Cersanit ready to grow, but first wants to block low-quality imports

Cersanit announced it is willing to invest as much as zl. 150 million in the construction of a new ceramic tile factory alongside its existing plant in Walbrzych. The company announced it wants to cooperate with domestic competitors to protect the market against low quality imports. In the next few days, the existing plant will produce the first batch of tiles specially designed for export to the U.S. market. "This year's 70% share of post-soviet countries in our export structure will decrease as we want to intensify export to North America", said Cersanit's chairman Mariusz Gromek. The company has ambitious plans to increase tile production up to 20 million square meters a year. After opening the new factory, the company would become one of top three domestic producers, after Opoczno and Ceramika Paradyz. Presently Cersanit's share of the market stands at between 8% to 10%. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 7) M.T.