Laufen To Relocate Eastern U.S. Distribution Cente
Suffolk, VA, Jan 2--Laufen Ceramic Tile on Tuesday announced it will move into Commonwealth Storage Buildings in Suffolk, the new center for importing, warehousing, and distributing their ceramic tile products in the eastern United States, according to the Newport News, Daily Press.
About six people will work there. The move represents an investment of about $1 million. The 92,000-square-foot warehouse will be ready to ship products by Jan. 12. To compare, the Target distribution center in Suffolk is 1.5 million square feet.
Laufen dates back to 1892, when the Laufen Group founded its first production company in Laufen, Switzerland. In 1999, the Roca Group, the leading Spanish sanitaryware manufacturer, bought Laufen.
The combined Roca-Laufen group is the second largest sanitaryware manufacturer and the fifth largest ceramic tile manufacturer in the world with ceramic tile factories in the U.S., Spain, Brazil, Peru and Bulgaria.
The Commonwealth Storage Buildings are within a Virginia Enterprise Zone. By locating in an enterprise zone, businesses may receive an array of state and local tax credits, as well as job grants for new positions created by business expansions.
The incentives Laufen will receive have not yet been determined, said Tom O'Grady, Suffolk's economic development director.
