designwire daily | Marazzi’s First US Location Opens in New York

Marazzi’s First US Location Opens in New York

by Ian Volner | Thursday, December 1, 2011

On West 21st Street, in the heart of Manhattan’s fashionable Flatiron District, 5,000 square feet of historic industrial loft space have become home to the first-ever American outpost of high-end tile manufacturer Marazzi. Partnering with local outfit NY Stone Manhattan, the Italian firm’s new showroom will be the flagship for its US division, after nearly 30 years of sales through other vendors in the States.

The move is part of an aggressive new global expansion plan, says Marazzi CEO Maurizio Piglione. “Recently, our group… is developing an international development plan which includes an expansion of our sales network… in the major cities around the world, as well as new production lines and innovative products.” Piglione added that the New York storefront is especially significant in the ceramic maker’s overall business outlook, “since New York is a strategic location internationally and at the same time a highly demanding market both for housing and contract.”

While the new space will be Marazzi’s first branded retailer stateside, it will not be their only facility in America. As the second-largest firm in the US tile-flooring market, the company has had a longtime presence here, with some 750 employees scattered among three production units in Texas and Alabama.