Although we did not invent roofing, we have perfected it

Of course, we did not invent roofing. Nor did we invent the plain tile or concrete roof tile. The Romans were the pioneers more than 2,000 years ago with their Monk and Nun tiles. And the first plain tiles have been on the roof of Nuremberg Castle for more than 1,400 years – long before our company came into existence. 

But we can say with pride: For more than 130 years, we have changed and driven many things forward. We have shaped the market with our innovations. We have shifted perspectives: away from the purely functional view of roofing to a comprehensive solution mindset. We have set standards. 

What was required? A consistent commitment to the highest quality. Bold, pioneering decisions. And, an awareness of our roots, which are in a small family business in Wertingen, Bavaria – where CREATON still has its headquarters.

The origins

The CREATON story began in Wertingen in 1884 with the founding of Josef Berchtold GmbH, which mainly produced pantiles. At the time Alois Berchtold’s tile works was already a renowned quality manufacturer. The same goes for Anton Ott, who opened a tile works only 55 km away in Autenried 50 years later – specialising in classic tile shapes such as the plain tile. These two traditional companies merged n 1992 to form CREATON. 
 

Growth

Ott and Berchtold were already aware that they must invest constantly to remain competitive and maintain their high quality standards. This resulted in production facilities that were ahead of their time. The companies grew, locations like Roggden, four kilometres from Wertingen, were added. Roggden now produces 24 million plain tiles annually. 

The growth also continued after the merger: CREATON opened its facility in Grossengottern, Thuringia, in 1993. Today, it is one of the largest and most progressive clay roof tile plants in Germany. Plants were established in Guttau, Saxony in 1998 and the competence centre for special ceramics in Weroth, Rhineland Palatinate was established in 2004. The first CREATON plant abroad was commissioned in Lenti, Hungary in 2005. New production locations were added through incorporation of the traditional PFLEIDERER, MEINDL and TROST brands into CREATON, whose roots go back to the 19th century. At the same time, investments were made in the acquisition of state-of-the-art facilities. 
 

Setting the course

The building materials market is changing rapidly. Today, capable partners with extensive product ranges and a high degree of consulting expertise are called for. With awareness of these changes, in recent decades CREATON has made important changes in order to set the company on the right course for the future. This includes the changeover to a public limited company in 1995 and integration of the traditional PFLEIDERER, MEINDL and TROST brands into the CREATON group. From 2005 to 2020, CREATON was part of the Etex Group.

Creaton is one of the leading roofing brands in Europe. The company, which has been part of Wienerberger GmbH since March 2024, has a comprehensive range of products for pitched roofs and produces and sells clay roof tiles, concrete roof tiles and system accessories as well as PV systems throughout Central and Eastern Europe. With its communication focused on future topics, the traditional company promotes open exchange within the industry and helps roofing and carpentry businesses to master future challenges.