Investor Presentaiton
October 12, 2021
MAIN RISKS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
GBM
PRODUCT SUBSTITUTION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
As new technologies arise, better looking and more economical products are grabbing consumers'
attention, and the floor covering market offers a wide range of options, not only in a variety of designs
but also in terms of costs. Despite ceramic tiles have both a broad cost and design spectrum, some
alternatives have gained popularity because of their modern, expensive-looking designs while still being
cheaper than ceramic tiles. This is the case for LVT, a product made of PVC that gives the appearance of
real wood or stone. It can have any design printed on and it is usually preferred over laminate flooring,
carpets, stone, or hardwood because it is more affordable and looks just as real as the others.
Given their versatility, products like LVT could pose a risk to ceramics, in our view. Nonetheless, LVT
has not penetrated most of the markets where ceramic tiles have a strong presence, such as Latin
America or Europe. Besides, it is not as durable as other hard floorings: while ceramics can last more
than 100 years, LVT has an average lifespan of less than 25 years and this depends to a great extent on
its usage-LVT is not ideal for commercial spaces with heavy foot traffic since it can get easily damaged.
If a product is not suitable for heavy-duty use, it may require a higher investment in the long run, which
could be a drawback for some consumers. We think this feature is why LVT has not yet penetrated the
Mexican market as much as the US.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The recent environmental trend continues to gain momentum, and energy-intensive industries, such as
ceramic tiles, will not escape more stringent regulations which could pose a potential threat to industry
players in the event that they can't abide by them. Despite common beliefs that the building materials
sector as a whole is highly polluting, it is not as quite the case for ceramic tile companies. Given their
properties like durability and recyclability, ceramics are a more sustainable option made from natural
materials, in addition to being a substitute for other natural or non-renewable materials.
As companies face the forementioned stringent regulations, they are continuously investing in research
and development in order to innovate in their processes and be up to date with technologies for more
eco-friendly processes as well as implementing the Best Available Techniques (BATS). For example,
LAMOSA employs a technology which reduces the thickness of ceramic products whilst retaining
stability and durability intact as well as complying with the current normativity. Additionally, a vast
majority of the inputs employed for the production of ceramic tiles are entirely reused, creating almost
none to zero waste. Furthermore, ceramic companies use natural gas as fuel instead of others that are
more polluting, such as coal or petroleum products. Natural gas is relatively clean, as burning it results
in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and CO2. Thus, it is true that the fabrication
process of ceramics could represent a potential harm to the environment, but as long as ceramics
players continue to invest in research and development towards more sustainable processes and apply
BATS, we believe the companies will continue to hedge from upcoming and more rigorous regulation.
LAMOSA/CERAMIC: THE ROAD TO GROWTH IS PAVED WITH TILES. | 18View entire presentation