LANKA TILES collaborates with Chinese firm, US counterpart to export mosaic tiles to the US
View(s):LANKATILES, the pioneering wall and floor tile manufacturer in Sri Lanka, has announced that it will be entering the globally competitive mosaic tiles segment.
From left - Liang Yu En, Managing Director, Foshan Shiwan Yulong Ceramic Co Ltd; Benjamin Malloy, Representative of the North American Market and Mahendra Jayasekera, Managing Director, Lanka Walltiles Group.
LANKATILES will collaborate with a Chinese mosaic tile manufacturer – Foshan Shiwan Yulong Ceramic Co Ltd – to obtain the technical know-how and subsequently manufacture the tiles in LANKATILES factories in Sri Lanka in yet another pioneering move. LANKATILES is foraying into manufacturing mosaic tiles for exports to the international markets and North America in particular, which has high demand for mosaic tiles. This collaboration also involves North American counterpart – Benjamin Malloy – as it would be the key market for this product, the company said in a media release.
Commenting on the development, Managing Director of Lanka Walltiles Group, Mahendra Jayasekera said: “LANKATILES has been on an aggressive expansion drive over the past few years. Our entry in the mosaic tile category has led us to collaborate with a Chinese mosaic tile manufacturer to gain the necessary expertise to manufacture mosaic tiles in Sri Lanka and to export to North America and other countries. This is an ambitious move by LANKATILES to yet again break new ground by pioneering value added mosaic tile manufacturing in Sri Lanka. This new manufacturing capacity will not only generate valuable employment opportunities but will also add a new dimension to the company’s reputation as a world-class tile manufacturer and fill product gaps in the market. Our agility and willingness to innovate has consistently helped the company reap rewards by way of deepening our footprint in global markets, where LANKATILES is already a respected brand. We foresee immense export opportunity for mosaic tiles to North America and other countries and believe this collaboration will truly help the company unlock its potential.”
LANKATILES is already a well-established brand in North America for more than 40 years and the company is familiar with the intricacies of the market there, which will make it easier to target exports of mosaic tiles to specific buyers. Consistently looking for new growth avenues, the Sri Lankan company said this tie-up with a Chinese company is an opportunity that has arisen as a result of the US-China trade wars and one which LANKATILES seized for strategic advantage. LANKATILES expects to promote its diverse product range along with mosaic tiles exports to fulfill its aspiration to remain a dominant player in the local market and to deliver a better product to local and overseas buyers.
LANKATILES is already exporting to 12 countries including high quality markets such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and certain countries in the European Union. In the company’s most recent expansion, more than 6,000 square metres of production capacity was added at a cost of Rs. 2.5 billion, at its factory complex in Ranala.