Villeroy & Boch
German luxury ceramics and home-living manufacturer founded in 1748, known for tableware, bathroom products, wellness equipment, and architectural ceramics.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Villeroy & Boch is a German ceramics and home-living group whose origins date to 1748, when ironmaster François Boch established a pottery business with his three sons in Audun-le-Tiche, Lorraine. The enterprise developed through a succession of workshops and factories in the region, including a porcelain operation at Septfontaines in Luxembourg and manufacturing facilities at Wallerfangen and Mettlach. The company adopted the Villeroy & Boch name in 1836 after the merger of Jean-François Boch’s business with the faience manufacturer controlled by Nicolas Villeroy. The group built its reputation by combining industrial scale with decorative design and technical experimentation. It introduced transfer printing on porcelain in the nineteenth century and opened a dedicated architectural-tile manufactory in 1869. Its Mettlach operations also became associated with Phanolith, a semi-translucent porcelain developed under the direction of ceramics artist Jean-Baptiste Stahl and presented to a wider public at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. These developments helped establish the company as both a producer of everyday ceramic goods and a contributor to European decorative-arts history. In its modern form, Villeroy & Boch is organized principally around the Bathroom and Wellness and Dining & Lifestyle divisions. The first covers bathroom ceramics, furniture, fittings, wellness products, and related interior solutions. The second comprises tableware, serving pieces, glassware, cutlery, and other products for dining and domestic living. The former Tiles division was separated into V&B Fliesen GmbH in 2006; Villeroy & Boch subsequently sold a majority stake to Eczacıbaşı Holding in 2007 and retained only a small minority interest according to the cited company history. The company has retained a strong German identity and its headquarters in Mettlach while selling through international subsidiaries, specialist retailers, hospitality and construction channels, showrooms, and digital commerce. Its Luxembourg factory closed in 2010. Villeroy & Boch became publicly listed on the German stock market in 1990 under the symbol VIB3, although voting control has remained associated with the Boch and Villeroy families. The group is no longer managed solely by family descendants, but family members have continued to work in the business. A major recent expansion was the acquisition of the Brussels-headquartered plumbing-fixtures manufacturer Ideal Standard Group. The transaction was announced in September 2023 and completed in 2024, broadening Villeroy & Boch’s bathroom and wellness activities. The company celebrated its 275th anniversary in 2023. Its brand position remains centered on premium, design-led products that connect heritage ceramics with contemporary residential, hospitality, and architectural applications.
History
Villeroy & Boch traces its beginnings to 1748, when François Boch and his three sons established a pottery business in Audun-le-Tiche, then in Lorraine. The family’s early activity developed during a period when European manufacturers were seeking to industrialize the production of tableware and decorative ceramics. In 1766, Boch received authorization to establish ceramic kilns at nearby Septfontaines in Luxembourg, where the enterprise operated a porcelain factory. A second lineage entered the company’s history through Nicolas Villeroy, who became sole owner of the faience manufactory at Wallerfangen in 1785. Jean-François Boch later expanded the Boch business toward Mettlach, beginning kiln construction there in 1812. The Mettlach site became the long-term center of the group and remains its headquarters. In 1824, the company adopted transfer printing on porcelain using engraved copper plates, an important step in making decorated ceramic products more reproducible at industrial scale. On 14 April 1836, Jean-François Boch’s company merged with Nicolas Villeroy’s business. The combined enterprise took the name Villeroy & Boch, bringing together the two family manufacturing traditions that define the brand. During the nineteenth century the company diversified both technically and commercially. It opened a dedicated architectural-tile manufactory in 1869, adding building materials to its established tableware and faience activities. The Mettlach operation also became a center for experimentation in ceramic surfaces and forms. Among its notable innovations was Phanolith, a semi-translucent porcelain associated with the ceramics artist Jean-Baptiste Stahl, who led the modelling department. The material combined qualities associated with jasperware and pâte-sur-pâte and gained international attention at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900. The company’s history therefore encompasses both mass production and participation in the decorative-arts movements of the period. During the twentieth century and into the contemporary period, Villeroy & Boch developed from a traditional ceramics producer into a broader home-living group. Its activities came to be organized around tableware and bathroom products, with tiles later managed through a separate corporate structure. V&B Fliesen GmbH became independent from the main division in 2006, and in 2007 Villeroy & Boch sold 51 percent of that company to Eczacıbaşı Holding. The group retained only a small shareholding thereafter, according to the cited historical account. Villeroy & Boch’s Luxembourg factory closed in 2010, while Germany remained its principal market. The company entered the German public market in 1990 under ticker VIB3. Although the group ceased to be managed exclusively by family descendants, the founding families continued to be represented among employees and retained voting influence. The modern organization operates primarily through Bathroom and Wellness and Dining & Lifestyle, supplying products to consumers, retailers, construction projects, hospitality customers, and professional design channels. The group’s recent strategic development has focused on expanding its bathroom platform. In September 2023 it announced the planned purchase of Ideal Standard Group, a Brussels-based plumbing-fixtures manufacturer. The transaction was reported at approximately €600 million and was completed in 2024. Villeroy & Boch also marked 275 years of history in 2023, using the anniversary to emphasize continuity between its eighteenth-century origins, industrial ceramic expertise, and present-day international design business.
- 2024
Ideal Standard acquisition is completed
[1]The company completes the acquisition of all operating companies of Ideal Standard Group.
- 2023
275th anniversary and Ideal Standard announcement
[1]Villeroy & Boch celebrates 275 years and announces an agreement to acquire Ideal Standard Group for approximately €600 million.
