WALL AND FLOOR TILES

One of the outstanding achievements of 2018 was the positive performance of the high-end lines of Grupo Lamosa’s different tile brands, especially Firenze, which grew significantly, in line with predetermined objectives.

Throughout 2018, the Wall and Floor Tiles Business faced an environment that was very different from what had been expected at the beginning of the year. The general uncertainty was perceived to a particularly great extent by construction professionals and end consumers, resulting in a significant reduction in the volume of projects in Mexico.

Net Sales
(millions of pesos)

Sales of the Wall and Floor Tiles Business totaled $ 13,688 million pesos in 2018, 4% below those of 2017. The results of this business were adversely affected by the market contraction, as well as by a product surplus because of the increased capacity of other industry participants. Nevertheless, Cerámica San Lorenzo’s favorable performance in South America contributed positively to results, offsetting to a large extent the decreased demand in the domestic market.

Grupo Lamosa’s business expansion strategy has enabled this segment to double in size over the past three years. To maintain this growth, management will continue to explore new opportunities within and outside the countries where the company currently operates.

One of the outstanding achievements of 2018 was the positive performance of the high-end lines of Grupo Lamosa’s different tile brands, especially Firenze, which grew significantly, in line with predetermined objectives. Moreover, the business’s share in the specification market grew, through its participation in different projects involving commercial developments, hotels and office buildings, as well as in government works.

During 2018, the Wall and Floor Tiles Business carried out several activities to come closer to construction professionals. One of these was the opening of the “Firenze Showroom” in Mexico City. This is a high-tech space designed to offer creative and innovative solutions to the needs of Mexico’s most renowned architects and interior designers. In addition, during the third quarter of the year,

the second edition of the “Firenze Entremuros Award” was successfully held. Boasting twice the number of participants as in 2017, this accolade recognized the talent of Mexico’s best architects, designers and interior designers.

With the participation of art experts and design professionals, in 2018 the Wall and Floor Tiles Business launched its most recent edition of the series Grandes Colecciones de México (Great Mexican Collections), this year with a theme based on Mexico City. This popular and innovative line of products, created by Firenze some years ago, reflects the history, culture and natural materials coming from the different regions of our country.

As in previous years, the Wall and Floor Tiles Business continued its participation in fairs and exhibitions inside and outside the country, including Expo CIHAC in Mexico City and COVERINGS, one of the most important international tile fairs held in 2018 in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.

The business’s expansion strategy has allowed it to double in size over the past three years. In order to maintain the rate of growth, the Wall and Floor Tiles Business will continue to explore new opportunities in the countries where it currently has a presence, strengthening its positioning as one of the world’s largest ceramic tile manufacturers.