HKC Roofing Tours the Ludowici Roof Tile Plant

New Lexington, Ohio –

A group from HKC Roofing set off on a trip to tour the Ludowici roof tile plant in New Lexington, Ohio. Ludowici is the name to know in the tile roofing industry, their manufacturing history dates back over 400 years in Rome, Italy. They moved to Germany as the European market expanded, changing their name from Ludovisi (Italian name) to the Germanized Ludowici. In 1888, the Ludowici family moved to Chicago to begin manufacturing their tile. Shortly thereafter in the early 1900’s, the final move was made to New Lexington, Ohio where they consolidated their operations onto a single facility, using local clay to make their tiles. Today, they have the ability to produce over 36,000 unique profiles. In addition to manufacturing tile for new construction, a large part of their business is replicating tiles for restoration projects where the roof is over 100 years old.

The Ludowici tile company employs state-of-the-art equipment and processes to achieve the highest quality products in the industry. Their experts can create nearly any color or profile that a client can dream up. While we were touring their facility the Ludowici staff showed us a mock-up of a flat-tile that resembled 24 karat gold. Just like all of their products, they guarantee their colors for 75 years. This lengthy warranty is largely due to their unique process in which the clay is fired. Another key to their successful tile is it’s extremely low water absorption characteristics which allows for the tile to perform exceptionally well in both hot and cold climates. The proven quality and durability of Ludowici tile is showcased on old buildings at the plant that were originally installed in 1888.

At HKC Roofing we purchase and reclaim old tile on a regular basis, adding to our ever-growing inventory. We pride ourselves on having the ability to repair and restore these exceptional roofs. Tile roofs are some of the most sustainable, fireproof and durable roofs in the world!