Austrian brick and roof tile giant Wiemnerberger has launched itself into the global tile maket by acquiring the fast-growing Italcer Group.
Wienerberger operates more than 200 production sites in 28 countries and is the world’s largest producer of bricks, and the market leader in clay roof tiles in Europe as well as concrete pavers in Central-Eastern Europe and pipe systems in Europe.
The Italcer Group is a leading multi-brand specialist operating in the high-end design surfaces space, manufacturing high quality outdoor and indoor ceramic products and employing nearly 1,200 people. Italcer has particularly been active in small formats and slabs, the sectors two main growth segments of late.
In 2025, Wienerberger overcame a challenging macroeconomic environment and a sharp decline in new residential construction across most European and North American markets, to increase revenues year-on-year to €4.6 billion. Earnings after tax doubled to €168 million, up from (2024: €84 million in 2024. The free cash flow reached €474 million compared to €417 million in the previous year.
The Italcer acquisition marks the next step in Wienerberger’s growth strategy. With manufacturing hubs in Italy and Spain, Italcer has a strong decarbonization focus. Focusing on the premium and luxury segments, it generates annual revenues of approx. Italcer was the first European wall and floor tile producer to operate a 100% electric kiln. This is in line with Wienerberger’s efforts to decarbonize the construction industry, as demonstrated by the commissioning of the world’s first electric kiln for brick production in Uttendorf, Austria, in November 2024.
The transaction expands Wienerberger’s portfolio into the attractive premium façade systems market, strengthens its position in the European renovation segment in line with its diversification strategy, offers clear operational and sustainability synergies, and comes with a highly attractive financial profile.
Italcer generates 75% of its revenues internationally, providing a diverse portfolio of high-end ceramic solutions from extra-small tiles to large slabs to markets around the world; making it a perfect fit for Wienerberger’s strategy of championing shifting market dynamics.
Heimo Scheuch, CEO of Wienerberger, stated “Wienerberger has a clear growth strategy as we proactively enhance our exposure to growth markets. The acquisition of Italcer will support this strategy by growing our offer in the renovation and new build segments and by enhancing our solutions offering for the entire building envelope especially in the facing brick solution market. In addition, Italcer’s innovations in decarbonizing the ceramic sector will actively contribute to our ambitions in leading ecological change in the construction industry, helping to shape a sustainable future for generations to come.”
“The acquisition of Italcer will support this strategy by growing our offer in the renovation and new build segments and by enhancing our solutions offering for the entire building envelope especially in the facing brick solution market.”
Graziano Verdi, CEO Italcer Group, will remain with the company and continue to drive the business forward. He stated: “Italcer has continuously outperformed markets thanks to our successful strategy of focusing on innovative, state-of-the-art solutions and industry leading service. By diversifying our portfolio while upholding the highest standards of quality, we always found demand in a great variety of export markets and grew sustainably across segments. This proactive strategy gave us resilience amidst challenging global economic conditions, which is one of many parallels we have with Wienerberger. We also share the goal of driving the sustainable transformation of the construction industry, and our portfolios complement each other, allowing for new holistic building solutions. As a highly reputable and innovative company with clear ambitions and a proven track-record, we look forward to developing our activities on the wienerberger growth platform.”
Italcer was previously controlled by the investment funds Mindful Capital Partners (MCP) and Miura Partners. Initially, Wienerberger will acquire 50% plus one share of Italcer Group from MCP, Miura and their co-shareholders, while retaining an option to purchase the remaining stake by the first half of 2027.
In its first eight years of operation, Italcer has successfully fulfilled its founding vision of creating a premier “Made in Italy” ceramic hub through a robust “buy & build” strategy. The initial 2017 acquisitions of La Fabbrica-AVA, Elios Ceramica and Devon&Devon were followed by Ceramica Rondine (2018), Cedir (2020), Equipe Cerámicas (2021), Fondovalle (2022) and Terratinta (2023).
These prestige brands allow Italcer to cover the entire range of ceramic surfaces, from small formats to large porcelain stoneware slabs for architecture, furnishing and outdoor use; as well as luxury bathroom furnishings via Devon&Devon.
The group currently operates 12 facilities across Italy and Spain with a production capacity of approximately 24 million sq. metre per year, around 1,200 employees and 15,000 customers worldwide. Italcer ended 2025 with revenues exceeding €350 million, about 75% of which was generated through exports, primarily to Europe and North America. EBITDA stood at €75 million, representing a margin of over 20%.
“With Wienerberger as the controlling shareholder,” explains Verdi, “Italcer strengthens its positioning and looks forward to a five-year period of strong growth, reinforcing its presence in key markets such as the United States.” Verdi has repeatedly expressed interest in establishing a local production facility in the USA.
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