Bellavita Tile, a leader in the North American tile industry, has announced the completion of its new office and warehouse complex in Vancouver, BC. The expansion is a result of a detailed, long-term plan by Bellavita to assure continued growth and ongoing support to the firm’s distribution network. Located three short blocks from the company’s old headquarters, the new facility includes 1,750 square-feet of offices and over 8,000 square-feet of warehouse. Plans for new production schedules and stocking programs have resulted from the expansion that will continue to evolve throughout 2013.
The new space showcases several installed tile products manufactured by Bellavita. Most significant can be found on the office floors, which feature the Rivergrass collection in the Papyrus color, utilizing a 24×24″ (60x60cm) format. Ames Tile & Stone in Vancouver provided slab isolation membrane and the NuHeat radiant heating system to enhance the performance of the floors. The installation was completed by Bridgewater Tile.
Bellavita is especially proud of the energy-savings features implemented at the new facility. Mike Ward, U.S. director of sales, explained, “To keep our burden on the environment as low as possible, we contacted our friends at NuHeat to help us with an electric radiant heat solution for the office space. Working with Anthony Celio, we settled upon their prefabricated mats, both standard and custom for the entire space, all of which is now controlled by their SOLO thermostats. The high thermal mass of our porcelain, paired with the efficient heating of NuHeat’s mats, provides the only heat-source required for the entire space with minimal energy input. But the SOLO thermostats are the clincher — they make sure the office is toasty only during business hours without need for any direction after the initial setup.
“The expanded warehouse and sample department has added tremendously to the efficiency of our operation,” added Ward.
Bellavita Tile also moved its U.S. offices from California to Carrollton, Texas in 2012.