Ceramika NETTO: a Bialystok-based ceramic tile manufacturing company. Established in 2012, it has 40 employees in its Polish branch. The company operates primarily in the foreign market – the main markets are Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Germany, and Scandinavia.
INVEST IN PODLASKIE: What were the beginnings of the company? How did it all start?
Cezary Dąbrowski, CEO of Ceramika Netto: Quite ironically, because I am a doctor by education. The reality was changing in the 90s. I had achieved everything possible in medicine then and desired new business challenges. This is how the idea of dealing with tiles, initially Italian, Spanish, and Polish, came about. And so, at the turn of the century, I became Europe’s largest tiles distributor under the Cortina SA brand.
Consistency, consistency, and more consistency. It’s a huge honor and prestige. We fought for a place at the fair as an exhibitor for seven years. This year, the organizer offered us a booth of over 100 square meters. It’s a beautiful recognition of the Ceramika Netto team’s work over the past ten years. We have succeeded together; we joined the world’s leading companies. And we have an appetite for more.
What is the recipe? A bit of hullabaloo, some vision, dreams, a lot, and I mean a lot of hard work, and a cohesive team. You also have to be a demanding boss. It may be controversial, but I demand a lot from others and even more from myself by setting an example.
If you asked anyone in the company what we are guided by, everyone would unanimously say, “The measure of progress is efficiency.” We are an efficient team.
You emphasize the role of the team.
It’s the essence of success. The crème de la crème. I know I can rely on my employees; I try to be not only a boss but also a mentor to them. I support them in their career paths. Let me give you an example: just because someone works in our customer service department doesn’t mean they can’t move to another department if they discover that their calling is, for instance, production planning. We provide such opportunities in the company. I strive to make every employee feel good and appreciated because a lot depends on them. I feel responsible for them. And they understand it – I have employees in the Białystok office working with me from the beginning. It’s a delicate jigsaw puzzle with scattered crystals that must be handled gently yet consistently. I am proud of our team and believe we will create many more important things together.
What sets you apart from other tile manufacturers?
Unconventional ideas. It’s safe to say that we do not follow trends, but we anticipate and create them. The tiles we design often become trends after 2-4 years. For example, the terrazzo tiles that are everywhere now. We released this tile six years ago, and at that time, the market was not ready for it – now everyone wants it. There are many examples, such as tiles that look like grooved sheet metal. We had it eight years ago. As a manufacturer, we have the advantage of dictating the terms of what we produce rather than just responding to market demands. However, we also closely monitor market expectations. Our clients appreciate us for our timelessness and versatility. We offer so-called evergreens, designs that have been on offer continuously for many years. These are mainly provided as outsourcing production for our partners from large European and Polish factories. This cooperation has been ongoing for over ten years.
However, what distinguishes us the most from other Polish manufacturers is our independence, speed of response, dynamism, and custom-made series tailored to specific clients.
We operate more like a family business than a corporation, which is why many companies we produce tiles for have approached us, knowing that decisions in Ceramika Netto are made quickly. We can create a tile for any specific order by the stringent standards of the European Union. A client comes to us with a tile project and says he wants one for an investment. No problem – we will do everything. We take an individual approach to each customer. We are here to fulfill the “design and parameter whims” of our clients.
What role does innovation play in the development of Ceramika Netto?
We have innovative solutions in our portfolio. One is the stardust/sugar tile finish, which gives an effect similar to scattered Swarovski crystals. The name comes from the effect on the tile surface, creating the illusion of scattered crystals. This is our original design and our method of firing such a surface finish in kilns. Similarly, we were the first to introduce carvings over ten years ago. We received “European medals” for both these innovations. Another innovation we introduced is refined 3D printing with depth effect in our High Glossy tiles. The tile shows the multi-layered print and its three-dimensionality.
We constantly contact architects; we meet with them, talk, and discuss trends and industry needs. We also provide training sessions – the latest training was on the presentation of Endless tiles – these are 120×60 tiles that can be laid without joints, creating the illusion of a large-format slab. We cooperate with the Construction Cluster or the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We also promote young architects in cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture at the Białystok University of Technology – we hold a competition for students, and the winners and runners-up, in addition to receiving awards and gaining experience, always find employment with us or collaborate with us.
What are the company’s development plans for the coming years? Are you planning to introduce new products or technologies?
As in any business, there are many development plans. I like challenges and acting contrary to what is happening in the market. It seems to me that thanks to my bold moves and the trust my team has in me, we can weather more challenging times: when the industry is in decline, we maintain a similar level as before and even grow. The last two and a half years have seen market declines of 74%. 2024 is challenging for everyone; look at the real estate market analysis. This also affects us, the manufacturers. And yet, 2024 will be one of our best years.
In response to what is happening in the domestic market, the HUB was created this year and operated by Ceramika Netto. It is the largest and only one of its kind in the European market and a pilot project on a global scale. It is an initiative and concept aimed at establishing central distribution, a trading point for the highest quality tiles from India. It is over 40,000 m² of space and 2 million m² of stock. Thanks to THE HUB, we can meet the expectations of customers across Europe and the world, so they have access to a variety of patterns, colors, and sizes in one place, with delivery within three days instead of three months and instead of paying upfront, they get factoring with a two to three-month repayment term. The ceramic tile market presents many challenges, but thanks to strategic investments like THE HUB, continuous planning and investments, and meeting the individual needs of our customers, we are very well equipped to meet both old and new challenges. Ceramika Netto certainly faces further challenges – we want to create a success story in the domestic market, but we are now focusing on foreign markets. This now accounts for 68% of our activity.
You are rooted here in the Podlaskie Region, in Białystok. How is it to run a business and invest here?
First, Białystok offers attractive conditions for entrepreneurs, such as relatively low business operating costs – compared to larger cities in Poland. Developing infrastructure: new roads, technology parks, and access to qualified employees – the city is attractive. Białystok offers excellent business and investing opportunities, but it seems our Podlaskie “kindness” is also essential. What Białystok gives us, we try to share with others – for example, by helping the Pomóż Im Foundation, which is a children’s hospice – and we encourage others to help because it is crucial now. The foundation is in the process of setting up a stationary, entirely professional hospice for children. This year, we are also focusing on Białystok volleyball, which we will be sponsoring from September. And above all, we love our city and the people living here. We were born here, we live here, we work here, we pay taxes here, and we want to contribute to the development of our city.
But the most exciting is yet to come. Because hopes and dreams are more critical than certainties and reality – “per aspera ad astra.”
Thank you for the interview