Orlando, Fla.—While the recent Coverings show held here at the Orange County Convention Center from May 6 to 9 continues to be a meeting place for foreign and domestic manufacturers of ceramic tile and their distributor partners, the much ballyhooed and hyped International Flooring Exposition (IFE) part of the event fell short of what exhibitors were hoping for. As the few people who made their way down to this cavernous section of the convention facility could plainly see, there seemed to be almost as many salespeople in the approximately 20 to 25 booths (mostly distributors displaying products rather than the manufacturers themselves) as there were shoppers. As one vendor exclaimed, “there is nobody down here. But then again, this isn’t Surfaces.” As for the ceramic tile and stone part of the show, while attendance may have been up over last year’s event held in New Orleans, there did not seem to be any more than were attracted to the show the last time it was held in Orlando two years ago. “It was not bad yesterday morning, but our location is very close to the front door,” said Ana Vidal Jover, export sales manager for Spain-based Ballesmar on the show’s second day. “It became slower in the afternoon. We hope today will be better.”

American Market Interest As distributors and dealers continue to add ceramic tile to their product mix, the importance of the U.S. market to both foreign and domestic manufacturers continues to be vital. “The ceramic tile market is growing in the United States, mostly in areas it has not been popular before,” said Guillermo Puente, managing director of Alcalagres, another manufacturer based in Spain. Like a growing number of foreign ceramic tile manufacturers, one of the ways Alcalagres is penetrating the U.S. market is by building its distributor network and opening offices or warehouses in America. Alcalagres, having recently opened a warehouse in New Jersey, now has two in the U.S. (its other is in Miami). The manufacturer also has developed an architectural program for the East Coast, introducing products to designers and architects. As far as trends in the American market, Puente sees change on the horizon. “While rustic tiles continue to be the most popular with the American consumer, things are changing,” he added, “to darker colors in larger sizes. Just a few years ago, 16X16-in. tiles were unbelievable in this market. Right now it is fairly common. And not only in Florida and Texas but in the Mid-west as well. They are even asking for 24X24-in.”

“The Americans pay much more attention to the details of beige and of the bone colors,” said Alessandro Pravettoni of Atlas Concorde in Italy. “Some colors have to be perfectly right, otherwise they are all wrong. Americans are also looking for the complete package. They are looking more and more to different sizes, and special pieces for countertops.” Dr. Filippo Giusti, area manager for Impronta Italgraniti, another Italy-based manufacturer, said, “every year in the American market there is some kind of trend. Some years ago it was the travertine look, two years ago it was the slate look. At the end of last year and the beginning of this year it has been the sandstone look. “Many companies are working on the travertine look again,” he said. “The stone manufacturers continue to have influence on the tile companies especially because the American consumer likes stone, so, more and more the Italian ceramic tile companies are trying to imitate the stone look.” Irene Steelman of American Florim noted, since there is more market demand for more decorative accents, the company has introduced Finale. “People want to be able to have a customized look, that’s why we came up with it. It is a universal brand—it does not have to be sold with only American Florim products.

“We’ve gotten a really solid response so far with the first two lines of the product,” she added. “They are a mix of materials including stainless steel inserts, marble which adds dimension and design. Each line may offer listellos, borders or a medallion—all the pretty stuff.” “People are interested in our floor/wall decorative combos,” said Bill Reid, vice president of sales and marketing for Florida Tile. “They are looking to us for American-made high-end products with a European flair, next-day delivery and great service.” Jim Dougherty of Cross-ville Ceramics, which was introducing a series of 6X12-in. cove base for all its tiles, said, “with the U.S. market being so trend-conscious, this will really open up many opportunities for us. As far as trends go, we are seeing even more refined products.” “People in America are interested in natural-looking materials,” said Alex Dauffi, assistant commercial director for Spain-based Gayafores. “Beige, bone and ivory colors. The most important thing is, everyone, and that includes Europe as well as America, is focusing on the natural aspect of the materials.”

According to Cleyton Daros Ravera of Brazil-based Gramarcal, “the American market is very simple for us. They want our golden and green materials for floors and countertops. And the American market is growing.” “The Americans are interested in warm, cream colors,” said Joaquim Pinto, commercial director for Portugal-based Real Granito. “In natural stone, there is a big difference between the American and European markets. Americans like more tiles than people do in Europe. But the natural stone segment seems to be growing here in America.” “We seem to be in luck in that we are selling what seems to be in fashion here,” said Alon Heth, director of international marketing and sales for Alony Marble of Israel. “Everyone knows Jerusalem stones. They know what they are looking for.

The American market seems to be interested in yellowish, beige, grayish materials—stone colors as they say. “We do, at times, need to educate people,” he said. “People don’t have problems with the stone—they have problems when it is used incorrectly.” “Different parts of the United States act as totally separate entities when it comes to needs,” said Ismail Alimoglu of Alimoglu Mermer Granit, a marble and travertine manufacturer based in Turkey. “The California market wants tiles but the Midwest is interested in slabs and Florida is interested in both. Atlanta leans more towards tiles. The American market is really a mix of everything.” “It’s a huge country, and there are different demands from different parts of the it,” he concluded. “The U.S. market is vital to our company, so what happens here is very important to us.” —Louis Iannaco