The ceramics firm Azteca, with nearly 60 years of history, has failed to find a buyer interested in resuming its activity during the insolvency proceedings. Consequently, its machinery and industrial premises will be put up for sale via auction in two lots starting next September. The company, which once employed over 100 workers and had a turnover exceeding 30 million euros, will follow the path of other emblematic Castellón companies that have recently closed.
According to the insolvency administrator, the deadline for the transfer of the production unit has now closed without any offers being finalized. The auction, to be held over the next four months, will be divided into two parts: the machinery on one hand, and the industrial premises on the other. The tile factory from l'Alcora has been unable to overcome its financial problems, exacerbated by the rise in energy costs due to the war in Ukraine. In 2024, its debt amounted to 11.8 million euros and losses reached 2.1 million, with a turnover that had fallen by 12% compared to the previous year.
Despite the severity of the closure, the company formalized an extinction employment regulation file (ERE) at the beginning of the year, affecting all 118 employees. The agreement with the unions (UGT and CCOO) included the company's commitment to pay redundancy compensation with its own funds, without waiting for the Wage Guarantee Fund (Fogasa). The ERE covered the workforces of the group's companies - Azteca, Horkios, Kerstone, and Kilion - and established compensation of 20 days per year worked, with a maximum of 12 months.
The tile sector thus loses a benchmark firm, although the sector's overall production and turnover improved in 2025 compared to the previous year, demonstrating its resilience. In the last five years, the number of companies in the sector has fallen by nearly 29%, from 170 firms in 2019 to 120 in 2025, according to Social Security data. This trend towards greater business concentration has led major groups like Pamesa to acquire other companies, such as Natucer, Best Surface, and Tau Cerámica.
