VitrA (sanitaryware)
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VitrA is a Turkish manufacturer of sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, brassware and ceramic tiles. It is part of the
Eczacıbaşı Eczacıbaşı Holding is a Turkish industrial group of companies founded in 1942. As of 2023, the Group's 50 companies employ more than 13,500 people, operate 40 production plants, and generate a combined net turnover of TL 33 billion. Group E ...
Group, a
multinational corporation A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...
involved in building materials and consumer products.


History


1942–1999

VitrA was founded in 1942 by Nejat Eczacıbaşı, the same year its first factory was built in
Kartal Kartal () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 38 km2, and its population is 483,418 (2022). It is located on the Asian side of the city, on the coast of the Marmara Sea between Maltepe and Pendik. De ...
, Turkey. After the
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
, the company started growing rapidly. Its core products at the time were ceramic plumbing fixtures. This represented an innovation in the Turkish market, dominated by
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
. The ceramic novelty brought to an immediate success, so much so that in 1958 the company changed sectors from tile manufacturing to sanitaryware to meet the increasing demand. In 1966, the VitrA
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
was adopted. In 1977 production was started in
Bozüyük Bozüyük () is a city in Bilecik Province in the Marmara region of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Eu ...
, in 1979 an armature factory, in 1991 a bathroom furniture factory, and in 1992 a ceramic factory was built. The early 1980s saw the company begin to export its products, initially to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where it opened its first foreign branch. In 1999 VitrA acquired a tile factory in
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, 5 years after the acquisition of the tile factory a new one was built.


2000s–present

In 2002, Vitra changed its logo after 11 years, to try to make the company a world brand. In 2006, the company changed its logo again; the new logo was introduced at the UNICERA Ceramic and Bathroom Fair in Istanbul. In 2011, VitrA started its production branch in Russia by building a factory in
Serpukhov Serpukhov ( rus, Серпухов, p=ˈsʲerpʊxəf) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Oka River, Oka and the Nara (Oka), Nara Rivers, 99 kilometers (62 miles) south fro ...
,
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, which cost about 30 million
Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
s. In 2019, the company opened its first branch in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. In March 2020, the company won the 2020
iF Design Award The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year. History The iF Indus ...
in the awards' 66th year. In 2021, VitrA was awarded the TPM Excellence Award by the JIPM (Japanese Institute of Plant Maintenance). Ferit Erin, who joined the Eczacıbaşı Group in 2009, started as the general manager of Vitra on July 1, 2018.


Sponsorships

From 2010 to 2021, Vitra sponsored the Turkish women's
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
team
Eczacıbaşı Eczacıbaşı Holding is a Turkish industrial group of companies founded in 1942. As of 2023, the Group's 50 companies employ more than 13,500 people, operate 40 production plants, and generate a combined net turnover of TL 33 billion. Group E ...
. Vitra is also the sponsor of the International Hotel Awards for the Asia Pacific region and the Istanbul Festival of Architecture. Manufacturing companies established in 1942 Privately held companies Turkish brands Manufacturing companies based in Istanbul Eczacıbaşı family 1942 establishments in Turkey Companies in the BIST 100


References

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