ty, retail sales and distribution, to submit proposals for one or more topics.

Proposals from individuals as well as teams are accepted and can be submitted at coverings.com/education. The deadline for submissions is August 26, 2015. “Cove-rings supports the continued professional

Coverings is calling for leading authorities in ceramics industry.

Coverings 2016 will be held from April 18-21, 2016 at McCormick Place, Chicago. The Coverings conference program will be revealed in January 2016

success of our show attendees by gathering the most knowledgeable and distinguished experts in the tile and stone industry to pro-vide quality educational sessions” said Karin Fendrich, Coverings show director.

“Coverings offers the broadest range of subject matter in the industry and we are looking forward to another year of robust programming with best-in-class speakers, whose sessions provide our attendees with all the necessary tools and knowledge for success” explain Karim Fendrich.

All sessions are free to registered Cove-rings attendees and exhibitors. Coverings is a registered provider of AIA and NKBA continuing education and applies for CEUs through IDCEC. The Coverings conference program will be revealed in January 2016 on the following link coverings.com/education. Co-verings is sponsored by the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (Ascer) H

Now in its fourth edition, the event will bring together the entire world of tile laying at Bologna

internationalization el Periódico del Azulejo August 20156

G rup Gamma has added the brand of screens Profil-tek to its list of

premium suppliers. Profil-tek is the leader company in manufacture of custom bathroom enclosures.

25 years ago Profiltek em-barked on its pursuit of exce-llence, inspired by the speci-fic needs of its customers to design tailor-made solutio-ns: the unique outcome of polished design seamlessly combined with cutting-edge technologies. Today, 25 years later, Spanish brand

GRUP GAMMA AND PROFILTEK NEW PROJECTAgreement to commercialize bathroom enclosures

continues to study new re-quirements and research new technologies with the clear aim of surpassing its customers’ expectations. Over three years ago now, Profiltek launched different action strategies for diver-sifying the company’s mar-kets, sales channels and pro-

ducts in order to strengthen its position.

With this new partnership agreement, Grup Gamma has more than 300 national and international suppliers, selected for its product assor-tment, quality and optimal service. From Gamma, with more than 300 points of sale in Spain, explain that “our aim is offer our members the best purchasing conditions in the market, the widest range of product and the best services, factors that im-prove the competitiveness of Grup Gamma stores”. H Grup Gamma works with 300 national and international brands.

Profiltek joins the selection of Grup Gamma’s premium suppliers

August 2015 7el Periódico del Azulejo distribution

distribution el Periódico del Azulejo August 20158

G rupo BdB has re-cently convened in Madrid its more than 165

Associates to share a pro-fessional conference who-se leitmotif was based on three main areas: business strategy, leadership and po-sitive attitude.

Jose Durá, Grupo BdB manager, opened the Con-gress, recalling that the BdB distributors are “stores that offer reliable solutions for renovation and home maintenance, with a very wide range of products in constant evolution”.

He also outlined that “BdB is ready to face a new stage of growth in this new time when the economy opens up new business op-portunities for distributors. A new stage in which there will be demand and must be able to attract it”. Durá said to the dealers: “Do not fear the market but also be part of it, and be an impor-tant part, making the BdB stores are modern, visually attractive and with a con-

and see first hand the new products in the stands of the suppliers. Thereafter, directors of Sika, Chova and Puma spoke to the au-dience.

HOUSING STOCK BdB Meeting 2015 also fea-tured the speech of Gonzalo Bernardos, a PhD in econo-mics and professor at the University of Barcelona, who presented the keys to the future of the construc-tion sector. He predicted “an interesant present and a promising future with stea-dy growth and continued close to 4% in Spain” and re-ported that “the number of new homes will be doubled through 2016, from 65,000 homes in the current year to 130,000 for next year“.

POTENTIAL TARGETSHe highlighted as potential targets, the segment of the

The national chain has boosted in the recent BdB Meeting 2015 values like cooperation, trust and commitment

reform with the figure of the individual customer and rehabilitation works supported by various state and public measures. With regard to the competition facing the sector of cons-truction, Gonzalo Bernar-dos argued that “we must go for a larger dimension of business, anticipating the market to cope with the competition”.

