A new RM420mil Industry 4.0 (IR4.0) manufacturing facility in Kluang, Johor, has positioned local tile maker Guocera Sdn Bhd as Malaysia’s first manufacturer of large-format porcelain slabs.
Managing director Sally Cheng said the investment in the district was one of the most significant financial undertakings in the country’s ceramic industry in recent years.
“Backed by a RM420mil investment from 2022, the new facility represents more than a capacity expansion, and it is a strategic development in Malaysia’s manufacturing future,” she said.
Cheng said this at the opening of the company’s IR4.0 manufacturing facility and concept gallery in Jalan Mengkibol, Kluang.
She said the facility was home to Malaysia’s first production line capable of producing premium 120cm x 240cm large-format porcelain slabs.
Also present were Hong Leong Industries Bhd group managing director Datuk Prof Jim Khor, Hong Leong Manufacturing group chief financial officer Tong Woei Luen and Hong Leong Industries chief financial officer Goh Eng Tatt.
Also from Guocera were financial controller Teh Yee Leen, technical head Jee Hai Peng, manufacturing general manager Lakmal Indika, supply chain head Chin Han Yan and collaboration partner Siti B&T Group chairman Fabio Tarozzi from Italy.
Cheng said with the commissioning of the new IR4.0 facility, the company’s annual production capacity would increase from six million squares metres to 13.5 million squares metres.
“The increase in capacity enables the company to better serve growing demand in Malaysia and regional export markets,” she said.
She added that this would help to reduce reliance on imported premium ceramic surfaces and to strengthen Malaysia’s capability in producing world-class architectural materials locally.
Cheng said the investment had also created more than 100 high-value jobs, including positions for engineers, automation specialists, technicians and skilled manufacturing professionals.
“The investment shows Malaysia in a great place for high-tech manufacturing, while developing better technology and skilled jobs,” she said.
Cheng said that through a strategic collaboration with Italian machinery specialist Siti B&T, Guocera has successfully transferred cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and production know-how to Malaysia.
She said new technology, such as continuous milling to replace batch milling, mould-less pressing, energy-saving titanium kilns, and dry trimming without water had been introduced.
“These technologies boost factory output, product quality, work speed, and eco-friendliness, making Guocera a top ceramic maker in South-East Asia,’’ she said, adding that this helped local ceramics reach world-class standards, while allowing Malaysian products to compete globally.
Established in 1970, Guocera, a member of the Hong Leong Group, is one of Malaysia’s leading ceramic tile makers, with 56 years of manufacturing know-how.
The company expanded its ceramic tile manufacturing operations with plants in Meru, Selangor in 1979, and Kluang in 1988, growing from exporting to Singapore into global supplier across Asia and beyond.
Today, its portfolio comprises three distinctive brands − Guocera, Solare and Verticas − catering to residential, commercial and architectural markets.
