Duravit Brings Local Ceramic Production to North America With New Matane, QC Facility
Key Highlights
- The Matane plant represents a CAD 90 million investment, creating up to 240 jobs and producing high-quality sinks and toilets for the North American market
- Electric roller kilns powered by renewable hydropower significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, cutting approximately 9,000 tons annually
- Partnerships with regional and government stakeholders, including support from Economic Development Canada and Investissement Québec, facilitated the project’s success
MATANE, QUEBEC, CANADA — Duravit has opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Matane, Québec—a major step in bringing ceramic production closer to US and Canadian customers. The new plant is one of the first in the world to fire sanitary ceramics using electric kilns powered almost entirely by renewable hydropower, a breakthrough for an industry long reliant on fossil-fuel energy. The facility supports Duravit’s global “local-for-local” strategy by producing North American–designed and manufactured products for the first time.
The opening event on November 27, 2025, welcomed nearly 80 guests, including government officials, business leaders, local partners, and media. Duravit leadership attending included Bob Downie, President & CEO of Duravit North America; Christian Gilles, Plant Manager, Canada; Thomas Stammel, COO; and Lüder Fromm, CMO. Special guest Gregor Greinert, Chairman of Duravit’s Supervisory Board, also joined the ceremony.
“The opening of this facility marks a defining moment for Duravit that strengthens our regional footprint and sets a new benchmark for lower carbon ceramic production powered by clean energy,” says Bob Downie, President & CEO of Duravit North America. “It represents a long-term investment in resilient supply chains, high-quality local manufacturing, and a more sustainable future for our industry and the communities we serve.”
Investment in North American Capacity
Duravit has invested more than CAD 90 million in the 35,000-square-meter plant, a strategic anchor of its global growth plans. Production has already begun with 102 employees, and staffing is expected to reach 240 by 2027 as operations scale to full capacity. At peak output, the facility will produce up to 450,000 sinks, toilets, and other ceramic pieces annually for the North American market.
All products will be manufactured to Duravit’s established performance standards for durability, precision, and finish. The plant’s location on the St. Lawrence River provides direct access to efficient transportation, a deep-sea port, and stable, cost-effective renewable energy—key factors in the site selection.
Breakthrough Clean-Energy Technology
Traditional ceramic firing requires extremely high temperatures and heavy energy inputs. In Matane, Duravit is replacing fossil-fuel heating with nearly 100% renewable hydropower from Québec. The facility’s electric roller kilns—supplied by Riedhammer, part of the SACMI Group—run on 99.6% renewable energy and operate at temperatures up to 1,260°C. Each kiln measures roughly 100 meters long and can fire more than 600 ceramic pieces per day.
Heat generated during firing is captured and reused to support drying and casting processes. Combined with reduced transportation distances, these efficiencies are expected to cut CO₂ emissions by approximately 9,000 tons per year.
Partnership With Regional and Government Stakeholders
Economic Development Canada supported the project with a repayable CAD 19 million contribution, while Investissement Québec provided an additional CAD 11 million loan through the ESSOR program. The Matane community played a key role in helping the project move forward.
“The Matane region has shown us great trust and support from the very beginning. For us, this plant is more than just a production site: it is a joint project with the local community. We want to create long-term jobs that offer prospects and actively contribute to economic development,” says Christian Gilles, Plant Manager at Duravit Canada.
Timeless Design, Long-Term Sustainability
Duravit, founded in 1817, continues its focus on precision craftsmanship supported by modern manufacturing technology. The Matane facility is a central component of the company’s long-term plan to achieve CO₂ neutrality by 2045. While expanding globally, Duravit remains committed to creating durable, timeless products—an approach that reduces material replacement cycles and supports both resource conservation and long-term sustainability.
“With our factory in Matane, Canada, we're reinforcing our commitment to sustainable design and bringing Duravit's values—excellence, quality, and responsibility—to North America,” says Lüder Fromm, CMO. “This factory shows how we combine innovation with responsibility and create solutions that last. Because true sustainability comes when timeless design is durable.”
For more information visit www.duravit.us.
Note: this release was rewritten with help from generative AI.