Laminam, global leader in the production and marketing of large format ceramic slabs for the high-end architecture and interior design sectors, owned by Alpha Private Equity, and the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group, a manufacturer of technology and complete plants serving the ceramic industry, announce that they have reached an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of Best Surface by Laminam.

Barbieri & Tarozzi Group has been assisted by Equita K Finance (Clairfield Italy), part of Equita Group, as financial advisor and by SCOA as legal advisor. Laminam has been assisted by KPMG, as legal advisor and in the financial, legal, fiscal and labour due diligence activities, and by ERM for the Environmental Social & Governance due diligence.

Best Surface, born from an idea of the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group in 2018 – although not included in the consolidation perimeter of SITI B&T Group S.p.A. – in the heart of the Spanish ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana produces and markets large-size slabs under the Idylium brand and is the exclusive licensee of the Automobili Lamborghini Surfaces brand.
The production plant equipped with SUPERA® technology developed by SITI B&T Group has achieved in a few years a solid competitive positioning, with high quality and design productions, reaching a turnover of about 20 million Euros.

Laminam, through the acquisition of Best Surface, continues its growth in the name of quality and sustainability, entering the ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana and strengthening its presence in the Spanish market.
Laminam thus accelerates the process of expansion and internationalisation, adding to the production sites of Fiorano Modenese, Borgo Val di Taro and Vorsino (Russia), its first factory in Spain, one of the main markets at global level. The acquisition of Best Surface is in addition to investments of over 50 million euros, currently being completed, to double the production capacity of the Laminam Group plants.
The operation also represents further consolidation of the technological partnership between Laminam and the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group.

“Laminam has embarked on an ambitious path of growth and international expansion. The acquisition of Best Surface – states Alberto Selmi, CEO of Laminam – is part of this development context and allows the Group to expand its production footprint through direct access to the strategic ceramic district of Castellón de la Plana. We are delighted to welcome Best Surface and its people, who will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the future growth of the Laminam Group, in a context of strong market momentum and with the aim of gaining further shares”.

“Best Surface is the showcase for the Barbieri & Tarozzi Group’s technologies for large slabs – states Fabio Tarozzi, CEO of the Group – with the SUPERA® 36,000 ton press and the Titanium® kiln, best in class for energy consumption and emissions. It is the most innovative line on the market in terms of decorative capacity in full thickness (3D vein) and infinite aesthetic possibilities thanks to the integrated solutions of Digital Design and Projecta (full digital printing). Zero km raw materials, low consumption of electricity and methane gas for a line designed with a green vision with high efficiency and low environmental impact”.

“The acquisition of Best Surface – underlines Edoardo Lanzavecchia, managing partner of Alpha Private Equity – is part of the value creation strategy designed by Alpha Private Equity, a pan-European private equity fund that, in June 2019, acquired the majority of Laminam. We are pleased to welcome to Laminam a key player such as Best Surface, whose acquisition represents a significant accelerator of the growth process, in a market context characterised by strong demand and the constant and consolidated increase in the penetration of large format ceramic slabs within the world of surfaces for architecture and interior design. The operation will allow the development of important industrial and commercial synergies and take a further decisive step in the project of Alpha and the management team to position Laminam as the global leader in the sector of high-end ceramic surfaces, with a focus on quality and sustainability of products and industrial processes”.

Laminam is the global leader in the market for large ceramic slabs for the architecture, furniture and high-end design sectors.
Founded in 2001, it was the first company to industrialise the production process of large ceramic slabs, being the first to bring ceramics into unconventional application segments through innovative and unique technologies.
Since 2010, under the leadership of CEO Alberto Selmi, Laminam has experienced an extraordinary growth path, becoming a world leader in the sector, thanks to clear strategic choices and far-sighted investments, aimed at international expansion, sustainable product innovation and digital transformation of commercial relations and operations.
Today Laminam is a global group, active in over 100 markets, served through a widespread distribution network made up of 11 commercial branches, 13 showrooms and a network of distribution partners. It has an international production footprint, consisting of three factories, two in Italy and one in Russia. A consolidated turnover of over 170 million euros is expected in 2021.

The Barbieri & Tarozzi Group, headed by SITI B&T Group S.p.A., a company listed on the Milan Euronext Growth market, manufactures complete plants for the ceramic industry, with a widespread presence in all world markets, and offers excellent technological solutions and innovative services, with particular attention to energy efficiency and respect for the environment.
The Group has 25 companies, 20 of which have branches abroad in 12 different countries and on 4 continents. Every year it invests 4% of its turnover in Research and Development, much of which is carried out in the modern bt-LAB in Formigine, home to scientific laboratories and the four pilot lines for the various technologies.
It also guarantees customers a complete and personalised service that includes technical assistance for the installation, maintenance and modernisation of production lines.
The Group operates through the following business units: “Tile” (complete plants for tiles), Projecta Engineering and Digital Design (digital decorators and graphic designs), Ancora (plants for the surface finishing of ceramic products), Diatex and Mec Abrasives (cutting, grinding and lapping tools), “B&T White” (complete plants for sanitary ware) and “B&T Quartz” (complete lines for agglomerated quartz).

Alpha is an independent pan-European private equity fund that currently manages approximately EUR 2 billion. The fund’s subscribers are leading international institutional investors such as funds of funds, pension funds, insurance companies and private investors, with whom Alpha has long-standing relationships.
Alpha invests in family businesses or spin-offs of large companies. With offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Milan and Paris, Alpha specialises in management buy-outs, with an emphasis on companies where it can have a direct impact on value creation, accompanying and assisting entrepreneurs and managers in the growth of the company both internally and externally.
Alpha’s portfolio currently consists of 10 participations in Europe and includes LAMINAM, Calligaris (leader in the global high-end furniture market), Caffitaly (production and distribution of proprietary machine/capsule systems for espresso coffee), Vervent (design, production and marketing of audio devices for the high-end and luxury segments), AMF (leader in the metal components market for the fashion and luxury sector), Remazel Engineering (designs and manufactures special offshore equipment for the renewable energy and oil and gas sectors), Europart (Europe’s leading distributor of spare parts for commercial vehicles in the aftermarket segment), Ipcom (leader in the distribution and conversion of solutions for building and technical insulation), Fevert (leading independent operator in after-sales services for the automotive sector in France and southern Europe) and Optima (innovative multi-utility with an integrated energy, telecommunications, insurance and health offer).

The transaction was completed in February 2022.