VitrA (sanitaryware)
Encyclopedia
VitrA is a Turkish manufacturer of sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, brassware and ceramic tiles. It is part of the Eczacıbaşı
Group, a multinational corporation involved in building materials and consumer products.
The company has been working with famous designers such as Ross Lovegrove
(whose work lead to the prestigious Red Dot Design Award
), Matteo Thun
, Ambrogio Rossari, the German Designbüro NOA,Inci Mutlu
VitrA’s started in 1942 when a Ceramic Factory was built in Kartal
, Turkey.
After the war
, the company started growing rapidly, its core production being ceramic plumbing fixtures. This represented a real innovation in the Turkish market, dominated by marble
. The ceramic novelty brought to an immediate success, so much that in 1958 a second production plant was created.
In 1966 the VitrA brand name was adopted. Also, this began representing a large range of plumbing products. Another ceramic factory was then created in 1977, a fittings plant in 1979, and a tiles factory in 1991. The following year, a bathroom furniture factory was created.
. In 1999 a factory was acquired in Ireland
. Today the company exports to over 80 countries.
Eczacibasi
Eczacıbaşı Holding is a prominent Turkish industrial group of companies founded in 1942 by Eczacıbaşı family. The group with 39 companies has 10,100 employees and a combined net turnover of € 2.1 billion in 2010.-Group:...
Group, a multinational corporation involved in building materials and consumer products.
The company has been working with famous designers such as Ross Lovegrove
Ross Lovegrove
Ross Lovegrove is an industrial designer, perhaps best known for his work on the Sony Walkman.- Biography :He studied at Manchester Polytechnic , graduating with a First Class BA in Industrial Design in 1980 and then went to the Royal College of Art, London in 1983 where he completed his master of...
(whose work lead to the prestigious Red Dot Design Award
Red dot design award
The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
), Matteo Thun
Matteo Thun
Matteo Thun, born in 1952 in Bolzano, Italy, is a famous architect and designer.-Early years:Thun studied at the Salzburg Academy under the supervision of Oskar Kokoschka. He then obtained a degree in architecture in Florence, Italy, in 1975...
, Ambrogio Rossari, the German Designbüro NOA,Inci Mutlu
History
Kartal
Kartal is a district of Istanbul, Turkey located on the Asian side of the city, on the coast of the Marmara Sea between Maltepe and Pendik. The mayor is Altınok Öz . Despite being far from the city centre, Kartal is heavily populated now. . Total land area is 147,000 m² which includes some...
, Turkey.
After the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company started growing rapidly, its core production being ceramic plumbing fixtures. This represented a real innovation in the Turkish market, dominated by marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. The ceramic novelty brought to an immediate success, so much that in 1958 a second production plant was created.
In 1966 the VitrA brand name was adopted. Also, this began representing a large range of plumbing products. Another ceramic factory was then created in 1977, a fittings plant in 1979, and a tiles factory in 1991. The following year, a bathroom furniture factory was created.
Export
The early 80s saw the company begin to exports its products, initially to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1999 a factory was acquired in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Today the company exports to over 80 countries.