Anfora

Anfora is the largest Mexican manufacturer of vitrified ceramics. It is based in the silver mining city of Pachuca, in the state of Hidalgo, in Mexico.

History

Anfora was founded by Pablo Schmidt, Alberto Lenz, Julio Vermehren Carlos Reichert, Enrique Hilger, Federico Ritter and Adolfo Goerz in Mexico City in 1920 as a porcelain manufacturer for home and institutional use. After the Mexican Revolution, Anfora came to dominate the Mexican market for this type of products. In 1932 Anfora started to manufacture sanitaryware for the construction market. During World War II, the Mexican government under Lázaro Cárdenas intervened the company since due to the owner's German nationality and eventually sold the company to local investors in 1947. After the war, Anfora grew exponentially and became a household name. In 1994 it moved to a 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m²) facility in Pachuca, where it continues to operate with over 600 people in 2010.

Markets

The company sells in Mexico through a network of distributors and wholesalers. In the USA, it is represented exclusively by Steelite for the foodservice market, where it competes against local factories like Homer Laughlin and Buffalo China. Home use dinnerware is sold through retailers like Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma. One of the most traditional Anfora pattern is the hand painted Blue and White Puebla, sold as a collector's dinnerware through individuals on eBay. Other customers include Starbucks and Mexican restaurants like Sanborns, Las Mañanitas and San Angel Inn.