Sicer
Sicer S.p.A. is an Italian B2B specialty chemicals manufacturer, founded in 1993, producing glazes, grits, digital inks, engobes, frits, and low-emission digital adhesives for ceramic tile manufacturers worldwide from production sites in Italy, Spain, USA, Mexico, India, and Indonesia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersFiorano Modenese, Italy
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sicer does
Sicer S.p.A. is an Italian-headquartered B2B specialty chemicals manufacturer founded in 1993, producing raw materials and semi-finished products — glazes, grits, digital inks, engobes, frits, and digital adhesives — for the global ceramic tile industry. The company's product portfolio spans two categories: industrial products for wall and floor tiles (including the SCD-series digital inks, SSM glazes, GHR/GRA grits, SSE engobes, SF frits, GLR anti-slip glazes, and patented .LE Low Emission and water-based adhesive systems), and decorative products (pigments, precious metals, lustres, Raku glazes, vetrosa grits, DEK/PRECIOUS digital decoration inks, and T-INK tableware decoration). Core technology rests on ceramic surface chemistry and digital inkjet decoration, with proprietary patented innovations such as the .LE series (up to 50% VOC reduction, 60% lower formaldehyde) and NEXT Surfaces microgrit technology (certified R9-R12 anti-slip, GU 1.0-2.0 anti-reflective), supported by three integrated labs (Technology, R&D, Digital R&D).
Sicer operates a direct enterprise field-sales model with embedded technical consulting, serving ceramic tile manufacturers globally through production sites and Sicer Gallery showrooms located in the world's main ceramic districts: Fiorano Modenese (Italy HQ), Nules/Castellón (Spain, acquired 2021 from Ex-CERFRIT), Lebanon Tennessee (USA, inaugurated mid-2023), with announced facilities in northern Mexico, India, and Indonesia. Revenue is generated through quote-based, contract-driven B2B sales of specialty coatings tailored to customer specifications, with FY2024 group revenue exceeding €130 million. The company is privately held following a 2024 management buyout in which founders Gianfranco Padovani (Executive Chairman), Giuliano Ferrari (CEO), and Marco Eumenidi (Commercial Director) took the majority stake alongside a minority investment from Ardian, succeeding Azimut Group's prior 2020 investment.
Customer relationships are characterized by technical co-development from concept to industrialization, with formulations qualified into customer firing curves and production lines, creating embedded switching costs. The company is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, holds consecutive EcoVadis Bronze Medals (2022, 2023), and joined the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care program in 2025, positioning low-emission chemistry as a central commercial proposition in a tile industry under tightening environmental regulation.
Sicer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sicer
- Legal name
- Sicer S.p.A.
- Website
- https://sicerceramicsurfaces.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sicer S.p.A. is an Italian B2B specialty chemicals manufacturer, founded in 1993, producing glazes, grits, digital inks, engobes, frits, and low-emission digital adhesives for ceramic tile manufacturers worldwide from production sites in Italy, Spain, USA, Mexico, India, and Indonesia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sicer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ceramic Surface Coatings
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910), Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)
- SIC
- Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive) (IMAEAHAI)
Keywords
Where Sicer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fiorano Modenese
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Sicer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Specialty Coatings for Ceramic Industry: Sicer generates revenue through the sale of specialty raw materials and semi-finished products for ceramic surface decoration, including digital inks, glazes, grits, engobes, frits, and digital adhesives. The business operates on a B2B model supplying ceramic tile manufacturers globally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B specialty chemicals - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Sicer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sicer manufactures and sells raw materials and semi-finished products for the ceramic industry, including digital inks, glazes, microgrits, engobes, ceramic frits, pigments, precious metals, lustres, and digital adhesives. Its products are used by ceramic tile manufacturers for industrial surface decoration of wall and floor tiles, as well as for premium ceramic decoration (tableware, glass-ceramic, third firing). The company also offers patented low-emission Water-Based and .LE series digital inks and adhesives to reduce VOC, formaldehyde, and odor emissions in ceramic production.
