KUTAHYA Seramik of Turkey has recently launched the Origitile Collection using the latest digital printing technology. Porcelain tiles in the sizes 60 by 60 cm and 50 by 100 cm are the main products of this new collection.

One of the oldest ceramic producers in Turkey and amongst the pioneers of digital technology in the local industry, Kutahya Seramik offers more than 1,000 designs of wall and floor tiles, glazed porcelain tiles, border tiles, mosaics and decoration glass produced in its high-tech facilities. Some of its collections have also won prestigious design awards. Recently, its Versatile Collection won two accolades – the iF Design Awards 2011 and the red dot Design Award Best of the Best 2011, a highly-coveted recognition in the design field. The Arc and Axis series in the Versatile collection, created by designer Yigit Ozer, were the recipients of the award. The red dot Design Awards reviewed 4,433 different products from 60 countries, to identify and promote trendsetters of the near future. The Arc series of the Versatile collection was also awarded the ‘iF Product Design 2011’.

“Bringing functionality together with innovation and creativity, Versatile with its multipurpose nature, heralds a new age in the ceramic industry,” says a spokesman for Kutahya. “Enabling people to express themselves freely, it combines a multitude of emotions and aesthetics through different space constructions, making use of all opportunities of creativity offered in geometry with a rational and aesthetical approach.”

Ozcelebi showcases the Axis series.

Tens of different tiling options are available using the same tile, allowing the designer to create his own combination. The surface of the tile is raised as an arc, bringing opportunities to create special effects using various lighting styles and environments.

“Offering unique and innovative solutions for architectural projects through the 3D property of the tiles, a high level of functionality, various design options, and the ease of application, Versatile can be used in interiors in diverse applications such as plazas, office buildings, lobbies, halls, bedrooms and hotels,” the spokesman says.

Arc series measures 12.5 by 29 cm whereas Axis’ dimensions are 12.5 by 22 cm. They are available in black, brown, cream, white coloured shiny and opaque tiles as well as blue and burgundy coloured shiny tiles.

Kutahya Seramik has achieved a leadership position in the market, thanks to its quality, service and innovation. It is one of the leading players in the ceramics sector with an annual 20-million-sq-m production capacity, 700 employees, a wide dealer network throughout Turkey and exports to many different countries, says Kutahya Seramik’s export director Fatih Ozcelebi.

Last year, it exported to more than 45 countries, with its top export destinations having been Iraq, Northern Europe, Canada and the US. Between 20 to 35 per cent (depending on the demand) of its nearly $200 million production is exported. The rest finds markets within Turkey.

The company has also been focusing on the Gulf and has taken part in major exhibitions such as The Big 5 editions both in Dubai, UAE, and recently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, through its local representatives, to gain access to the local markets.

Ozcelebi says that the Gulf is mainly a market featuring large projects, with fewer opportunities in smaller projects like housing and renovation. “But we definitely need to be more organised in the Gulf region and are regularly on the lookout for strong local representation,” he says.

Saudi Arabia, according to him, is a good market, which the company with award-winning Axis series penetrated some four years ago and where response has been strong. In fact, it was the sixth largest export market for the company last year. “Saudi Arabia is closer to our philosophy than the rest of the Gulf area,” he says. The company along with its Saudi representative has a 1,500-sq-m showroom in Jeddah.

The ceramics giant participates in nearly every major exhibition, locally and internationally. Early this year, it displayed its entire range at a 500-sq-m stand at Unicera in Istanbul. “Unicera is a very important exhibition, and we have been coming here for more than 10 years now not only to target the local market but also the export market. The number of foreign visitors has increased. In the past, visitors came only from neighbouring countries but now we have those from farther in Europe and the US.”

The Zigana Fildisi and Zigana Bej (below) tiles from the Origitile collection ... digital.

It has also been returning participant for more than 14 years at the Cersaie event, an international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings held in Bologna, Italy.

Furthermore, Kutahya Seramik just recently also participated in Project Lebanon 2011 (June 5 to 8), the 17th edition of the international trade exhibition for construction technology, building materials and equipment for the Middle East held in Beirut, Lebanon. The company’s stand was one of the most popular in the fair where its Brezza, Versatile, Forest, Magmatech and Megalith series drew considerable attention.

Ozcelebi says there were only about four ceramics and tiles producers in Turkey when they started production in 1989, compared to more than 30 producers today. “So we started earlier than most and are, therefore, more experienced in the field,” he says.

The company has a flair for innovation. “We don’t compete in the existing product ranges everybody has in the market. In every exhibition, we display new products, involving striking dimensions, designs, and finishes.”

Citing an example, Ozcelebi says: “Everybody has digital technology and so do we, but we apply Laparto, which is an application producing a semi-glossy, semi-matt finish, giving the product its uniqueness. Only a few companies in Turkey have this technology.”

Kutahya Seramik works with Italian and Spanish design companies to create products that are unique and more creative.

As for the prices of its products, they are in the medium and high ranges. “We don’t want to be in the economical segment,” he states.

Kutahya Seramik, which started production with 10 by 20 cm floor tiles, today ranks among the leading ceramic factories of Turkey and the world with its floor tiles, vitrified porcelain and wall tiles production in various dimensions ranging from 10 by 10 to 50 by 100. It has a daily production capacity of 57,000 sq m.

The printing processes are performed with vertical dry, vertical silicon, rotocolor and laser roll machines by using cutting-edge technology. The three-dimensional tile patterns are cut with state-of-the-art water-jet machines.

Maintaining quality is a prime focus of the company, says Ozcelebi, adding that various measures are taken to achieve its vision and meet the requirements of the TS-EN-ISO 9001 quality management system.

Kutahya Seramik is also committed to environmentally safe practices, which extends right from the raw materials used in the company’s production to the various process and packaging. There is no lead in the products and the environmental standards are the same as in Italy and Spain, he says.

The company’s factory waste is recycled or disposed of using appropriate environment-friendly methods, while wastewater is treated in a treatment facility located within its factory. Any hazardous materials are transported to waste disposal/recycling plants, licensed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry using licensed vehicles.

Other measures taken by the company include reducing the natural gas consumption of its spray dryer by 25 per cent without loss of efficiency.

“In short, Kutahya Seramik has made important contributions to the ceramic industry with its comprehensive knowledge and modern interpretation of the 7,000-year-old ceramics culture of Anatolian territories,” concludes Ozcelebi.