Ferro Corporation (NYSE: FOE) announced today that it has completed the purchase of a newly constructed ceramic coatings plant in Fayoum, Egypt. The new plant will allow Ferro to more cost-effectively serve the growing tile manufacturing market in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ferro purchased the facility from principals of Pharaohs Ceramic Group and plans to install additional equipment to expand capacity. When the initial build-out of the facility is complete, Ferro expects the site to have the capacity to produce 200 million pounds of tile frit and glazes annually.
"The tile market in the Middle East and North Africa is growing rapidly. We're pleased we will be able to produce materials locally, and provide customers with competitive pricing along with local design service and technical support to enhance their manufacturing processes," said Peter Thomas, Vice President of Ferro's Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials Group.
Ferro Tile Coating Systems is recognized worldwide for its tile design and technical expertise and as a leading supplier of decoration materials used in the manufacture of ceramic tile, including frits, fluxes, colors, glazes, and inks. In addition to the new site in Egypt, its main production facilities and technical laboratories are located in Almazora, Spain; Fiorano, Italy; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Americana, Brazil; Mexico City and Villagran, Mexico; Suzhou, China; Saraburi, Thailand; Bekasi and Sidoarjo, Indonesia; and Ansan City, Korea.