Nov 12 2010
Florida Tile, manufacturer and distributor of ceramic and porcelain tile, will expand its workforce by more than 26 percent by year end.
The expansion will support the company's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lawenceburg as well as its new corporate headquarters in Lexington.
According to company President Michael Franceschelli, "This announcement is another in Florida Tile's kept promises made more than two years ago to our partners in this venture, the community, county, state and federal officials, when we officially moved our operations from Florida to Kentucky."
"At that time," he said, "the company purchased and invested more than $15 million to 'recycle' a once-dormant manufacturing plant in Lawrenceburg, thus creating a modern porcelain tile facility and utilizing a continuous ball mill, one of only three worldwide."
"That economy-of-scale investment has allowed Florida Tile to not only maximize its high-quality, high-capacity production but also to simultaneously grow our environmental programs to include a $150,000 investment in a proprietary scrap tile crushing process announced late this summer which virtually eliminates all tile waste disposal and increases recycled content in all Florida Tile products manufactured in Lexington."
During the summer, Florida Tile also moved its corporate headquarters to a brand new facility in Lexington.
"Despite economic conditions, it is clear that demand for the quality and leading-edge tile fashions produced by Florida Tile is driving this need for workers, despite our high level of automation," Franceschelli said. "What this tells us is that there are customers looking for quality products and appealing designs, despite the economic headlines to the contrary."
Source: http://www.floridatile.com