Wonder Porcelain Holds Ribbon Cutting at New Lebanon, TN Plant

Lebanon, TN, April 17, 2017—Commissioner Bob Rolfe of the TN Department of Economic and Community Development, Mayor Bernie Ash of the City of Lebanon and Michael Kephart, president, of Wonder Porcelain, were among those on hand to ceremonially open the new American Wonder Porcelain plant on April 11 in Lebanon, Tennessee. 

The future onsite showroom in the state-of-the-art manufacturing complex hosted the group of approximately 100 guests consisting of local officials, plant employees and foreign investors.

Kephart; Rolfe; Jianping Huang, a primary investor in Wonder Porcelain; and Bill Griese, director of standards development and sustainability initiatives for the Tile Council of North America, TCNA, all spoke at the event.

The 500,000-square foot plant will be fully operational in June and will allow Wonder Porcelain to introduce advanced manufacturing capabilities and proprietary production processes, not previously utilized in domestic tile production. The facility will put Lebanon, Tennessee on the map as an area for innovation in the tile industry. It will have the capability to produce glazed porcelain, technical color body, rectified, polished, and large format tile. All equipment in the plant reflects the latest technology.

Wonder Porcelain worked with TN-based T.W.Frierson Contractor, Inc. on the construction of the plant. An additional 200,000 square foot warehouse and adjacent office complex complete the facility.

All products produced in the new plant will be certified by the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency and will be tested by the Tile Council of North America to ensure they meet or exceed defined standards in all performance categories.