Italcer and Del Conca forge a strategic alliance for the U.S. Market
Italcer and Del Conca forge a strategic alliance for the U.S. Market
Sole 24 Ore
Within four to five years, production is expected to grow by two million square meters, adding to the current twenty million. This is the roadmap of a plan to boost manufacturing capacity—on U.S. soil. Italcer has signed an agreement with Del Conca USA, paving the way to strengthen its position as a local producer in the U.S. market. It’s a strategic commercial alliance between two leading names in Italy’s ceramic industry.
Del Conca USA is the American subsidiary of the Del Conca Group (headquartered in San Clemente, Rimini province), which also includes Ceramica Del Conca, Pastorelli and Ceramica Faetano. Italcer, based in Rubiera (Reggio Emilia province), has risen since 2017 to become Italy’s third-largest producer, with 2024 revenues reaching €340 million, 80% of which came from exports.
“We’re putting a foot in the U.S. thanks to this partnership with one of the country’s leading ceramic companies,” says Italcer CEO Graziano Verdi. All operations will take place at the Del Conca USA plant in Tennessee, which has been active since 2014. “We seized the opportunity to take on production capacity at the plant,” Verdi adds, “in order to strengthen our product range for the North American market.” The U.S. already accounts for 27% of Italcer’s revenues.
The partnership will allow Italcer to develop new high-end collections specifically for the U.S., while the Del Conca Group will continue producing its lines under the “designed in Italy, made in USA” banner. “I see this agreement as a virtuous example of how Italian industry can reinforce its global presence, combining stylistic and technological innovation with new ideas and development-oriented alliances,” Verdi continues.
Italcer is owned by investment funds Mindful Capital Partners, Miura Partners and Capital Dynamics. It employs 1,165 people and serves 15,000 clients worldwide. The deal with the Del Conca Group strengthens Italcer’s position in a key commercial channel for the expansion of Italian ceramics, which make up nearly one-third of total U.S. tile imports. The Rubiera-based group operates in the high-end segment and holds multiple patents—including for antibacterial and antiviral ceramic tiles and technology to reduce industrial exhaust gases. Recently it has also patented a system for completely eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. “We have built a pilot plant that will be fully operational in 2027,” Verdi explains, “which converts CO₂ into pure calcium precipitate.”
Today Italcer operates through various brands and historic ceramic manufacturers it has absorbed over the past five years, from Ceramica Rondine to Devon&Devon to Bottega e Opificio Ceramico.
