International ceramic clay producers the Watts Blake Bearne Group (WBB) recently acquired three companies in Spain for an undisclosed sum. The three companies—Arcitras, S.L.; Arcillas Galve, S.L; and Arevi S.L.—were formerly members of the Monterde Group, a family-owned business that has successfully developed and operated sources of high-quality, red-firing clays for the Spanish tile industry.

The companies have a total of 60 employees, who will be joining the WBB Group. The companies are market leaders in the supply of red-firing clays to the world-class ceramic wall- and floor-tile industry, centered in the region around Castellon, Spain.

The red clays are extracted in three main areas: St. Juan de Moro, near Castellon; Galve, near Teruel; and Villar del Arzobispo, near Valencia. The annual volume of red clays sold by the three companies exceeds 3 million tons.

WBB has formed a new company in Spain, Watts Blake Bearne España S.A., to manage the new business. The company will trade as “WBB España.” Sr. Fernando Fernandez has been appointed its general manager. He will be joined on the board of WBB España by Sr. Rolf Brendle, who has a tremendous amount of experience in the Spanish ceramic industry. Sr. Brendle will, through Brendle Metalquimica S.A., also continue to act as WBB’s agent in Spain for white-firing clays mined in Devon, the Ukraine and Germany.