Story

The history of HPZ began during the difficult pre-war years. The factory was designed by the Ukrainian Research Institute back in 1936. The construction of the factory was almost completed by the start of the Great Patriotic War, but it was not put into operation as all resources were directed towards the country's defense. After Kharkiv was liberated from the Nazi occupiers, it was discovered that the factory had been almost completely destroyed.

This year is considered the official founding date of HPZ. In 1946, thanks to the tremendous efforts of the people of Kharkiv, the factory was rebuilt from ruins, completed, and put into operation.

According to order No. 75 dated March 1, 1946, by the People's Commissariat for the Construction of Heavy Industry Enterprises of the USSR, on March 1, 1946, the first phase of the Kharkiv Combine for the production of Metlakh tiles with a capacity of 200,000 m² per year was put into operation.

The factory started producing the most essential items for the national economy—ceramic floor tiles, sanitary ceramics, and insulators.

In 1949, the factory switched to the production of ceramic tiles for external building cladding. Unique structures in Moscow are tiled with Kharkiv tiles, including high-rise buildings on Smolensk and Rebellion squares, the university on Lenin Hills, and in Kyiv—the Mariinsky Palace, among others.

Modernization began at HPZ: capacities for the production of Metlakh and facing tiles were created.

Thanks to modernization, the volume of floor tile production at the Kharkiv Tile Factory reached 2.5 million m², while the production of facing tiles reached 1.1 million m².

Production volumes grew, as did the quality requirements. To cope with the new challenges, the factory began a new large-scale reconstruction without stopping the main production. The work was carried out in stages, over eight commissioning complexes.

From 1976 to 1981, the factory underwent the reconstruction of floor tile production, installing six conveyor lines with a productivity of 800 thousand m² per year, as well as a line for the production of large-sized patterned tiles with a capacity of 160 thousand m² per year.

During the next modernization, from 1983 to 1988, the facing tile production was reconstructed with the introduction of conveyor lines with a designed capacity of 1 million m² per year. The result of the reconstruction was a 48% increase in the factory's production capacity, a 48.9% increase in labor productivity, and a 15.5% reduction in production costs.

The SMC-450 conveyor line for the production of large glazed tiles for internal wall cladding was put into operation.

In September 1994, the tile factory transformed from a leased, essentially state-owned enterprise into a joint-stock company "Kharkiv Tile Factory." HPZ became its own master—entering a period of market transformations and updates. Every year, not only did the production increase, but the quality standards also rose.

The products of the Kharkiv Tile Factory received awards in prestigious national competitions such as "Best Domestic Product of the Year," "Business Ukraine," and "Highest Grade." In 2005, the factory became a Laureate of the "100 Best Goods of Ukraine" contest.

At the same time, the enterprise's resources and capabilities were becoming exhausted, as production was still using equipment installed in the late '80s. The only solution was a thorough reconstruction. In September 2005, with the arrival of new investors, significant funds were allocated for the modernization of the factory. Thanks to this, all stages of production—from raw material preparation to product design, quality control system, and management—were brought to a qualitatively new level.

In 2006, a conveyor line from the Italian company SACMI for the production of large floor tiles and equipment for a new mass preparation department with a capacity of 7,000 m² of tiles per day was purchased.

Comprehensive modernization began, during which, in 2007, four new SACMI lines with an annual production potential of 10 million m², two new high-performance conveyor lines with a potential of 5 million m², and one Kemac line for the production of decor tiles with a potential of 0.5 million m² were put into operation, significantly increasing the volume and quality of ceramic tiles.

By early 2018, HPZ's total production capacity had reached 16 million m² of finished products per year, and after the comprehensive modernization, it will grow to 37 million m². The company has introduced and operates a quality control system, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by an ISO certificate, guaranteeing that the products comply with strict European standards.

Access was gained to high-quality raw materials from a white clay quarry in the Donetsk region, which can sustain production for many more decades.

The Golden Tile Ceramic Group was established, representing a vertically integrated group of companies that provides a full cycle of ceramic tile production and distribution.

The creation of "Golden Tile Ceramic Group," a vertically integrated group of companies that ensures a full cycle of ceramic tile production and distribution.

The company established its own production (the only one in Ukraine!) of the main component for glaze production—frit—ensuring stable quality control and reducing the cost of the final product.

Equipment for digital printing was installed, allowing an increase in the product range and improved design quality. Today, seven out of nine lines are equipped with digital printing machines, enabling greater design variety, more stable tones, and the highest sharpness and depth of patterns.

At the beginning of 2016, the seventh line was launched with the most modern equipment for the production of large-format porcelain stoneware, with a production potential of 3 million m².

In 2018, the company became one of the leaders in the ceramic product market in Ukraine.