The LAMOSA Group in Brazil (Incepa Revestimentos) announces an investment of R$ 150 million to modernize the technology at its industrial plant located in São Mateus do Sul

Last Friday, September 18, the LAMOSA Group in Brazil (Incepa Revestimentos) opened the doors of its manufacturing plant located in São Mateus do Sul, Paraná, to welcome the acting governor of Paraná, Darci Piana, and his delegation, as well as the mayor of São Mateus do Sul, Ms. Fernanda Sardanha, and other municipal officials.

In addition to the tour of the industrial facility, which has been in the city since 1989, the invitation extended by Sergio Wuaden, country manager for the LAMOSA Group in Brazil, was followed by an extremely important announcement: the plan to modernize the operation’s technology.

Accordingly, a strategic investment of R$ 150 million was officially announced, which will consist of the installation of new equipment and upgrades to the entire facility—transforming the São Mateus do Sul manufacturing park into a state-of-the-art industrial complex fully aligned with the company’s innovative and high-tech standards. In addition to the machinery, civil engineering work is planned to relocate various areas, including storage facilities.

“It will be a major undertaking carried out within a very well-defined timeline that will keep our production going throughout the 14 months scheduled for its completion,”Wuaden admits.

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More than just an expansion, the project aims to ensure the continuity of operations in São Mateus do Sul in the medium and long term, with improvements in productivity, operational safety, product quality, and economic sustainability. In addition, these changes help preserve the competitiveness of Paraná’s ceramics industry and contribute to job retention. “We are fully aware of our importance to the municipality and the state of Paraná,” notes Wuaden.

‍Shifts in the export market

During the event, the country manager stated that São Mateus de Sul accounts for 32% of the LAMOSA Group’s total installed capacity in Brazil —the remainder of the operation is concentrated in the two plants located in Campo Largo, also in Paraná. He also reiterated that the planned investment becomes even more important in light of the need to reposition the company due to the severe situation caused by the additional tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian ceramic tiles, which currently stand at 37.5%.

Before the measure was implemented, the U.S. market was the main destination for exports, and the company stood out as Brazil’s largest exporter of ceramic tiles to that country.“The tariff increase has undermined our competitiveness, and the planned changes will be crucial for adapting our operations to the new trade landscape and preserving our production capacity,” says Wuaden.

The considerations requested by the LAMOSA Group in Brazil

During the meeting, the country manager emphasized that approval of the investment by LAMOSA—a Mexican group ranked as the world’s second-largest producer of ceramic tiles and which has led the Brazilian operation since 2021—is contingent upon the state government’s acceptance of the requests made under the Paraná Competitive Program, which is currently under review. In addition, the company is requesting the implementation of the infrastructure improvements necessary for adequate access to the industrial plant, particularly the paving of the access road to the São Mateus do Sul factory.

In his remarks, Wuaden confirmed that these conditions are essential, decisive, and inseparable from the investment, as they constitute fundamental prerequisites for its economic and operational viability and for the allocation of resources that will enable the modernization of the current industrial infrastructure.

“More than just an incentive for investment, this support is absolutely essential to the sustainability of the operation, especially given the severe impacts resulting from rate hikes. Our previous experience with Paraná Competitivo, which took place in 2022, was instrumental in the initiatives we’ve implemented in Campo Largo,”the executive reiterates.

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