Turkish Porcelain Manufacturers

Turkish porcelain manufacturers meld centuries-old techniques with modern technology to create high-quality products globally. This article will explore the captivating world of Turkish porcelain manufacturing, providing a comprehensive list of manufacturers that excel in this industry.

Because porcelain is a form of ceramic, Turkish porcelain manufacturers should be examined within the context of the ceramic sector. Earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain are three types of ceramic. In this post, I will concentrate on Turkish porcelain product makers. If you are looking for Turkish-made porcelain tiles, please see “Turkish Porcelain Tile Manufacturers.”

Striking Increase in Turkey’s Ceramic Production

The most relevant data in the table below is the 25% rise in ceramic manufacturing in Turkey between 2019 and 2022. Please look at the other countries that manufacture ceramics. China, as in many other sectors, is the market leader (Source: Turkish Ceramics Federation, Pdf file in Turkish, World Production and Consumption of Ceramic Tiles, 2021)

Basic Differences between Porcelain and Ceramics

It is essential to know the distinctions between porcelain and ceramics in order to better understand Turkish porcelain manufacturers.

• The primary distinction between porcelain and ceramic is that porcelain is fired at higher temperatures, which makes it more durable. As a result, porcelain is more durable yet transparent than ceramic, allowing for less water permeability.
• Moreover, ceramic tiles are made with red, brown, or white clay, while porcelain tiles are almost exclusively made with refined and purified white clay.
• Porcelain can be used indoors and outdoors, but ceramics can only be used indoors.

Although porcelain tiles are of high quality, they are not as long-lasting or stain-resistant as certain newer surfaces, such as quartz and corian. Lastly, if a company lists its products as wall and floor coverings, it generally means they have porcelain tiles.

Top Turkish Porcelain Manufacturers

In this section, I have listed, in my opinion, the eight largest Turkish porcelain manufacturers. In the second section, 11 Turkish porcelain tile manufacturers are listed. Because the well-known Turkish ceramic brand “Keramika” has earthenware and stoneware products, I did not include it on any lists.

Eczacibasi Building Materials (EYAP), Istanbul

EYAP is Turkey’s first and largest manufacturer and supplier of ceramic sanitary ware. Established in 1958, the company manufactures ceramic sanitary ware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, and shower trays. VitrA (1959), Intema (1978), and Artema (1983) are its most well-known brands. Eczacibasi purchased Engers, a well-established ceramic manufacturer in Germany, in 2006. It purchased 51% of Villeroy & Boch Tile Division, a subsidiary of Villeroy & Boch AG, the world’s oldest and most well-known ceramic brand, in 2007.

Kaleseramik, Canakkale Kalebodur Ceramic Industry Inc.,

The company, which is a part of the Kale Group, is Turkey’s first, Europe’s fifth, and the world’s 18^th largest ceramic tile manufacturer, with an annual production capacity of 56 million square meters under the Kaleseramik brand. The company, which has been in the industry since 1957, draws notice with its large-sized tiles. The company has four factories: two in Canakkale, one in Yozgat, and one in Balikesir.

Kutahya Porcelain Industry Inc., Kutahya

Founded as a public company in 1970, the company was passed to the Gural family in 1984. Currently, the general public owns 25% of the company. “Corner” and “Horeca” brand porcelain dinnerware is available in 52 countries throughout the world. It is one of the three largest porcelain manufacturers in Europe. The company’s products are hard porcelain and Naturaceram (a short name for Natural Ceramic—ceramic tableware). This Turkish porcelain manufacturer has six factories with a total production area of 160,000 m².

Gural Porcelain Inc., Kutahya

This company is related to Kütahya Porcelain, Inc., as the name implies. Gural Porcelain, founded in 1989, manufactures on a total area of 275,000 m2, of which 75,000 m2 is closed. It is one of the most prominent companies in the world that represents our country, particularly in the HoReCa industry. The product line and business model are identical to those of Kutahya Porcelain, Inc. It is one of the primary Turkish porcelain manufacturers to which you will turn for high-quality porcelain plates.

Ege Seramik Industry and Trade Inc., Izmir

Ege Ceramics was founded in 1972 and began manufacturing in 1975. The company has an annual ceramic production capacity of 24,300,000 m2 in its facilities located in Izmir Kemalpasa, adjacent to the Izmir port. With the name “Digital Tile by Ege Seramik”, the company brought digital printing technology to the Turkish ceramics sector in 2009. The company manufactures ceramic and porcelain tiles and exports them to 50 countries. Products:

• Dust-pressed ceramic porcelain tiles with low water absorption (fully vitrifıeld)
• Dust-pressed ceramic wall tiles with high water absorption
• Dust-pressed ceramic floor tiles with low water absorption

ANT Porcelain Industry and Trade Inc., Kutahya

Ant Porcelain is one of the firms in Kütahya, Turkey’s ceramics center. The company began manufacturing in 2020 and sells under the “Talu” label. Porcelain dinner sets, tea and coffee sets, and table presentation elements are examples of their product groups. There is no porcelain tile manufacturing in Ant Porcelain.

Porline Porcelain, Kütahya

Founded in 2018, this company produces porcelain tableware with two kilns and 150 employees. It has a monthly porcelain production capacity of 900,000 pieces. The company’s digital printing line allows it to make private labels at the customer’s request.

Yurtbay Ceramics, Zonguldak

Yurtbay, whose headquarters are in Zonguldak and its ceramic factory in Eskisehir, is a large-scale company that exports ceramic construction chemicals to 56 countries. The Eskisehir ceramic factory manufactures in a closed area of 100,000 m².

Since Yurtbay Ceramics also manufactures ceramic and porcelain tiles, I included the company in my list. However, when I investigated the products, I was drawn to granite, marble, and concrete materials. I included it on my list since it is a significant ceramic manufacturer, and I believe individuals looking to import porcelain tiles should contact them as well. Yurtbay Ceramics is a subsidiary of the Yurtbay Group of Companies.

Turkish Ceramics Industry

The Turkish ceramics industry manufactures 0.4% of the total production value of the Turkish industrial sectors, with a production value of around 1.0 billion dollars. Ceramic items have an international trade volume of around $2.0 billion. Turkey is a net exporter of ceramics due to exports of ceramic coverings (see “porcelain tile manufacturers”), but it imports other types of ceramics from other countries. The Turkish ceramics industry employs 40,000 people directly and 330,000 indirectly. (source: Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, Ceramics Sector Report 2021).

Turkey’s top export destinations are Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel. China, Germany, and Italy are among Turkey’s top ceramics imports. While polished or glazed ceramic flooring and sanitary ware are the most exported sub-product groups in the sector, the most imported are porcelain tableware and refractory product groups.

High Transportation Costs of Ceramic Products

Ceramic is a fragile material that requires expensive transportation. Turkish porcelain manufacturers prefer to ship their products by road. Before purchasing porcelain, you must always consider shipping costs.

Conclusion

Turkish porcelain manufacturers offer a fascinating blend of traditional artistry and modern innovation. Their products, revered globally for their quality and aesthetics, are a testament to Turkey’s deep-rooted ceramic and porcelain production tradition.

Companies such as Kutahya Porcelain, Gural Porcelain, Ant Porcelain, or Kaleseramik stand as pillars in the Turkish porcelain manufacturing industry. Their commitment to excellence, reflected in their diverse product lines and stringent quality control measures, has carved a niche for Turkish porcelain in the global market.

My next post is “Turkish Bentonite Manufacturers.”

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