Florim Flourishes in Clarksville, Expands to Meet Demand for Product

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Florim USA (Clarksville, Tennessee), a subsidiary of Gruppo Florim Ceramiche (Fioramo, Modena, Italy), is in the midst of another expansion to its Clarksville porcelain tile production facility. In an effort to meet current needs and to anticipate increasing future needs for its 18x18 tile product, the company has recently increased the production area by 25% and upgraded four production lines for the 18x18 product, giving the company six 18x18 production lines. Demand for the commercial-sized 18x18 tile product has increased substantially since the company introduced it five years ago.

Also on the agenda was the addition of rotocolor machines, that will replace the older flat-screen technology, in order to more precisely match a customer’s color demands. In this latest expansion, Florim will also be installing new glaze and sorting lines, a new kiln, and large-format presses. In the first quarter of 2005, the company converted the entire plant to the production of porcelain tiles only.

The $15 million equipment expansion project, which began in early September, is expected to be completed in January or February of 2006, and will necessitate the addition of 100 new employees by the end of 2005, which will raise the company’s total employee count to 400. The expansion will also allow for a production increase to 70 million square-feet of tile a year, up from the 60 million square-feet currently being produced.

Florim’s expansion marks the fifth manufacturing facility expansion in Clarksville in the last twelve months. Also expanding in Clarksville are the Conwood Company, a producer of smokeless tobacco products; SPX Contech, which forges automotive parts; Trane, maker of air conditioning equipment; and MAP Industries, which fabricates copper headers for HVAC applications. The total investment value of these expansions is approximately $52 million and will add 270 new jobs to the area. Clarksville and Montgomery County are loving it.

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