Florida Tile
Florida Tile is a U.S.-based manufacturer of porcelain and ceramic tile. It is one of the United States' largest producers of glazed and unglazed porcelain wall, floor tile and ceramic wall tile. It is also an importer and distributor of ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tile, natural stone, glass and metal tiles. Established in 1954, the company originally intended to fill a market niche. However, as the company grew, its product line gradually expanded and it became known for innovation, being responsible for a number of firsts in the ceramic tile industry. In 2003, the company employed 950 people and had annual revenue of around $120 million. It manufactures its products in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and distributes products via its distribution center there to a network of 60 distributors, 35 company owned branches, and through big box and third party channels. History The Sikes years Florida Tile was established in Lakeland, Florida when Leon Sikes Sr. and his sons Jame ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  

Porcelain
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainly from vitrification and formation of the mineral mullite within the body at these high temperatures. Though definitions vary, porcelain can be divided into three main categories: hard-paste, soft-paste, and bone china. The category that an object belongs to depends on the composition of the paste used to make the body of the porcelain object and the firing conditions. Porcelain slowly evolved in China and was finally achieved (depending on the definition used) at some point about 2,000 to 1,200 years ago; it slowly spread to other East Asian countries, then to Europe, and eventually to the rest of the world. Its manufacturing process is more demanding than that for earthenware and stoneware, the two other main types of pottery, and it ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]