Meanwhile, César Pique-ras, executive coach, spoke about leadership in bussi-ness envinroments; whi-le Emilio Duró, expert in personal development and positive mental attitude, closed the meeting with an interesting presentation about the attitude, motiva-tion and happiness, where the star concept was an illu-sion, “an essential compo-nent to face new challenges as many personal and pro-fessional”. H

GRUPO BdB GATHERS ITS PARTNERS IN MADRIDThe central purchasing and services invited its more than 165 distribution partners to share a professional conference focused in strategy, leadership and positive attitude

Picture of one of the presentations of the BdB Meeting 2015. The national event was attended by BdB distributors from throughout the Spanish geography.

temporary image; and be productive, efficient and, above all, profitable busi-ness”.

SUPPLIERSThe BdB Meeting, which included the collaboration of six sponsors, suppliers of Grupo BdB continued with the first cycle of conferen-ces with the participation of directors of Mapei, Pro-pamsa and Rockwool.

These interventions were carried out from BdB with the main goal of “achieving the vision of each of the par-tner companies and know their added value within the value chain and syner-gies between manufactu-rers and the Grupo BdB”.

Immediately there was a break, during which the participants could regain strength, place their or-ders by taking advantage of exclusive promotions

A group of BDB associated companies in the Balearic Islands, with Juan Durá and Stefanie Peridont.

Stefanie Peridont, Grupo BdB marketing manager.

MORE CHANCES UNDER THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES

Group BdB director, Jose Durá - in the picture below- closed the con-gress with some words of thanks to all participants and recalled the sig-nificant points of the day. Durá

Dura emphasized that the new stage of growth and market oppor-tunities presented onwards to the construction sector and said that “grow and gain depends not only on demand, but also the way of ma-nage and strategy the teams and business policy that develops each company”.

In closing, all BdB Meeting par-ticipants gathered to share a com-mon lunch that concluded with a moment in which the BdB partners and main suppliers were the main protagonists.

Representatives of Sika, Mapei and Propamsa raffled some gifts among dealers who placed orders at the event; and the central purcha-sing services undertook a delivery of awards, which were awarded some of the entrepreneurs building materials.

On the left, Leo Pleguezuelos, Antonio Recio and Jesús Cao (Grupo Puma) and Gustavo García (Grupo BdB). And above, Mikel Solchaga (Rockwool), Jaime Mestres (Propamsa) and Francesc Busquets (Mapei).

A group of BDB associated companies in the Balearic Islands, with Juan Durá and Stefanie Peridont.

José Durá, Grupo BdB director, with Eduardo Chova and Antonio Chova, Chova representatives.

A Spanish platform for exchanging views

BdB Meeting has established itself over the course of its successive editions as a platform for exchanging views and taking advantage of synergies among all partners of the brand scattered throughout the Spanish geography.

The event provides interesting strategic keys for attendees, as retailers can apply in the day to day of their respective businesses. And thanks to the BdB Group representative within the sales channel, the event is set up as a real ‘thermometer’ about the situation of the sale of building materials in Spain.

From the Marketing department of the company explain that “Congress has shown, once again, the unity and cohesion of all members of the Group BdB, a feature that we are particularly pride; the quality of BdB Meeting 2015 has been set very high for future editions of the event”.

August 2015 9el Periódico del Azulejo distribution

C evisama organi-zing committee met in Castellón to analyze the

business situation and ob-jectives of the next edition, which comes with excellent prospects and will be held from 1 to 5 February 2016 at Feria Valencia,

The commercialization of spaces began a month ago and since then the event has already occupied about 85% of the exhibition area planned for 2016, with many companies that have renewed their commitment Cevisama and many others returning after years of ab-sence or incorporated for the first time.

“Are very exciting data, which makes us very opti-mistic and encourages us to work to grow the supply and demand in the Spanish showcase for excellence in the ceramic industry, ba-throom and natural stone”

in the process of joining the event” says Álvarez.

For Cevisama’s president, Manuel Rubert, “the pres-sence of Italian companies is very important”. Rubert Rubert trusts that there will be more additions as a result of the next commercial in-ternational action program-med by the fair in Italy, due to take place in Bologna in September.

GLAZES AND BATH The Spanish companies belonging to the frit and glaze industry, recognized as world-wide leaders, have already confirmed their con-fidence in Cevisama. And re-gading the bathroom sector, another of the pillars upon which to base Cevisama’s future growth, is one of the targets of the fair’s commer-cial efforts, specially in the domestic market.

Those efforts are starting to produce results, although

CEVISAMA 2016 WALKS WITH FIRM STEPS One month after starting the recruitment of spaces, Spanish and international companies have already occupied about 85% of the official exhibition area

says Carmen Alvarez, head of the international fair.

Cevisama will also exhibit in 2016 the supply of cera-mic machinery, that goes to the fair in even years. And right now, Álvarez explained to the committee, participa-tion is almost equal to that of 2014.

