Guocera invests in large slab production

The new plant will be supplied by the Italian Gruppo B&T and will start production in early 2026.

Guocera, a member of the Hong Leong Manufacturing Group, is one of Malaysia’s largest tile producers and exporters, selling its products to more than 50 countries across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. With over half a century of history, the company employs more than 400 people at its headquarters in Petaling Jaya (Selangor) and at its main production site in Kluang (Johor), where it produces more than a hundred collections of small and medium-sized porcelain tiles.

In December 2023, the company signed a partnership agreement with Gruppo B&T to expand the Kluang site with the installation of a new slab production plant. The plant will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and Industry 4.0 automation to ensure high finished product quality and maximum precision, efficiency and process sustainability.

Production at the new facility is due to begin in early 2026.

“The new facility will significantly enhance our production capabilities in several key areas, particularly competitiveness”, explains Sally Cheng, Managing Director of Guocera. “We will be the first company in Malaysia capable of producing large-format tiles (up to 120x240 cm in the first stage), so we will be uniquely positioned to exploit the growth opportunities in this market segment.

As our production capacity is currently insufficient, the expansion project will help us meet demand in our key markets. In addition, the technologies chosen for the new factory, particularly the latest digital printing solutions, will help improve the aesthetics and physical properties of our products.

The new plant’s green technologies and Industry 4.0 solutions will reinforce our ESG strategy, while automated systems and robots will reduce human error and thereby improve efficiency and consistency.

Overall, the new factory will enable us to set ourselves apart and will strengthen our standing among the leading brands in the domestic and international markets.”

Read the complete interview published in Ceramic World Review 162/2025