Pier Ferdinando Casini guest of Francesco Zironi
On the morning of 21st June, the President of the House of Deputies, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, was received at Ceramiche Piemme by its President and Managing Director, Mr. Francesco Zironi. The meeting, which was very cordial also due to their long-term acquaintance, was an opportunity for the President of the House of Deputies to take a close look at the characteristics, peculiarities, and problems of the ceramic industry and district. During his visit, President Casini also toured Piemme’s recently inaugurated office complex and showroom, and met with the ceramic group’s top management.

Zannoni enters the controlling syndicate of Mediobanca
Oscar Zannoni, Reggio Emilia industrialist and owner of Ceramiche Ricchetti, will enter the controlling syndicate of Mediobanca binding a quota of 2.5 million shares, equivalent to 0.32% of the company capital. The controlling syndicate assembly decided on 25th June to admit eight new industrialists, including well-known names like Diego Della Valle and Vittorio Merloni. The Mediobanca underwriting contract was renewed until 1st July 2007. Another Reggio entrepreneur is already present in the upper echelon of finance: Achille Maramotti, who is on the Board of Directors.

Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola: 130 years of activity
On 8th July in the multimedia room of Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola, the data on the 2003 economic trend of the cooperative world of Imola were presented. With participants including Bishop Tommaso Ghirelli and the national presidents of Legacoop and Confcooperative, Giuliano Poletti and Luigi Marino, the meeting was opened by Gianpietro Mondini, President of Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola: “We are pleased that this meeting is taking place at our company, which this year celebrates 130 years of history that have involved more than 6000 people.” During the meeting a film was presented showing the ceremony in which the President of the House of Deputies, Pier Ferdinando Casini, was given a panel in ceramics titled “The Work of Man”, commissioned by Confcooperative and Legacoop and produced by the Artistic Section of Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola on a design by Roberto Lazzarini. The work was donated to the House of Deputies in Rome on 24th July 2003.

Gardenia Orchidea acquires a new production line
As part of a project to strengthen its production capacity, Ceramiche Gardenia Orchidea has purchased a new line for the production of double-fired tile from the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group, with startup planned for September 2004. The Barbieri & Tarozzi supply is composed of a storage line comprising the latest generation of Bi-Box machines, which handle the glazed product in boxes and the biscuit on pallets.
The completely laser-guided handling system enables management of the production phases with the maximum efficiency and flexibility required by a modern installation.
The supply is completed by three “smart line” sorting lines with a palletisation line and software applications for control and management which ensure the quality, efficiency, and high performance of the entire production process, enabling easy and streamlined maintenance. The line will have a capacity of 6500 m2 per day and will be dedicated to the production of double-fired tile in the small-medium size (15x15,16.5x16.5, 20x20).

Floor Gres tiles the Taipei 101 Financial Center floor
The construction of the Taipei 101 Financial Center, the tallest skyscraper in Taiwan (101 floors) and one of the tallest in the world, required the technical support of many overseas experts and the use of materials with superior technical and aesthetic features. Fine porcelain stoneware made by Floor Gres was chosen for this project. The Fiorano-based company supplied 26,500 square metres of tile from the Chromtech series, in the 30x30 and 30x60 cm sizes, for the area destined to business activity. Architect C.Y. Lee took inspiration from elements of oriental tradition as the most suitable and original expression for this important and demanding project. With a total area of over 357,000 square metres, the skyscraper will house various financial and business activities, becoming a true “vertical city”. The building will include offices for the world of finance, a shopping centre, a wellness centre, a panoramic balcony, trendy boutiques, restaurants, and an 1800-place car park.

Brilliant annual reports for Lea and Panaria
The accounts continue to shine for Lea Ceramiche, a ceramic tile manufacturer with headquarters in Fiorano Modenese, which once again closed 2003 with an extremely positive annual report, showing an increase in sales of just under 19% and a 20% increase in profits.
The data regarding the Panaria Group – to which Lea Ceramiche belongs, along with Ceramica Panaria, Cotto d’Este, Fiordo, and the Portuguese company Margres – are equally positive. The consolidated accounts of the Panaria Group closed 2003 with revenues of 207.3 million euros (+14.6%) and a gross operating margin of 37.5 million euros. The profits before taxation amounted to 22.7 million euros (10.9% of total sales), up from the 20.7 million euros of 2002; the net profit was 14.4 million euros (7% of total sales) with respect to the 12.6 million of 2002.

Leonardo 1502 updates its systems
Leonardo 1502, which in July obtained renewal of the EMAS and ISO 14000 environmental certifications and the ISO9001:2000 company quality system certification, continues to update its production systems.
Nearing completion is the installation of the new Rolls-Royce cogeneration plant for the combined production of electrical and thermal energy, which will go into operation in September 2004. In addition, the Colormix system by Electron has been in operation since March for automatic batching of silk-screen pastes. A new line for the production of large sizes is currently being installed, which includes a Sacmi press and a glazing line complete with Rotocolor machines for decoration of the 60x60 size.

Preview of Rex products on the Emerald Coast
The spring meeting of Rex Ceramiche Artistiche for the sales force and for Italian customers, held this past June in Sardinia with the splendid backdrop of Golfo Aranci, was the occasion for a preview presentation of the new products for Cersaie 2004.
With an exhibition of more than 100 square metres specially designed for the occasion, Rex presented its new collections in fine porcelain stoneware, Materia & Colore, Abisko, and Metrowall, and the new white body wall tile series Oneway and Smack, just out for the Autumn/Winter 2005 season, that will be launched at the 2004 edition of Cersaie (pav. 18 – stand A34-B31).
The meeting was a big success (over 200 participants), with the attendance of Florim Group President Claudio Lucchese, Managing Director Marco Mingarelli, and Sales Director Augusto Zagatti.

Rondine Group: a growth in production and sales
The positive trend continues for the accounts of Rondine. In 2003, the Rubiera-based tile company recorded an increase in both total sales (+6.15%), which reached 50.1 million euros, and production (+9%), with 5.55 million square metres. The EBIT reached 2.1 million euros (4.2% of total sales) and net profit of more than 150,000 euros, while the EBITDA was 7.9 million euros (15.87% of total sales). Another positive figure was the reduction of warehouse stocks, which occurred despite the increase in production.

Restyling of the Cotto D’Este corporate logo
Cotto DŽEste has transformed its brand name to Cotto DŽEste Nuove Superfici (New Surfaces).
The restyling came from the desire to make the trademark more up-to-date and contemporary.
Over the years, the company has established market guidelines in ceramic design and production, becoming a point of reference for the high-end sector. The decision to update the brand name, conserving the noble spirit by keeping the coat-of-arms of the House of Este and adding the name "Nuove Superfici", once again highlights the quality and aesthetics of Cotto D’Este products.