TecnAwards 2024

Starting with the 2022 edition, Tecna has decided to celebrate with the establishment of the TecnAwards, a recognition of the best technological investments made by international customers. The highly successful initiative in the past edition, returns again this year and turns the spotlight on the period 2022-2024.

In the 2024 Tecna edition, The awards was given with the direct and exclusive involvement of exhibitors, who were allowed to nominate their customers. The other awards, however, were given by the organizers of Tecna, Ceramic World Review magazine and Italian Design Studios.

▶ "Best Brick&Tile Manufacturer"

Four brick manufacturers received the award, presented by representatives of four exhibiting companies in the industry, Bongioanni, Cosmec, Marcheluzzo and Tecnofiliere.

• The Belden Brick Company (Canton, Ohio, U.S.A.), established in 1885 and now the largest family-owned brick company in the United States, with five plants in Sugarcreek.
• Ladrillera Santafé, a Colombian company founded in 1955 that has some of the most modern furnaces in South America.
• Groupe Benhamadi - Sarl Argilor (Algeria), one of the most important brick manufacturers in North Africa, which has made significant investments to raise product quality and factory efficiency.
• Fbm Fornace Briziarelli Marsciano (Italy), which has a history of more than 100 years and now ranks among the industry leaders in Italy where it operates 4 factories.

▶ "Best Sanitaryware Manufacturer"

The award for outstanding companies in the plumbing industry was given to:

• AkijBashir Group (Bangladesh), an industrial group engaged in the production of sanitary ware, tiles, and ceramic tableware, which has conducted an extensive program of technological investment in its sanitary ware factories in recent years.
• Villeroy & Boch (Germany), honored for its continued investment in its factories in Europe, as well as celebrating its entry among Europe's largest manufacturers following the acquisition of Ideal Standard.
• Duravit Canada, awarded for its extraordinary project in Matane, Quebec, where the group is building a zero-emission factory with an electric furnace and 100 percent of electricity consumption covered by hydroelectricity.

▶ "Best New Tile Plant"

Award given to the best new facilities (or renewal of existing lines), given to:

• Ceramica Cleopatra (Egypt), established in 1986 and quickly became Egypt's leading manufacturer and among the largest in the world; a pioneer in Egypt in introducing the most important product innovations, from porcelain to slabs, always made with Italian technologies.
• Venux - Stn Group (Spain), awarded for its brand new factory in Nules dedicated to the production of large formats and plates, which opened this year.
• Tubądzin (Poland), awarded for its recently completed extensive three-year investment program, which involved the installation of advanced equipment in all major production departments.
• Portobello America (United States), which received recognition for its state-of-the-art factory in Baxter, Tennessee, opening Oct. 14, 2023, the Brazilian ceramic group's first foreign plant.
• Ceramica Alberdi (Argentina), awarded for its new production plant opened this year, equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
• In addition, for the Middle East area the award was given to  Saudi Ceramics (Saudi Arabia), while Guocera (Malaysia) won the Tecnaward 2024 for the Asia continent.

▶ "Innovation And Sustainability"

Recognition for companies that have distinguished themselves by adopting plant solutions capable of reducing the environmental impact of production processes by improving plant efficiency. The award was given to:

• Gemma - Al Ezz Group (Egypt), awarded for recent investments geared toward design excellence and increased sustainability of materials and processes.
• Nuova Riwal Ceramiche - Gruppo Casalgrande Padana (Italy),  which received the award for its new complete production line, installed in the Roteglia (Reggio Emilia) plant, designed according to the criteria of maximum energy efficiency.
• Florim USA (United States), B-Corp since 2022 (as already the Italian parent company), awarded for the latest investments in the large format segment, manufactured under the banner of maximum sustainability.
• Lamosa Group (South America), the world's second-largest tile manufacturer, honored for investments made in its Argentina, Colombia, and Peru factories, as well as its Brazilian plant in Incepa.
• RAK Ceramics (UAE), the world's fourth-largest manufacturer, which received its second TecnAwards for significant technological investments that have enabled it to emerge at both the product and process levels, which are increasingly focused on digitization and reducing environmental impact.
• Simpolo (India), among India's top brands, which, in addition to the interventions made in the last two years, also announced its next 100-million-euro investment project to establish two production facilities in northern and southern India.

▶"Partner Country Turkije - Best Company"

Established to highlight the role of the Turkish ceramic industry on the international scene and its historically close ties with Italian technology suppliers. Three Turkish ceramic surface manufacturing companies selected as leading players in the industry:

• Kale Group, the largest manufacturer in Turkey since 1957, has always been a pioneer in adopting the most innovative Made in Italy technologies; the group, which opened a new Kalesinterflex production line in 2023, has announced two major investment projects in the large format and sheet segments to be completed between December 2024 and December 2025. 
• NG Kütahya Seramik, among Turkey's leading ceramic brands, opened its new 4.5 million sq m/year ceramic slab factory this year, bringing the group's total production capacity to about 60 million sq m/year.
• Anatolia, the Canadian group run by the Elmaagacli family and active for nearly 30 years in the distribution of ceramics and natural stone, stands out as a new player in the production of large slabs thanks to the inauguration this year of a state-of-the-art factory in Izmir, among the most advanced in the world.

▶ "Best Product of The Year"

The prize was awarded by the Italian ceramic design studios, which, after analyzing the new proposals launched at Cersaie 2024, gave the award to Ceramica Fondovalle for the product MyTop Stone Lab Nero Zimbabwe.

▶ "Made In Italy Champion"

Special Prize awarded to Novabell Ceramiche Italiane its President Mario Roncaglia. As stated in the jury's motivation, “Novabell has managed over the years to constantly renew itself, representing at its best the excellence of Made in Italy in the ceramic sector. Thanks to innovation in production processes and product aesthetics, Novabell has been able to conquer markets by gradually improving its positioning and continuously renewing itself, both in terms of external visibility and corporate welfare. This has allowed it to establish itself as one of the champions of Made in Italy, an ambassador of Italian know-how.”