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Ceramic production in Turkey stretches back thousands of years, from prehistoric Anatolia’s primitive sculpture to the Hitite crockery and Iznik’s intricate handpainted tiles. Turkish ceramic producers-built factories to manufacture ceramics on a large industrial scale in the middle of the 20th Century, ushering in the era of mass-production. Turkey has continued to produce ceramics in increasing quantities and of high quality since then. It is no coincidence that Turkey is considered to be the ‘land of ceramics’ due to its rich history in ceramic production. In the Anatolian region, many different civilizations have evolved and shaped these traditions. Aside from cultural history, geography has played a significant role as well. There is an abundance of natural resources in the country which ensures high quality ceramic products, as well as raw materials that are exported for ceramic production outside of Turkey. There is no doubt that Turkey is also a land for ceramics, with much to offer to the rest of the world.

In Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, traditional brick manufacturing kilns have been operating for centuries, making bricks that can be used for the construction of houses, buildings, and other infrastructure. In recent years, however, automated kilns and brick making machines have radically changed brick production traditions. Bangladesh and Vietnam, according to Jahir Ahmed, have shown the way.

Michael Hölzgen, global director ceramic auxiliaries division, Zschimmer & Schwarz is in conversation with us in Talking Shop. He discusses how his company has maintained its success during a challenging year for the ceramics industry as a whole. In addition, he points out how pleased he is with the company’s successful outings at ceramitec 2022 and Cersaie 2022, where they were able to show off their wide range of products and services to a highly enthusiastic audience. He also discusses what the future holds for the company, which he believes will continue to deliver high quality products and services. Throughout the interview, we gain a great deal of insight into the Zschimmer & Schwarz ‘s history, present, and future.

As the year comes to an end, we would like to extend our gratitude to all of our readers as well as to all our advertisers, contributors, and well-wishers. We could not have done it without you. Here’s to a wonderful 2023.