Product overview
Sicer is a leading manufacturer of raw materials and innovative technologies for the ceramic industry, offering two main product categories: Industrial products for wall and floor tiles (including coloring oxides SK, digital inks SCD, glazes SSM, microgrits GHR-GRA-GRS-GRC, engobes SSE, frits SF, anti-slip glazes GLR, digital adhesives Water-Based and .LE Low Emission series) and Products for Ceramic Decoration (including pigments, printing bases, precious metals, metallic colours, Raku glazes, vetrosa grits, Monoporosa Grits GMP, digital decoration inks DEK/PRECIOUS, T-INK tableware decoration). The company provides both standard and low-emission formulations (Water-Based and .LE series) to reduce environmental impact, alongside specialized decoration solutions for premium ceramic applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Engobes (SSE series)
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% reduction in VOC emissions compared to traditional inks
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Sicer
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sicer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Sicer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Italian-owned Ceramic Groups (USA)coreSicer serves Italian-owned ceramic groups operating in the US market, which represent the majority of American ceramic producers. This proximity strategy allows Sicer to offer customized solutions that comply with American regulations while providing rapid response times and continuous local customer support.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sicer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Colorobbia: Italian manufacturer of ceramic colors, glazes, frits, and precious metal decorations for the ceramic industry. Direct peer serving the same tile and tableware manufacturers with overlapping product lines including digital inks and glazes.
- Smalticeram: Italian specialist in ceramic inks and digital decoration products. Direct peer specifically competing in Sicer's digital ink and water-based ink segments, headquartered in the same Italian ceramic district.
- Esmalglass-Itaca: Spanish ceramic glaze, frit, and ink producer serving ceramic tile manufacturers globally. Direct peer in the Iberian ceramic cluster with comparable product offerings in engobes, glazes, frits, and digital inks.
- Fritta: Spanish manufacturer of ceramic frits and related raw materials. Direct peer in Sicer's frit and glaze business, located in the Castellón ceramic district and serving the same Iberian and European ceramic tile manufacturers.
- Torrecid: Spanish global leader in ceramic colors, glazes, frits, and digital inks for the ceramic tile industry. Direct peer across Sicer's entire product range with comparable global manufacturing footprint and customer base of tile manufacturers.
- Zschimmer & Schwarz: German specialty chemicals manufacturer producing ceramic auxiliaries, glazes, and surface treatment products. Direct peer in specialty chemicals for the ceramic industry with broader chemical portfolio but overlapping ceramic customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Ferro Corporation: US-based global coatings and performance materials manufacturer with a ceramic colors and glass coatings business. Larger incumbent with broader industrial coatings portfolio, competing with Sicer in pigment and glaze chemistries for industrial and architectural applications.
- Johnson Matthey (Pigments & Dispersions): UK-based specialty chemicals and pigments manufacturer. Broader incumbent serving ceramics, coatings, and inks; competes with Sicer's pigments, colorants, and specialty chemical offerings as part of a wider portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sicer social profiles
Digital presenceSicer compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Sicer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sicer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Sicer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Sicer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sicer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sicer
What does Sicer do?
Sicer manufactures and sells raw materials and semi-finished products for the ceramic industry, including digital inks, glazes, microgrits, engobes, ceramic frits, pigments, precious metals, lustres, and digital adhesives. Its products are used by ceramic tile manufacturers for industrial surface decoration of wall and floor tiles, as well as for premium ceramic decoration (tableware, glass-ceramic, third firing). The company also offers patented low-emission Water-Based and .LE series digital inks and adhesives to reduce VOC, formaldehyde, and odor emissions in ceramic production.
Is Sicer a public or private company?
Sicer is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Sicer founded?
Sicer was founded in 1993. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sicer based?
Sicer is headquartered in Fiorano Modenese, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Sicer make money?
One revenue line is on record: specialty Coatings for Ceramic Industry.
Who are Sicer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Colorobbia, Smalticeram, Esmalglass-Itaca, Fritta, Torrecid and Zschimmer & Schwarz. Broad incumbents are Ferro Corporation and Johnson Matthey (Pigments & Dispersions).
Does Sicer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sicer.
What industry is Sicer in?
Sicer's product category is Ceramic Surface Coatings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAI, Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive). Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 2851.