Tile Council of North America (TCNA) is pleased to announce its 2013 TCNA Tile Person of the Year: Mr. Filippo Marazzi, former chairman of the board and president of Marazzi Group.

Though sadly Mr. Marazzi passed away at the end of 2012, his efforts helped greatly shape the U.S. and international tile industry.

The following biographical information and details on his numerous accomplishments were kindly provided by Marazzi Group.

After assuming the leadership role in 1978 after the death of his father, Pietro Marazzi, Filippo began in the early 1980s to internationalize the Group by establishing production facilities in Spain (Marazzi Iberia S.A.) and in the United States (American Marazzi Tile Inc.).

In 1986, Filippo Marazzi introduced Enduro, the first ceramic line to ensure higher technical performance in terms of hardness and abrasion resistance.

The Group’s growth and internationalization process continued throughout the 1990s through joint ventures, cooperative agreements, and acquisitions of important competitors in Spain, France, the U.S., and Italy.

In February 1992, Filippo Marazzi was awarded the first honorary degree in chemistry granted by the University of Modena’s (Italy) Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Natural Sciences for his “pioneering work in promoting the study and application of avant-garde ceramic materials and for his important scientific contribution to the development of a very important sector in solid-state chemistry.”

In 1994, Marazzi was the first company in the sector to obtain the ISO 9001 Certification for its quality system, followed by ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system.

In June 1995, Filippo Marazzi was given the honorary title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” by the President of the Italian Republic, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.

In 2002, he received the Pico della Mirandola Prize in “recognition of one who, with passion, conviction and a spirit of self-sacrifice, throughout his business dealings supported an enterprise culture which promoted and consolidated the ‘Made in Italy’ label worldwide.”

In 2003 work began on the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Moscow, and in 2005, with the acquisition of the Welor Kerama Group, Marazzi became the market leader in Russia, with a network of company-owned sales outlets.

Today Marazzi Group boasts manufacturing plants in Italy, France, Spain, Russia and the U.S., more than 6,000 employees, and an overall ceramic tile production of more than 100 million square meters (roughly 1.1 billion sq. ft.).

The award to honor Mr. Marazzi was a beautiful, framed tile mural handcrafted by Mr. Marc Holm of AD Studios (Elgin, TX).