30.01.2025 | Milestone in ceramic production

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The location of the new facility directly on the Saint Lawrence river makes for easier logistics and goods transport and saves up to 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year (Image source: Duravit AG)

• Equipped with the world’s first electric roller kiln powered by almost 100% renewable energy
• Highly automated manufacturing and state-of-the-art technologies for high quality and efficiency
• Up to 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide saved per year thanks to electric kiln and reduced transport overheads

The production hall, 35,000 m² in size, is almost finished and is ready for the roller kilns specially developed for this production facility. With these kilns, Duravit can manufacture sanitary ceramic products in an entirely new way. “We’re expecting the first toilet to roll out of the new facility in Canada in the third quarter of 2025,” said Christian Gilles, formerly Production Manager at the Hornberg facility, and now Head of Manufacturing in Matane.


State of the Art Technology

The Matane site is benefiting from the combined experience and expertise of Duravit’s existing facilities. “We’ve essentially assembled the perfect ceramic factory here,” explained Christian Gilles. “The two roller kilns are without a doubt the heart of the operation. The technology for the first electric roller kiln for sanitary ceramics was developed by the world’s leading industrial kiln manufacturer Riedhammer from Nuremberg, a subsidiary of the multinational SACMI group, which is headquartered in Imola, Italy. The kilns are operated almost entirely using renewable hydroelectric power. This will save the Canadian facility up to 8,500 tons of carbon dioxide each year. At the same time, these machines are the unknown factor in the manufacturing process.” For this precise reason, the designer bathroom manufacturer is relying on tried-and-tested processes and the latest technological standards for the rest of the manufacturing components. Consequently, the highly automated manufacturing processes ensure a consistently high quality standard, help boost production and support employees in their work. Additionally, Duravit is investing in driverless transport systems and a modern die-casting process to further boost efficient working processes.
Christian Gilles has held a range of positions at Duravit, including factory manager roles in Bischwiller, France and at the company’s headquarters in Hornberg. With the new facility, Duravit is leveraging its combined experience and expertise as a further step along the path of technological innovation.


Next steps

Work in has been in full swing since September of last year: having moved to Canada with his family, Christian Gilles is now being supported by a colleague who heads up the Human Resources and Finance departments. “Recruiting employees with the right skills for all of our vacant positions is definitely a challenge,” said Christian Gilles. The new machines will be delivered in March and then need to be installed and configured. The first of the two electrical roller kilns – the heart of the manufacturing process – is intended to go live in the third quarter.


Infobox:

Duravit AG is continuing its growth journey with its new manufacturing facility in Matane, Canada. The new facility opens up new opportunities alongside the existing manufacturing facilities and the company headquarters in Hornberg in the Black Forest. Not only is the new facility a seamless fit for the complete bathroom manufacturer’s local-for-local strategy, under which the globally oriented production facilities seek to procure their resources locally and target the products they manufacture at the local market. The location of the new facility directly on the Saint Lawrence river makes for easier logistics and goods transport and saves up to 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, the facility mainly produces sanitary ceramic tailored to the American market, which is reflected in the portfolio selected specifically for that country. Duravit’s local-for-local approach helps protect jobs at its German facilities.