Past Winner Stories
Ceramica
www.ceramicainc.com
Ceramica, Inc., founded in 1988, specializes in engraved masonry materials, including brick, limestone, ceramic tile and granite. The primary aspects of the business are personalized name bricks, a fundraising vehicle for various types of organizations, and limestone address stones, commonly used in the construction of new houses.
Before Ceramica went into business name bricks were made by brick manufacturers who stamped names into bricks before they went into the kiln. Typically, each run yielded about 20 percent unsatisfactory brick, and the next run often took as long as six weeks to complete. This was obviously a severe drawback.
Ceramica came up with a, method to inscribe names on fired brick, similar to the process used in the monument industry. It was a superior product, and it took much less time.
Address stones were also widely in use before Ceramica went into business. They were typically sold to brick distributors by monument companies. The problem was, however, that monument companies, having other business to tend, often considered address stones to be a hassle, resulting in poor quality and unsatisfactory turn-around time.
Ceramica saw an opportunity to specialize in a product that had previously been considered a sideline business for monument companies. By marketing its products to brick distributors and masonry supply dealers, the company was able to reach its target audience with a minimal amount of resources.
However, there was still the problem of arranging the necessary capital to start the business. That was accomplished with a $20,000 bank loan and the initiation of a large and prestigious name brick project at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ceramica approached the Hall of Fame with the concept of raising money for its construction, whereby individual donors would have their names inscribed on 4-by-8-inch bricks, and high schools or corporations would have their names inscribed on 8-by-8-inch bricks. The bricks would be laid out in the shape of the state of Indiana, with each brick placed in the vicinity of the donors' hometown or high school.
The project proved hugely successful. The Hall of Fame raised over $1 million and Ceramica gained the necessary capital to properly market its products and buy the necessary equipment to further its growth. The company now has more than 200 dealers and distributors throughout the Midwest, Eastern and Southern United States, with a few more sprinkled throughout the West. Ceramica has increased its customer base primarily by committing to excellent service. Most address stones are shipped the same day they are ordered.
Sales, while modest initially, have increased an average of 26 percent annually from 1989 to 1999. In 2000, gross sales were just under $1.5 million. Ceramica currently manufactures and ships more than 100 address stones per day and about 500 to 1,000 name bricks per week. It also manufactures masonry signs, awards, gifts and Address Tiles, a patented product similar in concept to address stones.
Before Ceramica went into business name bricks were made by brick manufacturers who stamped names into bricks before they went into the kiln. Typically, each run yielded about 20 percent unsatisfactory brick, and the next run often took as long as six weeks to complete. This was obviously a severe drawback.
Ceramica came up with a, method to inscribe names on fired brick, similar to the process used in the monument industry. It was a superior product, and it took much less time.
Address stones were also widely in use before Ceramica went into business. They were typically sold to brick distributors by monument companies. The problem was, however, that monument companies, having other business to tend, often considered address stones to be a hassle, resulting in poor quality and unsatisfactory turn-around time.
Ceramica saw an opportunity to specialize in a product that had previously been considered a sideline business for monument companies. By marketing its products to brick distributors and masonry supply dealers, the company was able to reach its target audience with a minimal amount of resources.
However, there was still the problem of arranging the necessary capital to start the business. That was accomplished with a $20,000 bank loan and the initiation of a large and prestigious name brick project at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ceramica approached the Hall of Fame with the concept of raising money for its construction, whereby individual donors would have their names inscribed on 4-by-8-inch bricks, and high schools or corporations would have their names inscribed on 8-by-8-inch bricks. The bricks would be laid out in the shape of the state of Indiana, with each brick placed in the vicinity of the donors' hometown or high school.
The project proved hugely successful. The Hall of Fame raised over $1 million and Ceramica gained the necessary capital to properly market its products and buy the necessary equipment to further its growth. The company now has more than 200 dealers and distributors throughout the Midwest, Eastern and Southern United States, with a few more sprinkled throughout the West. Ceramica has increased its customer base primarily by committing to excellent service. Most address stones are shipped the same day they are ordered.
Sales, while modest initially, have increased an average of 26 percent annually from 1989 to 1999. In 2000, gross sales were just under $1.5 million. Ceramica currently manufactures and ships more than 100 address stones per day and about 500 to 1,000 name bricks per week. It also manufactures masonry signs, awards, gifts and Address Tiles, a patented product similar in concept to address stones.