Artemis designer Francisco Carreon with the first packages of Artemis porcelain tiles produced at Vitromex's factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.


Vitromex launched its new Artemis Impervious Glazed Porcelain tile product line at Surfaces, debuting five new series: Milano, Roca del Sol, Sierra Madre, Tuscany and Cotto Real. The Artemis line replicates the appearance of natural stones from around the world. All Artemis products are produced with less than 0.5 percent water absorption, making them both frost-proof and impervious to water.

The Artemis series is being manufactured in the company's San Luis Potosi, Mexico, plant, which was expanded considerably to accommodate the increased production. The new, state-of-the-art facility can produce up to 50 million square feet of glazed porcelain floor tiles. The products will be warehoused in Texas to allow for fast shipping to all U.S. destinations.

The Artemis series is the culmination of more than a year of market research, planning and design, according to the company, which conducted regional road trips to determine regional stylistic preferences.

"Vitromex conducted extensive research throughout Italy, Mexico and the United States before producing what we believe to be the gold standard, Artemis, our new line of impervious glazed porcelain tiles," said Sergio Cardenas, president of Vitromex USA.

Reaction to the company's new porcelain products was enthusiastic, according to Neal Gray, vice president of sales and marketing for Vitromex USA.

Sergio Cardenas, president of Vitromex USA, (left) and Neal Gray, vice president of sales and marketing, Vitromex USA, outside the company's factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
"The reaction from both our (existing) customers as well as new customers was exceptionally positive," Gray said. "We secured commitments from many customers with the new Artemis products. The styling, colors and textures of each of the series were well planned prior to production. For this reason, we felt very strongly that the products would be well received. The customer base particularly liked the fact that we have sourced all the trims and decorative items for each series. In a sense, this makes the package a turnkey offering for distributors, retailers and wholesalers."

Vitromex plans to continue the Artemis series launch at Coverings 2006, where it will display six new porcelain series that are planned for late 2006.