Spanish Ceramics Conquering New Markets

Despite tough times, Spanish ceramics are making a comeback.

The sector has been undermined by crisis, but exports are starting to stabilize again. Since January ceramic exports have dropped only an average 0.1% in total but in June rose 10.5% over the same period last year.

The Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Tile (ASCER) maintain that Europe, Asia, and the Middle East or the main customers for Spanish companies. 64% of the industry's revenue comes from 184 countries with sales of 2,591 million Euros.

With the current economic crisis, many Spanish companies have been selling abroad.  Since the 17th century, the family name "Lario" has been associated with pottery in the Larca region. Lario Carillo S.L. has been passed from generation to generation since 1601, maintain the traditional process of manufacturing tiles for fountains and floors, all hand painted.

The company broke into the international scene with two workshops in Lorca and Totana which has helped propel their handcrafted artisan products to 5 different continents. They distribute products through stores on 5th avenue in New York, Miami, Tokyo, Paris and Holland and commercialize their tiles, ceramics and fountains through representatives in the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. Now, around 30% of their sales are abroad.

For the past 16 years, Lario Carrillo has been selling their handmade crafts in the United States. Now the Murcia firm is enshrined in the market and boasts associations with various designers and companies within the country.

The ceramic and tile company's prominent position in the market has produced a prime client base, with clients such at Sylvester Stallone, Madonna, the baroness Thyssen, and even the Spanish Royal Family. Their goal is to get the attention of clients who they hope will like and want to learn more about the company's product. This is what happened in the US 16 years ago, at the first Construction EXPO, and now they are trying to do the same in Saudi Arabia where they have already been well received by critics.

Saudi Arabia is a great opportunity for Spanish ceramics and the market has shown great interest. Lario Carrillo products were released in the Arab market after they participated in the Big 5 Expo in Dubai in 2008. The United Arab Emirates continue to prove to be a potent market for Spanish crafts and especially for ceramics who are very interested in Spanish brands and the designs in which the color blue is the protagonist.

Although the crisis in the ceramics sector has been significant, especially since the product is not a necessity, things are improving.  One of Lario Carillos' key points of success is that the product does not adhere to any specific design and has the ability to adapt to meet a customer's needs and desires. Additionally the company comments that if "we are having difficulties in Europe and America, we need to expand to new places and take advantage of the opportunities offered there, like in our case with Saudi Arabia."