ITALIAN MANUFACTURERSOn the other hand, another of the basic core subjects sub-mitted for discussion in this meeting was the growing interest of the the Italian companies to participate in Cevisama. Up to now, 22 companies have already con-firmed their participation. Among them, Ceramiche Refin’s participation should be emphasized, as it is one of the top ten italian com-panies in the ceramic sector making its debut in the Spa-nish trade fair.

“Other firms also belon-ging to the Italian top te, are

The most innovative products will be on show at Cevisama 2015, a showcase of the year´s star products that is the point of reference for architects, designers and buyers.

The organization is making special efforts in recent months to increase the presence of bathroom brands

figures are still modest. Ce-visama has planned a great presentation for Catalonia, due to take place on 23 July 2015 in the headquarters of the Amec Ascon business and sectorial Association.

CENTRAL EUROPEFinally, Cevisama is develo-pping its own national and international promotion plans for capturing high quality professional visitors, especially in Central Europe. With this aim, Cevisama has concluded a collaboration agreement with the German tiles importer/distributor association. Moreover , Cevi-sama is considering the pos-sibility of organize a great International Work Meeting between large German dis-tributors and Spanish exhi-bitors. Spainsh fair is near to conclude another agreement with the European Associa-tion of manufacturing and distribution companies. H

The event will feature ceramic machinery, as the show does every two years. The next edition of Cevisama will take place from February 1 to 5, 2016.

The fair also works to achieve the assistance of European associations of distributors

design el Periódico del Azulejo August 201510

N ew York’s Fifth Avenue, 202nd Street, is about to give a warm wel-

come to a new neighbour: Porcelanosa Group, which will open its new flagship store in the world’s capital on September 9th.

Foster+Partners Studio, headed up by the prestigio-us British Architect Norman Foster, is in charge of the re-novation of this early-twen-tieth-century paradigmatic building, which is now a listed building in New York city. Its location is really ex-ceptional as well as being iconic. It is located in the in-tersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, next to Madi-son Square Park and opposi-te the Flatiron.

It will accommodate 2000 square metres of exhibition spread out over six floors, where Foster + Partners Stu-dio has managed to show different visual connections among spaces by means of a practical overview of the latest trends with regard to floor tiles and wall tiles, ba-throom equipment and inte-rior design, products made of natural stone or natural wood implemented into ar-

PORCELANOSA IN THE HEART OF MANHATTAN The company is putting the finishing touches to a great opening, which is to be held next September

section of Broadway and Fif-th Avenue, next to Madison Square Park and opposite the Flatiron, the new flags-hip showroom headquarters by Porcelanosa Group New York is a building with a vi-vid and unique history.

The architects Ely Jacques Kahn and Albert Buchman designed this building, spread out over six floors and over 1,500 square me-tres in 1918. Built during the First World War, it hosted the General Outdoor Adver-tising Company for a long period.

Previously, the area was occupied by a reddish sto-ne building in 1857 that housed from the headquar-ters of the New York Club or the Madison Square Bank to an emerging Cosmopolitan magazine or the prestigious Bertlitz language school.

After that Kahn and Buchman’s projected buil-ding, A.C. Gilbert Toy Com-pany was established in it and then it was renamed as the Gilbert Hall of Science, an amazing space that attracted hundreds of onlookers who would put their heads out the circular windows of 25th Street to watch the model

chitecture and interior de-sign, the revolutionary Solid Surface by Krion, as well as building systems and cut-ting-edge kitchens.

25 STORES IN U.S. MARKETOn top of that, the highest floors in the building will allocate events, lectures, se-minars, exhibitions and con-ventions, all of them with magnificent and exclusive luxury views of the Big Apple. After nearly three decades in

Located in a privileged enclave of Manhattan, the new Porcelanosa building is situated just opposite the Flatiron Building, next to Madison Square Park.

trains that circulated inside. A.C. Gilbert Company was the manufacturer of the first and extremely well-known Meccans as well as chemis-try sets and telescopes. Icons of the industrial revolution, innovation and science, and all turned into games.

The company founder, Albert Gilbert, became a le-gend, getting the National Council of Defense not to stop the production of edu-cational toys for Christmas during World War II. He argued that children, those who then played with toys that his company designed and manufactured were the engineers and architects of the future.

In subsequent decades, the Commodore Criterion hosted toy and Christmas decoration companies, and until recently, you were able to see in its shop window the

sets of musical games on a scale that turned its shop front into something unmis-takable.

