Construction Business Review

Stonepeak Ceramics
Pioneering the U.S. Tile Industry Since 2004

Every great space begins with intention. Long before walls rise or foundations are set, design choices quietly shape how a place feels and functions.

Over the past two decades, Stonepeak Ceramics has deepened this understanding, transforming surfaces into silent storytellers that hold both purpose and personality. Nestled in the hills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, the company has a uniquely American character that honors the time-proven tradition of fine Italian porcelain ceramics.

Stonepeak’s story began in 2004 as part of the Iris Ceramica Group, a family-owned Italian company established in 1961 in Fiorano Modenese, near Modena. Since opening its door, the company has been pioneering the U.S. porcelain & ceramic industry. It was the first U.S. ceramic surface manufacturer to use Inkjet technology, the first to produce through-body slab with through-body veins and the first to produce the revolutionary 120” x 60”, ¼-inch thick large porcelain panels. StonePeak is also leading the U.S. ceramic industry in sustainability. It continually works to create a higher environmental standard, striving to lower its carbon footprint and create the most sustainable products possible.

“Our story has always been about balance,” says Hector Narvaez, executive vice president. “We stand on the three pillars of Italian design heritage, American manufacturing excellence, and a true commitment to environmental responsibility. That’s not a slogan—it’s who we are.”

Designing with Purpose

For Stonepeak, surfaces are emotional expressions. Each slab conveys a story, capturing the warmth of natural stone and the serenity of flowing water. In homes, they create intimacy. In airports or museums, they define rhythm and space.

Narvaez calls ceramics “an inspirational functional material,” one that influences how people experience a place rather than simply how it appears.

This philosophy fuels continuous progress. Every year, the company invests millions of dollars in advanced research to refine texture, depth, and durability. The outcome is a collection that engages the senses as effectively as it meets performance demands. The surfaces feel organic, the tones remain balanced, and the designs inspire a sense of calm and confidence.

Recent projects demonstrate this philosophy in practice. Between 2024 and 2025, Stonepeak supplied materials for various major U.S. airports including San Diego, Denver, Detroit, Nashville, and Houston Hobby. These demanding spaces require strength and resilience, yet Stonepeak’s surfaces retain their visual integrity through years of use, proving that performance and elegance can coexist naturally.

For the company, design extends beyond the final product. It merges purpose, sustainability, and human experience—concepts that evolve into the next chapter of innovation.

Economy = Ecology

Stonepeak’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Crossville, TN drives its creative spirit, shaping every hue, texture, and finish that emerges from its kilns. It serves as a bridge between Italian artistry and American precision, demonstrating that heritage and technology can coexist and thrive together. At the core of that strength beats a deeper principle: a genuine respect for the environment.

  • We stand on the three pillars of Italian design heritage, American manufacturing excellence, and a true commitment to environmental responsibility. That’s not a slogan—it’s who we are.


Its journey begins with the visionary founder, Romano Minozzi, who coined the term “Economy = Ecology” in the 1960s. This powerful concept encapsulates his vision of an economy that serves both humanity and the environment we inhabit. As a result, Stonepeak has achieved the prestigious Organizational Carbon Footprint Validation ISO 14064-1, positioning itself among the first companies in the U.S. flooring industry to earn this distinction.

The facility incorporates several key practices to minimize its environmental footprint. The nearly closed-loop production process ensures that raw materials and water waste are efficiently recycled back into production, supporting the facility’s commitment to reducing waste. This is further complemented by an innovative formula that relies heavily on raw materials sourced domestically, with the majority being procured within a 250-mile radius of the plant.

To enhance its eco-friendly initiatives, the facility exceeds legal requirements with the installation of antipollution devices, including smoke and sand depurators, water purifiers, and the reutilization of heat from kilns and production losses. Additionally, the plant uses packaging made from recycled materials, reinforcing its dedication to sustainability at every stage of production.

Where Innovation Meets Conscience

The commitment to sustainability has also led to the most ambitious endeavor of Stonepeaks parent company, Iris Ceramica Group: the world’s first hydrogen-powered ceramic factory, which was launched in 2024.

The H2 Factory located in Castellarano, Italy is already equipped with the innovative technologies and infrastructures needed to use 100% green hydrogen. This industrial process is a concrete result in the process of decarbonising the ceramics industry.

In particular, the H2 pilot production plant, in operation since May 2024 for the test phase, includes two temporary electrolysers with a total power of 120 KW, powered by renewable energy. They can produce up to 20 cubic metres of green hydrogen per hour, powering the “hydrogen ready” kiln with a blend of green hydrogen up to around 7%; this percentage will increase once the final plant will be installed (within 2026).

For Stonepeak, this initiative is not just about marketing sustainability; it is about redefining industrial practices for a better future. The hydrogen-powered factory embodies a new industrial mindset, where innovation advances in harmony with environmental responsibility and creative purpose.

Beyond Surfaces: Smart, Adaptive Design

One of Stonepeak’s most striking advancements is Hypertouch®, a patented, innovative capacitive technology applied underneath the company’s large-format porcelain surfaces that enhance design functions beyond imagination. It is the perfect fusion of human intuition and technological innovation and transforms porcelain surfaces into intelligent, responsive interfaces that react to the simple touch of a hand. This seamless integration makes the technology invisible, yet essential—bringing control, comfort, and connection back to fingertips.

Another game-changing development is Attract, Stonepeak’s innovative and sustainable dry magnetic installation system for ceramic slabs. This system enables the creation of continuous surfaces without the use of adhesives or supporting structures. What makes Attract unique is its commitment to sustainability and waste reduction, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. It’s designed to minimize environmental impact by allowing for easy disassembly, reuse, and recycling of materials at the end of their lifecycle.

Then there is Moonlight, a unique backlighting solution that pays homage to Stonepeak’s values of innovation, sustainability, and excellence in quality. It provides the exquisite aesthetic to uniformly diffuse soft, welcoming light, as delicate as moonlight, behind light-hued porcelain slabs, amplifying the beauty of each surface; a decoration even in the dark.

“At Stonepeak, innovation is woven into our DNA. Our commitment to pushing boundaries and creating cutting-edge solutions drives us forward,” says Narvaez. “With the aim of creating materials that increasingly improve the quality of life, Stonepeak brings these advanced technologies to enhance the usability of porcelain solutions.”

Shaping the Future through Feeling

Stonepeak’s path forward is defined by creativity and conscience. As architects, designers, and builders seek more expressive, sustainable materials, the company is prepared to lead this evolution.

Technologies such as Hypertouch, Attract, and Moonlight signal the beginning of a larger movement—one that redefines how people engage with the spaces around them. The company envisions a future where design is defined by more than appearance; it is shaped by the emotions it evokes.

In a world where sustainability is often spoken but seldom lived, Stonepeak continues to build beauty that lasts. Its legacy rests on a balance between heritage and innovation, aesthetics and ethics, craft and conscience. Its Italian lineage gives it soul, its American foundation lends strength, and its environmental ethos ensures purpose. Each creation carries that legacy forward, proving that design can be both enduring and meaningful.