VitrA, Ltd.

The first VitrA workshop was small, its eight-man workforce and single kiln woefully inadequate to cope with overwhelming demand. But it was the only place to go for every imaginable earthenware product from tea cups to electrical sockets... The year was 1942, international trade was at a standstill in the war-torn world, and the Dr. Nejat Eczacıbaşı Ceramic Factory had just been launched to a running start in Kartal, Istanbul, to alleviate some of the shortages choking the import starved country. Post-war, once trade picked up again, the fast growing company was led by clear consumer demand to focus on its most up-and-coming line of production – ceramic sanitaryware. A novelty in the marble dominated traditional Turkish market, the versatile and affordable ceramic option was an instant hit. A production plant came on line in 1958 in response to surging demand. The brand name VitrA was adopted in 1966, and it gradually grew to represent a full range of sanitary products from a series of sister companies. The Eczacıbaşı Group’s first ceramic factory in Bozüyük of what would later grow into the Bozüyük mega complex began production in 1977. This was followed by a brassware plant in 1979, tiles and acrylic bathtub factories in 1991, and a bathroom furniture plant in 1992. The Eczacıbaşı Building Products Division made its first export shipment to Germany in the early 80s, setting the course for a journey that would transform VitrA into a global brand. In 1999, the Division established a tile plant in Ireland – its first manufacturing plant abroad – to better serve this market. More recent investments in Germany have advanced further the Division’s global strategy. In early 2006, the Division purchased Engers, a major player in the German wall tile market. In March of the following year, the Division acquired a 51% share and full management control of the highly prestigious Villeroy&Boch tile operation. And in 2008, while celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the VitrA brand, the Division acquired Burgbad of Germany, the European leader of the luxury bathroom furniture market.