AN ICONIC BUILDINGThose children who learned how to become engineers by playing had grown, and after a thorough restora-tion led by Foster + Partner studio, this iconic building will be renamed as Porce-lanosa building, a space dedicated to architecture and interior design aimed at the most professional profile in the New York me-tropolitan area.

Being on the verge of set-ting up in the heart of Man-hattan, the company is pu-tting the finishing touches to a memorable opening, which is to be held next September 9, 2015, a world and highly anticipated pre-miere. H

the North American market, owning 25 stores and more than 500 authorised dea-lers, Porcelanosa Group will contribute with its extensive career in design, architec-ture and interior design to a more professional profile in the metropolitan area of New York.

MADISON SQUARE PARKLocated in an affluent part of Manhattan, in the inter-

The new flagship showroom headquarters is a building with a vivid and unique history in the Big Apple

design el Periódico del Azulejo August 201512

WEBER PRESENTS ITS PRACTICAL GUIDE

Weber presents the new edition of its renowned Gui-de. It is a comprehensive tool that compiles knowled-ge of almost 100,000 emplo-yees in more than 50 coun-tries, who dedicate their talent to the manufacture and commercialization of useful, effective and long-lasting solutions for cons-truction, renovation and sustainable habitat.

This new edition of the Weber Guide comes with a completely renewed image and an easy-to-handle size.

It is the reference con-sultation tool in the sector, aiming at helping profes-sionals to solve their daily

The Weber Guide comes with a completely renewed image and an easy-to-handle size.

construction problems. It has been developed by We-ber technicians and experts, having taken into account the advances, trends and innovation of the European construction industry, to improve people’s well-being and their environment.

The new edition offers new problem-solution sheets and the latest novelties in products and construction systems aimed at the renova-tion market, energy efficien-cy and sustainable habitat in allareas in which Weber focuses: insulation, façade renovation; ceramic tiling and grouting; water and damproofing; concrete re-

pair and anchoring; screeds and flooring decoration and the new activity: sealing, bonding and resins.

It is a 378 pages manual with detailed information

regarding Weber products and solutions presented in a clear and didactic es-pecial format. Its practical approach and more than 500 photos and illustratio-

ns help construction pro-fessionals use reliable so-lutions for each daily work situation or successfully solve those special applica-tions required. H

The range of Star manual tile cutters for ceramic has been very succes-

sful since it first launched and is popular among both professionals and DIY en-thusiasts. In order to up-date the complete range, Rubi has designed two new manual tile cutters; the Star and Star Max. These cutters will replace all current mo-dels. The new model cutters do not compromise on the lightness and simplicity of current model designs but incorporate substantial im-provements.

The new breaker on the Star Max has been comple-tely redesigned, with better

NEW RANGE OF MANUAL TILE CUTTERSThe advanced breaker on the ‘Star Max’ model has been completely redesigned by Rubi

of the more popular ranges of Rubi cutters worldwide.

Among the changes hig-hlighted, the Star Max cu-tters are available with ca-rry bag/ backpack for easy transportation.

NEW TECHNOLOGYRubi, with its policy of cons-tant innovation and renova-tion of its main ranges has just introduced its new Fast, manual tile cutter that in-corporates interesting inno-vations in design.

One of the most outstan-ding technical innovations of the new FAST cutter is that the base made completely of aluminum. This type of base, high construction complexi-

performance both in the process of scoring and sna-pping. Functionality, prac-ticality and longevity of Rubi cutters are mandatory criteria of users worldwide. However, without losing the usual simple appearence of these cutters, designers have succeeded in giving a more modern, contempora-ry and dynamic look to one

Spanish brand have applied all their

industry experience to create this

lightweight range of manual cutters

ty, means high resistance to tension. This feature is what allows manufacture of the Fast cutter in sizes up to 85 centimeters in length to cut bigger tiles.

In addition and to further enhance their strength, the Fast cutter also has side su-pport envelopes hugging the base around the perimeter to give excellent strength to the machine.

With an innovative base, the Fast cutter also has a new breaking system, with more

power and better accuracy which meets the needs of the tiler.

An element appreciated by users who have actively participated in testing the design of this machine is it’s practical carry bag / bac-kpack for easy transport.

This practical element allows the user to easily move the machine by hand or on back which is very use-ful in countries where many professional travel on motor-cycle. H

August 2015 13el Periódico del Azulejo tiling

E nergy and resource efficiency, environ-mental protection, safety at work and

process reliability are of great importance in thermal process engineering, too. The industry will present in Ceramitec energy-efficient and environmentally sound solutions on the exhibition grounds of Messe München from 20 to 23 October 2015.

