Anfora is the largest Mexican manufacturer of

vitrified Vitrification (from Latin ''vitreum'', "glass" via French ''vitrifier'') is the full or partial transformation of a substance into a glass, that is to say, a non-crystalline amorphous solid. Glasses differ from liquids structurally and glasses po ...

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

s. It is based in the silver mining city of

Pachuca Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whic ...

, in the state of

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

, in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

History

Anfora was founded in 1920 by Pablo Schmidt, Alberto Lenz, Julio Vermehren, Carlos Reichert, Enrique Hilger, Federico Ritter and Adolfo Goerz in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

as a

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 mainl ...

manufacturer for home and institutional ceramic dinnerware. After the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

, Anfora grew its production through German technology and Mexican labor, eventually coming to dominate the Mexican market for this type of products. In 1932, Anfora started to manufacture sanitaryware for the construction market. During World War II, the Mexican government under

Lázaro Cárdenas Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. Born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, to a working-class family, Cárdenas joined the M ...

intervened the company as the original owners were of German nationality. After a tumultuous period of poor decisions and lack of investment by government officials, the company was sold in 1947 to local investors. The period of explosive post-war growth, plus its installed infrastructure, allowed Anfora to grow exponentially and become a household name. In 1994, the factory moved to a facility in

, where it continues to operate with over 1,000 people in 2020.

Markets

The company sells in Mexico through a network of distributors and wholesalers. In the US, it is represented exclusively by

Steelite Steelite International is a British ceramics and tableware manufacturer for the hospitality industry. It is based in Middleport, a district of Burslem in Staffordshire, England, with offices in New Castle, Pennsylvania and showrooms worldwide. ...

for the foodservice market, where it competes against local factories like

Homer Laughlin Homer Laughlin (March 23, 1843 – January 10, 1913) was an American businessman and potter who, with his brother Shakespeare, formed the Laughlin Pottery Company in 1871 in Newell, West Virginia.''Press Reference Library : Portraits and Biograph ...

and Hall China. Home use dinnerware is sold through retailers like

Pottery Barn Pottery Barn is an American upscale home furnishing store chain and e-commerce company, with retail stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. The company is headq ...

and

Williams Sonoma Williams Sonoma is an American retailer of cookware, appliances, and home furnishings. It is owned by Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and was founded by Charles E. (Chuck) Williams in 1956. History In 1947, Chuck Williams settled in Sonoma, California ...

. One of the most traditional Anfora pattern is the hand painted Blue and White Puebla, sold as a collector's dinnerware through individuals on

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...

. Other customers include

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

and Mexican restaurants like Sanborns, Las Mañanitas and San Angel Inn. In Japan, Anfora is represented by The Harvest Kitchen Store as well as by Royal Bussan. European markets are served through Steelite UK, while Latin America has its share of local importers.

External links

Company website

Photo gallery

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Ceramics manufacturers of Mexico Manufacturing companies established in 1920 Mexican brands Mexican companies established in 1920 {{ceramics-stub