Cologne/Kaisersesch, May 9, 2023. This year, for the first time, the CLASSEN Group is participating in Interzum, the world’s leading trade fair for furniture manufacturing and interior design, in Cologne. The family-owned company from the Eifel region received its first piece of good news even before the fair began on May 9: CERAMIN® Tiles, the in-house developed tile alternative, received the internationally renowned Interzum Award for its exceptionally high product quality. The award is presented by a distinguished international jury of experts to recognize exceptional products. Ultimately, CERAMIN® Tiles scored highly across all evaluation criteria—from product innovation and functionality to material quality and sustainability. Various companies participated in the competition with a total of 144 submissions. On the eve of Interzum’s opening, 52 products from around the world were honored during the awards ceremony.

“Our trade show debut in Cologne couldn’t have gotten off to a better start,” commented Céline Quervel, Head of Marketing at the CLASSEN Group. “We are delighted that the expert jury recognized our passionate commitment to this sustainable, easy-to-install product, designed with attention to detail, by awarding us this prize.” As an alternative to natural stone wall and floor coverings, CERAMIN® Tiles already consist of more than 60 percent recycled material. Their comparatively low weight also makes them very easy to install. Since the ultra-thin plastic tiles—made from the eponymous, toxin-free material CERAMIN®—can even be installed directly over existing tiles, they have become extremely popular, especially for renovations and refurbishments—whether done by homeowners themselves or by professional contractors.

Seven renowned experts in design, materials science, and architecture evaluated the products submitted for the interzum Award based on their design and technical quality, as well as their sustainability. The jury members included Vito Orazem, Managing Director of Red Dot and Executive Board Member of the Designzentrum NRW, as well as Hon. Prof. Dr. Sascha Peters, author of numerous reference books on sustainable materials and one of the leading materials experts and trend scouts for new technologies. In its overall assessment, the jury emphasized that the high quality standard of the competition entries confirmed the industry’s potential and the significance of design as an economic factor. This makes CLASSEN’s win of the interzum Award in this highly competitive contest all the more impressive. The award was presented at the Congress Centrum of Koelnmesse.

The jury’s evaluation criteria for the interzum Award read like the list of requirements drawn up by the CLASSEN Group’s product developers and designers. As a technology leader in the flooring industry, the CLASSEN Group holds a wide range of patents, some of which are made available to the entire industry through licensing agreements. This also applies to the innovative CERAMIN® material and the backing boards. Combined with their exceptional product properties, CERAMIN® Tiles boast an extremely high degree of innovation. Their ease of handling and installation, light weight, and simple cutting with a standard utility knife guarantee optimal functionality. In terms of material quality, CERAMIN Tiles not only stand out for being free of harmful substances but also for their robustness and durability of up to 20 years, enabling such a long service life. The surfaces are designed with attention to detail using a sophisticated digital printing process that allows for a wide variety of custom designs. CERAMIN® Tiles therefore stand out in terms of design not only because of their ultra-lightweight nature but also because of their distinctive appearance. At the same time, digitalization has naturally found its way into product development, thereby creating genuine added value. However, one of the most important aspects in the development of the CERAMIN® material was—and remains—sustainability. The use of recycled materials, the absence of PVC, full recyclability, the product’s lifespan, climate-friendly production, and a transparent supply chain—which prioritizes suppliers from Germany and Europe—all combine to make CERAMIN® Tiles a sustainable, consumer-friendly product that fully meets the standards of neo-ecology.

CERAMIN® Tiles will not only be on display at the CLASSEN Group’s booth (Hall 1.2, Booth B021), but will also be featured alongside the other award-winning products during interzum (May 9–12) in a dedicated exhibition on the Messeboulevard as well as in the online exhibition at www.interzum.com.

This video demonstrates how easy it is to renovate a bathroom with CERAMIN Tiles :