- 2010
Luxembourg factory closes
[1]The group closes its Luxembourg manufacturing facility as its production and operating structure continues to evolve.
- 2007
Majority stake in V&B Fliesen is sold
[1]Villeroy & Boch sells 51 percent of V&B Fliesen GmbH to Eczacıbaşı Holding and subsequently retains only a small minority holding.
- 2006
Tiles division becomes a separate company
[1]The Tiles division is separated into V&B Fliesen GmbH.
- 1990
The company becomes publicly listed
[1]Villeroy & Boch is listed on the German stock market under ticker symbol VIB3.
- 1900
Phanolith receives international attention
[1]The semi-translucent Phanolith ceramic associated with Jean-Baptiste Stahl is presented at the Paris Exposition Universelle.
- 1869
Architectural-tile manufacturing begins
[1]Villeroy & Boch opens its first manufactory dedicated to architectural tiles, broadening its activities beyond tableware and decorative ceramics.
- 1836
Boch and Villeroy businesses merge
[1]On 14 April, the Jean-François Boch company combines with Nicolas Villeroy’s business and adopts the Villeroy & Boch name.
- 1824
Transfer printing is introduced
[1]The Boch business begins using engraved copper plates for transfer printing on porcelain, supporting more repeatable decoration.
Products and positioning
Premium, design-led European home-living brand combining long-established ceramic craftsmanship with contemporary bathroom, wellness, dining, and interior solutions.
Tableware
Dining & Lifestyle tableware
The Dining & Lifestyle division includes porcelain and ceramic dinnerware, serving pieces, mugs, bowls, glassware, cutlery, and related dining accessories. Products generally combine recognizable European tableware forms with coordinated collections intended for both everyday use and formal entertaining. The division extends the company’s historic strength in decorated ceramics into contemporary lifestyle ranges and hospitality-oriented applications.
Tableware
Manufacture Rock
Manufacture Rock is a contemporary tableware range associated with a dark, textured stone-like appearance and coordinated pieces for serving and dining. It represents the brand’s effort to translate ceramic craftsmanship into a more informal, modern visual language while retaining the practical functions of a complete table setting.
Bathroom and wellness
Bathroom and Wellness
The Bathroom and Wellness division supplies bathroom ceramics, washbasins, toilets, bathtubs, showers, bathroom furniture, fittings, and associated wellness products. Rather than operating only as a sanitaryware maker, Villeroy & Boch presents coordinated bathroom solutions for residential interiors, hospitality, and construction projects, combining fixtures with furniture and design systems.
Bathroom collection
Subway 2.0
Subway 2.0 is a bathroom collection built around coordinated sanitary ceramics and complementary bathroom elements. Its product architecture is intended to support complete bathroom planning, with a relatively broad range of fixture formats and furniture options. The collection is positioned as a practical contemporary offering within the company’s bathroom portfolio.
Architectural ceramics · 1869
Architectural tiles
Architectural tiles were a significant historical extension of Villeroy & Boch’s ceramic expertise, beginning with a dedicated manufactory opened in 1869. The former Tiles division was later organized as V&B Fliesen GmbH and separated from the main group in 2006. The majority stake was sold to Eczacıbaşı Holding in 2007, leaving Villeroy & Boch with only a small reported minority interest.
Decorative ceramics
Phanolith
Phanolith was a semi-translucent porcelain developed at Mettlach under the direction of ceramics artist Jean-Baptiste Stahl. It combined qualities associated with jasperware and pâte-sur-pâte and became an important example of the company’s nineteenth-century material experimentation. Its international profile was strengthened by presentation at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle.
Bathroom and plumbing · 2024
Ideal Standard plumbing fixtures
Following the 2024 acquisition of Ideal Standard Group, Villeroy & Boch expanded its bathroom portfolio through the acquired company’s plumbing-fixtures operations. The transaction strengthened the group’s presence across sanitaryware, fittings, and professional bathroom channels, although the acquired products continue to retain their own established brand identity.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023275 Years Creating Homes
International
The anniversary program marked 275 years since the company’s founding and communicated the continuity between its historic ceramic manufacturing, Mettlach heritage, and current home-living activities.
Outcome. Anniversary brand and historical communications
Brand decisions
2023
Agree to acquire Ideal Standard GroupM&ABackground
Villeroy & Boch sought to expand and strengthen its bathroom and wellness activities through the purchase of an established international plumbing-fixtures group.
Action taken
The company announced an agreement to acquire Brussels-headquartered Ideal Standard Group.
Aftermath
The transaction was completed in 2024, bringing all operating companies of Ideal Standard Group into the acquisition perimeter.
Reported acquisition consideration. approximately €600 million (Announcement in September 2023; completion in 2024)
2007
Sell majority stake in V&B FliesenM&ABackground
After the Tiles division had been placed in a separate company, Villeroy & Boch changed its ownership position in the business.
Action taken
The group sold 51 percent of V&B Fliesen GmbH to Eczacıbaşı Holding.
Aftermath
Villeroy & Boch continued to hold only a reported 2.29 percent interest in V&B Fliesen GmbH.
2006
Separate the Tiles divisionStrategyBackground
The group reorganized its architectural-tiles activity as V&B Fliesen GmbH, separating it from the principal Villeroy & Boch operating structure.
Action taken
V&B Fliesen GmbH was established as a separate company.
Aftermath
The following year, Villeroy & Boch sold a 51 percent stake to Eczacıbaşı Holding and retained only a small minority interest according to the cited company history.
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