About

Ceramiche Speranza is an Italianholding company whose mission is to bring the excellence of Italian ceramics tothe global market, driven by focus on style and innovation and willing to playas a game changer in the industry.
Instead of merely producing inItaly, as we have done over the last 50 years, our current strategy is tofinance and nurture start-up companies in strategically located countries andto devise new business models to make these companies capable of manufacturingand selling high quality ceramic surfaces that match the design and quality of thebest “Made in Italy” products.
After the recent disposal of ourItalian subsidiary, we currently own two companies, Zeus Ceramica in Ukraine,established in 2005, and Nexion International in India, incorporated in 2015.Both companies are joint ventures with local partners, as we believe in thevalue-creation potential of blending different cultures and business practices.In both these ventures, the valuechain is global rather than local. Design, marketing, quality management andtechnology innovation are in Italy.
Production is strategically located closeto raw material supply and destination markets. Sales in managed throughpartners, subsidiaries and client service teams located in key target markets,with global customer service coordinated from Italy.We blend commitment to offer thebest possible products with a service-oriented mindset, as our work ends whenour customers have achieved their goals.We are guided by complementaryvalues. On the one hand, decades of tiles making has given us mastery oftechnology and design; on the other hand, we are open-minded and keen to learnfrom our partners and customers, ready to innovate the way we work when themarket demands that.

 
 

Company History

Villa Guastalla in Fiorano Modenese, a historic building that hosts a Sassolesi artistic ceramics collection.


 
  • In 1961, Ceramiche Speranza is founded by three Italian entrepreneurs, under thename “Emilceramica”, being one of the first players to start working in thenew-coming Sassuolo ceramic district
  • Forover 40 years, the company has been offering high quality products, being oneof the most innovative producers in the district, focused on beautiful designsand continuous innovation in production technology (from double to singlefiring, from ceramic to glaze vitrified, from “rotocolor” to digital printing)
  • At the beginning of 2000, the company, at that time producing in Italy and sellinginternationally, starts looking for new ways to bring the beauty of Italianceramic tiles to global customers; believing in the value of partnerships andmutual learning, Emilceramica starts looking for joiunt venture opportunities
  • In 2002, the company enters a joint venture Mohawk, the American leader offlooring solutions. A new company, Dal Italia, is incorporated and CeramicheSperanza is offered a minority stake to help building and running a brand-newplant in the US. In the following years, Emilceramica provide technical supportand the plant gets to high performance and profitability levels
 
  • In 2005, the company decides to enter the large and growing Ukrainian market. Ajoint venture in created between Ceramiche Speranza at 51% and a local partnerat 49%, with experience in local clay mining (being Ukrainian clay the key componentof the then emerging high quality glazed vitrified tiles). The companybecomes a recognized player in the domestic market, with exports to Russia andNorth America
  • In 2012, the stake in Dal Italia is sold to Mohawk, as the company has taken itsown direction as regards product design and manufacturing, while Emilceramicahas built its own sales and logistic platform to sell in the US productsmanufactured in its own Italian plants
  • In 2014, after two years of market analysis, the company decides to build aproduction platform to serve the fast-growing markets in Asia and in 2015 NexionInternational is incorporated as a 50-50 joint venture with Simpolo Vitrified,one of the leading tiles manufacturers in India, with strong focus on productquality and innovation. A brand-new plant is built, using the latest Italianproduction technology to produce large slabs (up to 1200x2400 mm in size), forindoor and outdoor (ventilated facades) applications
  • In August 2016, Nexion’s plant starts production of slabs and tiles, designed inItaly and manufactured according to stringent quality standards; the objective isto offer very high quality products to demanding customers in India andinternationally, taking advantage in production and logistics of manufacturingin Indian Gujarat, one of the largest ceramic districts in the World. InOctober, Nexion launches its first collections at Cersaie (Bologna), the mostimportant tiles exhibition in the World, and at ACETech (Mumbai), where theNexion wins the prize for the Best Company at the exhibition 
  • At the end of 2016, Ceramiche Speranza contributes its Italian ceramic business toa new company, that retains the name and the brand Emilceramica, and in April2017 this company is sold to Mohawk/Marazzi, the World’s largest ceramic tiles group
  • Today,Ceramiche Speranza is fully focused on the development of its foreignactivities, Zeus Ceramica and Nexion International, as well as ofCaolino Pancera, a fully-owned subsidiary that is the largest importer ofUkrainian clay into Italy.