The claim for an economi-cally reasonable handling of energy and other resources has increasingly moved to the fore over the past years. The processing steps in thermal process engineering –drying, debinding, sintering– have to meet this challenge as well. In addition, there is a great number of special treatments which have to comply with the standards of efficient production.

These are, among other things, hydrogen or vacuum sintering and/or pyrolysis, carbon burnout, nitriding, carbonizing, carbonitriding or siliconizing. Therefore, very individual heating, gas-sing and conveying concepts as well as kiln gas distribu-tion or sluice systems are to be chosen for each task.

According to the insig-hts gained by the industry’s umbrella organization CE-COF (The European Com-mittee of Industrial Furna-ce and Heating Equipment

CERAMITEC CONNECTS THE ENTIRE SECTORThe industry will present energy-efficient and environmentally sound solutions on the exhibition grounds of Messe München from 20 to 23 October 2015

As a leading international trade show the ceramitec presents the entire value-added chain in the ceramics industry.

ramics industry have been able to continuously reduce the specific energy require-ments of kiln runs and have worked out solutions for the ceramics sector, which are meanwhile applied in other areas, too.

The manufacturers of re-fractory materials for the construction of industrial furnaces, for example, have developed foamed, refrac-tory components (foamed refractories) for being used at temperatures of up to 1750°C. These foamed refrac-tories excel by their outstan-ding insulation properties.

They are gaining in impor-

tance not only in the field of high-temperature applica-tions such as the production of ceramics, but also in the heating andrefrigeration industries where they are generally used to fulfill insu-lation functions.

Conversely, new ideas from other areas flow into the sec-tor. For example, there are approaches for the develop-ment of materials cycles ran-ging from the raw material to the production and recycling of the products used accor-ding to the cradle-to-cradle concept, which are currently also being worked out in the ceramics industry. H

Associations),up to 20 per-cent of the machines and processes used in industrial production are more than ten years old and consume more energy than needed.

It is therefore necessary to develop measures reducing energy consumption and thus the costs of such plants. The offer to upgrade existing plants leads to the emergen-ce of new markets, not only in Europe, but also in thres-hold countries where inves-ting in a new plant generally represents an even bigger financialhurdle.

The suppliers of thermal process plants for the ce-

industry el Periódico del Azulejo August 201514

Ceramitec is the international key trade fair of the ceramics industry. It covers the entire spectrum of the ceramics industry

T he twenty-fifth edi-tion of Tecnargilla, the worlds most important exhibi-

tion of supplies for the cera-mic industry, will be held at the Rimini exhibition centre (Italy) from the 26th to the 30th September 2016.

Organised by Acimac and Rimini Fiera, the event will see the debut of the latest in-novative production techno-logy for bricks, sanitary ware, table ware and ceramic tiles, along with the latest stylistic developments in the fields of ceramic design and colours.

Tecnargilla 2016 will bring the broadest product offering in the world toge-ther under the one roof, and will attract sector leaders to Rimini to welcome buyers

DATES ANNOUNCED FOR TECNARGILLA 2016The international exhibition will be held from 26 to 30 September in Rimini

its organisers launched a massive communication campaign in key specialist magazines.

The Tecnargilla campaign, conceived by the Hoop ad-vertising agency, highlig-hts the completeness of the events offering. Precious clay is represented in an almost explosive manner to the left of the exhibitions logo. A splash of colour appears on the other side, combining with the clay just as happens during the decoration of ce-ramic tiles, when the unique alchemy of colour and clay creates a truly original and exclusive product.

Obtaining the desired re-sults, of course, demands advanced know-how in me-chatronics as well as the

Organised by Acimac, the event will see once again the debut of the latest innovative production technology for ceramic tiles.

from the worlds leading ce-ramic manufacturers and visitors from all ceramic producing nations (the 2014

edition drew visitors from 101 different countries).

To ensure the exhibitions success, a few weeks ago,

consolidated and historical expertise of the exhibitors at Tecnargilla. To convey this, the logo has a background of electronic circuitry, re-presenting the technology that plays a leading role in creating todays high impact visuals, in conjunction with the clay and colour.

Tecnargilla 2016 will also enjoy the support of Italys Ministry for Economic Deve-lopment. In recognition of its strategic role: the Ministry has included the event in the list of exhibitions of national importance benefitting from special provisions to support Italian products.

The 2014 edition of the international show was at-tended by visitors from 101 countries. H

August 2015 15el Periódico del Azulejo industry