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Robotics-Ready Slabs at Portobello

Portobello America’s Baxter, Tennessee facility required strong floor flatness/levelness and abrasion resistance for laser-guided systems—without slowing the build. E5® Internal Cure + E5® Catalyst helped deliver.

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Project Snapshot

  • Project: Portobello Tile (Portobello America manufacturing facility)

  • Location: Baxter, Tennessee

  • Facility Size: 895,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on a 92-acre project

  • E5 Products: E5® Internal Cure + E5® Catalyst

  • Ready Mix: Garrott Brothers

  • Concrete Contractor: Jay-Ton

  • General Contractor: T.W. Frierson

  • Technical Representative: M2 Solutions

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About Portobello America

Portobello America is the U.S. arm of the Portobello organization, established to expand domestic ceramic tile manufacturing and distribution. With its U.S. headquarters and production footprint in Baxter, Tennessee, the company supports North American customers with locally produced tile and a growing operational presence.

As part of the broader Portobello Group, Portobello America’s U.S. facility reflects a strategic investment in state-side manufacturing capacity—supporting jobs, supply chain resiliency, and faster regional fulfillment for commercial and residential construction markets.

The Challenge

Robots and laser-guided systems placed higher-than-normal demands on slab performance—specifically strong floor levelness, floor flatness, and very good abrasion resistance for manufacturing operations. At the same time, the floor needed to be properly cured and durable without delaying the construction schedule.

The E5 Solution

To meet performance requirements while staying schedule-aware, the construction team replaced the dry-shake hardener for abrasion with the E5® Internal Cure + E5® Catalyst system. Beyond abrasion performance, the E5 system also helped reduce shrinkage and curling, supporting more consistent floor flatness and floor levelness outcomes suited for precision-guided equipment environments.

Products Used

Built-In Performance: The E5® System Behind the Results. This project’s outcomes weren’t accidental—they were engineered into the slab. By pairing the right admixtures and surface systems, we delivered internal curing, faster access, and a harder, more resilient finish that stands up to real-world demands.

 
 

E5® