VitrA (sanitaryware)


VitrA is a Turkish manufacturer of sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, brassware and ceramic tiles. It is part of the Eczacıbaşı Group, a multinational corporation involved in building materials and consumer products.
The company has been working with famous designers such as Ross Lovegrove, Matteo Thun, Ambrogio Rossari, the German Designbüro NOA, and İnci Mutlu.

History

VitrA's started in 1942 when a Ceramic Factory was built in Kartal, Turkey.
After the war, the company started growing rapidly, its core production being ceramic plumbing fixtures. This represented a real innovation in the Turkish market, dominated by marble. The ceramic novelty brought to an immediate success, so much that in 1958 a second production plant was created.
In 1966 the VitrA brand name was adopted. Also, this began representing a large range of plumbing products. Another ceramic factory was then created in 1977, a fittings plant in 1979, and a tiles factory in 1991. The following year, a bathroom furniture factory was created.

Export

The early 1980s saw the company begin to exports its products, initially to Germany. In 1999 a factory was acquired in Ireland. Today the company exports to over 80 countries.