Armatile ? one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of architectural and interior design tiling solutions in Ireland and the UK ? is celebrating 40 years in business. The company ? which was established in 1975 in the small village of Loughgall in Northern Ireland by James McCann ? will be celebrating its ruby anniversary at Armagh City Hotel on 12th September. Among the many guests will be staff, former colleagues, individuals and organisations that have helped and supported Armatile along the way.
Mr McCann, now aged 74, still leads from the front, driving success, innovation and product development. Under his guidance, Armatile has grown hugely and is one of the largest importers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers of decorative ceramic and porcelain tiles in the UK and Ireland, employing almost 100 people.
It currently operates:
* Five wholly owned retail stores
* A large distribution network servicing around 90 smaller tile retailers in Ireland
* A manufacturing facility with the latest tile and waterjet cutting technology manufacturing a wide range of complementary mosaics and decoration for tile ranges, Victorian-style flooring and individual, bespoke tile designs for tile manufacturers, distributers, retailers and end users
* An in-house design team developing innovative decorative tile and mosaic surfaces for a wide collection of interior, commercial and residential clients
* An award-winning contracts team delivering tiling solutions to architectural and commercial projects
As Armatile grew it became a leading tile retail brand with shops in Armagh, Newry and Belfast. The success of these showrooms led to extra investment that enabled Armatile to establish a distribution network throughout Ireland. Between 2000 and 2006, over ?4 million was invested to build modern and spacious showrooms and deliver significant job creation in the local market. This investment was designed to enhance the customer experience and establish Armatile as the leading tile brand in Ireland. It was a massive step forward in tile retailing in Ireland and raised the bar of customer service and product offering to new heights.
Previously in 2000, a ?1 million investment saw the opening of a decorative surface manufacturing facility in Armagh, dedicated to the design and production of bespoke tile and specialised mosaic flooring products. This investment was the catalyst for further company growth, development of new markets and customers, and led directly to the establishment of Armatile’s award winning contract tiling service.
In 2010, at the height of the recent hard-hitting economic recession, Armatile further invested to double the size of its manufacturing plant which significantly increasing production capacity. As a direct result of this development Armatile now designs and manufactures decorative tile products and surfaces for a varied range of customers including the largest tile manufacturers and retailers, the leading tile distributors and the most distinguished architectural tile specifiers in the UK and Ireland.
Congratulations to Mr McCann, his family and all of Armatile’s staff on their ruby anniversary!