Petracer's Holding, owned by the well known Belgian multinational Koramic Chemicals&Ceramics, managed by Graziano Verdi, has signed a deal for the acquisition of the historic Florentine brand Franco Pecchioli Ceramica Firenze, one of the oldest in the ceramic floor and wall tile industry and a symbol of Italy's world-famous top-quality craftsmanship.
Franco Pecchioli s.r.l. is the direct descendant of Manifatture Chini, a ceramic manufacturer established by Galileo Chini in the closing decade of the 19th Century. Over the years, the synergy between the two families has given rise to fully fledged works of art in ceramic, majolica and other media, which have been used in the interiors of the world's most beautiful homes and important public buildings for over 100 years.
The foremost of these is the Royal Palace of Siam - now Thailand - followed by the historic headquarters of "Richard-Ginori", the Berzieri spa baths in Salsomaggiore, the Buell Theatre in Denver, the Detroit subway, the Hundertwasser in Vienna, the residence of the Queen of Holland, and the villas of world-famous actors and performers such as Michael Caine, Ben Stiller and Luciano Pavarotti.
It was this historical and cultural heritage, combined with the aesthetic quality expressed by Pecchioli products, that aroused the interest of Petracer's and particularly its Chairman and Managing Director, Graziano Verdi, who proposed the acquisition in May. The aim of the deal is to restore Pecchioli to its rightful place among the market leaders of the luxury ceramic sector.