The second floor of Marazzi's NY showroom showcases the company's ventilated wall systems.
At Marazzi's US flagship store in New York are (from left) Nino Cohen, NY Stone Manhattan (owner and manager); Gianni Mattioli, President and CEO Marazzi USA; Natalia Quintavalle, Consul General of Italy in New York; Maurizio Piglione, CEO Marazzi Group; and Luca Zagaglia, NY Stone Manhattan (owner and manager).
“The 5,000-square-foot showroom introduces a new concept of ceramic products exhibition: in fact customers will appreciate large walls in continuity with the floors emphasizing the new large-format of Marazzi’s collections; lighting elevates the stoneware and ceramics to absolute protagonists of the space,” the company notes.
Designed by Marazzi’s Art Director Gianluca Rossi, with Made in Italy tailor-made materials and supplies, the showroom highlights Marazzi’s main solutions and the most important innovations produced both in Italy and in the USA.
A large display is dedicated to the company’s ventilated wall system, an environmentally sustainable solution. “Marazzi’s ventilated wall system is the most effective solution for achieving significant energy savings, and a solution in which Marazzi has more than 20 years’ experience in designing and building, Marazzi says.
Ample space is devoted to design products, including the SoHo 3D modulo, awarded the Compasso D’Oro Honorable Mention; crystallized stoneware SistemA, selected as one of the 100 best products by Osservatorio Permanente del Design ADI (ADI's Design Council); and ConCreta, coating inspired by the purity of clay and cement, reinterpreting the color and the material.
The display also features the latest products developed from research on natural materials such as Treverk porcelain tile, inspired by prestigious woods, which combines aesthetics with technical performances. The opening of the new Flagship Store in New York is part of Marazzi’s broader growth strategy in the U.S. market. Specifically, Marazzi USA is in process of completing the expansion of the Sunnyvale (Dallas, TX) plant with the launch of a new production line for an overall investment of $25 million. Over the last three years, Marazzi Group has invested over $100 million to double its production platform in the U.S. market.
Currently, Marazzi’s US market share is stands at 11%, with a 2010 turnover of over $ 220 million. Through three production plants, (two located in Sunnyvale, one in Florence, AL) and 13 Sales Service Centers, Marazzi employs about 750 people.
”Recently, our group,” said Maurizio Piglione, CEO of Marazzi Group, “also thanks to the partnership between the Marazzi family and the shareholders Permira and Private Equity Partners, is developing an international development plan which includes an expansion of our sales network with the opening of Marazzi flagship stores in the major cities around the world, as well as new production lines and innovative products. In this sense the opening in Manhattan is an important step, since New York is a strategic location internationally and at the same time a highly demanding market both for housing and contract. “
Further, says Piglione, “After over 30 years of presence in the American market, Marazzi is the most known Italian brand in the ceramic industry, synonymous of quality, service and design. Starting from New York, we want to talk more with architects and design professionals in the US and offer our best sustainable products, with the ability to meet the needs of our customer’s different lifestyles."
“A very complex market did not stop us from investing a lot in the United States in recent years, both in production and distribution ,” adds Gianni Mattioli, CEO of USA Marazzi, “to further improve our products and service. The opening of NY is part of our growth targets in the North American market, with increasing attention to the contract market as well the residential one.”
