Baxter, Tenn.—The Portobello America full-service, state-of-the-art tile production facility, located here, is slated to be operational by early next year. The new factory is now expected to generate at least 230 local jobs.
“Everything is on schedule, and we anticipate a March or April (2023) startup,” explained James Durbin, vice president of manufacturing & outsourcing. “From day one of production, the new factory will be able to double originally planned capacity of smaller pieces, such as 8 x 8, 3 x 6, 3 x 12 and everything in between. There is a strong demand from our North American customer base for these to augment some of our best-selling porcelain collections. The pieces will be produced using the same body materials as included in our field tile ranges, such as Terralma and Gouach, and they will be just as high-end in appearance.”
The new facility will not only be a major sustainable manufacturing venue, it will also be the new home of the Portobello America North American offices. Baxter is located in Putnam County, considered a national hub regarding the manufacture of porcelain tile due to the local obtainability of natural clay and feldspar supplies.
“Our new plant will be fully automated with the most modern technology,” Durbin said. “This will include laser-guided systems, automated packaging and palleting, robots that move materials from one area of the plant to another and much, much more. Obviously, we’ve got much to accomplish before our startup, and we will get it done!”
Portobello America’s parent company, Portobello Group—a leading producer of porcelain and ceramic tile in Brazil—announced the new factory in October 2021.
At the time, Cesar Gomes, Portobello Group’s CEO, noted, “Growing and developing in the American market, incorporating the local culture, generating job opportunities and investments as the result of ‘production-to-partnership relationships’ with distributors, is what guides this new challenge. We are proud to soon present Portobello America’s new U.S.-based factory. We believe in the strategy, the market potential and, above all, the combination of our know how with the American team and culture.”