SPANISH firm Ceramica Elias will be displaying its latest products when it returns to The Big 5 show, after registering a successful appearance last year.

The company produces natural terracotta tiles and mosaics and distributes them globally. “We offer nine different terracotta product lines designed for both interior and outdoor use. Our products are mostly used in luxury hotels and villas,” says Carlos Garcia Solanas, CEO of Ceramica Elias.
At this year’s Big 5, the company will present a new line of terracotta pavers for landscaping architects, which it says is a highly suitable product for gardens, golf clubs, hotels and villas, since it is produced in a thickness of 4 cm, which allows them to be used directly on sand or grass.
About the show itself, Solanas says: “It is the biggest in the GCC and a great opportunity to present our products in the region. Last year was our first time at the show. We received good response and so we decided to participate again this year. We made some good contacts last year and we look forward to follow them up this year.”
Though business has been slower than last year, with a reduced housing market back home in Spain, the company is intensifying efforts to bring new products to the market. It sees great potential in the GCC even under the global crisis, marking it to be an important market in the future.
“Our products are ideal for warm climates like the GCC. This is due to the fact that they are highly porous. So when used in pool terraces, for instance, they absorb the water on the surface, and as the water evaporates, it cools down the surface so the terrace does not heat up,” says Solanas.
Ceramica Elias was established in 1873 in El Bruc, Spain. It has a production capacity of 1,500 sq m per day, “which for terracotta is a very high capacity”, Solanas points out. The company employs a staff of 35 and registers a turnover $5.4 million annually.
Ceramica Elias will be exhibiting at Stand B190 in Rashid Hall.