Milestones

In 1968, when he was only 30 years old, Romano Sghedoni founded Kerakoll in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena.

His passion for construction and chemistry, combined with his great love of engineering leads him to design and produce the first single-component adhesives in his garage.

The first production plant opened in Via Monginevro, Sassuolo and the business gained a foothold in the market with a range of adhesives specifically for laying ceramic tiles.

The company soon became a benchmark for the sector.

Invention of H40 Flex, the first single-component adhesive able to solve the problem of safely bonding single-fired and porcelain stoneware tiles in all domestic and commercial environments, overcoming the existing technical limits.

The eighties was a period of continuous growth due to rising demand for tile and flooring adhesives.

The second Sassuolo plant opens in via dell’Artigianato.

Entry into the construction business: from a leading manufacturer of products for the preparation, laying and finishing of all kinds of floors, Kerakoll becomes a partner for builders.

The via dell’Artigianato plant is up and running and it becomes necessary to increase production capacity: construction of the third production centre begins in Sassuolo again, in via Pedemontana.

Start of international growth. Opening of first commercial branches in Spain and Poland.

The new plant is opened, it will be expanded twice in the following years. In just 15 years, daily production goes from 700 to over 3,000 tons.

The first plant in Spain opens in Castellón de La Plana.

Investments in green technology now account for 50% of the entire Research and Development budget, up from 15%. Kerakoll acquires a controlling interest in SLC and puts in place an industrial conversion plan, transforming itself from a chemical company to an environmentally friendly company.

Its main objectives are: reducing the amount of solvents used by 60% in the first 5 years; developing new eco-friendly and water-based products; developing new products with certified low VOC emissions.

Mi.Gra. headquartered in Minucciano (Lucca) and specialising in the recovery of the mineral residues resulting from marble processing in the Carrara quarries, becomes part of Kerakoll.

A new plant opens in Poland.

A new plant opens in Greece.

Introduction of Biocalce, a range of pure natural lime products able to offer a comprehensive solution for construction materials.

Acquisition by Kerakoll of Rankover, European leader in the formulation, manufacture and development of eco-friendly decorative paints made from lime putty and pure potassium silicate. The Indian production plant opens.

A new plant is opened in Rubiera (Reggio Emilia), Italy.

Work began on the construction of Kerakoll GreenLab, one of the world’s most advanced technological hubs for the study and development of new materials for the construction industry. Our second Spanish plant opened in Almazora, Castellón.

Kerakoll becomes The GreenBuilding Company, the world’s top provider of green building solutions, renowned internationally for its technological leadership.

Italy’s Legambiente gives the “Green Life 2010” Award to Kerakoll. This award, part of the SEE (Sustainable Energy Europe) Campaign is the most important nationally in the environmental field.

In January 2011, SGS, the Société Générale de Surveillance, the best-known certification and system control body in the world, grants Kerakoll certification for its GreenBuilding Rating, attesting that is a “reliable, complete and essential measurement method for guaranteeing the environmental sustainability of its products”.

Kerakoll introduced new structural and anti-seismic reinforcement systems based on matrices formed by geo-binder based mineral and natural geo-mortars and natural NHL lime.

Official opening of the Kerakoll GreenLab, the centre dedicated to research and technological development in the field of building materials, and centralises the Group’s scientific laboratories in a single hub. Kerakoll GreenLab, a perfect blend of leading-edge technologies and sustainable materials, was designed and built using exclusively sustainable solutions: an ecosystem constantly balanced with the surrounding environment, able to produce its own energy, recover rainwater and purify it naturally and guarantee the highest levels of indoor air quality and wellbeing.

The Kerakoll GreenLab research laboratories have created H40 No Limits, the first flexible and multi-purpose structural gel adhesive based on the exclusive Kerakoll geo-binder, for perfect fixing of all types of material, on all surfaces, even in extreme conditions.

Kerakoll launches the Kerakoll4talent recruitment campaign, targeted at talented young graduates with high growth potential. The aim is to train talented young recruits for five years, before employing them as managers internationally.

Kerakoll launched Kerakoll Design House, a new interior design project for the contemporary home based on cements, resins, handcrafted woods, micro-coatings, paints and glazes, all coordinated in the colours of the Warm Collection palette.

Kerakoll enters the interior design and decoration market.

Entry into Kerakoll Group of the division of Olin – a French company located in Corbas, Lyon (France) – specialised in polyurethane products.

Acquisition by Kerakoll of Tilemaster Adhesive Ltd, a UK company that produces and sells ceramic tile and natural stone laying systems.

Kerakoll finalized the acquisition of Cimentolit Industria e Comercio de Argamassas Ltda, a manufacturer and distributor of products for installing ceramic and natural stone tiles, based in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, São Paulo state, Brazil, with a production plant in Charqueada, also in São Paulo state. The Group also acquires a production plant in Charqueada, and completes the construction of a new production plant in Jundiaí, both also located in São Paolo state.

Kerakoll purchased a majority shareholding in Modena F.C., a club in Serie C, the third division in Italian professional football.

Once the Yellow and Blues’future is assured, Kerakoll transfers the entire shareholding in Modena F.C. to Revetex srl, a company owned by Carlo Rivetti’s family.

Introduction of Color Collection, decorative paints and resins for interior decoration, coordinated in a palette of 150 contemporary colours for interior decoration.

Kerakoll Spa becomes the first major player in the construction sector to adopt the status of Benefit Company, officially committing itself to the pursuit of goals with a positive impact on society and the planet as a whole.

The Rio Maior plant opens in Portugal (in the Santarém district, north of Lisbon), strengthening the Group’s presence in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is already operating two manufacturing sites in Spain.

Kerakoll continued its quest for innovation in self-levelling products: Planogel Rheo, the first self-levelling gel with variable rheology and viscosity, was introduced alongside the Flowtech range of special-purpose products.

With over sixty other Italian companies, Kerakoll subscribed to CO2alizione Italia, an initiative aimed at increasing industry’s commitment to climate neutrality.

Presentation of Kerakoll’s first “Impact Report” to measure sustainability results.

Kerakoll becomes the majority shareholder in Mi.Gra., acquiring a 74% stake.

Kerakoll obtains B Corp certification, confirmation of our journey towards a new ESG business model.

Construction work begins on the new production hub in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena.

Mi.Gra. becomes a Benefit Corporation, thus strengthening its responsible business approach.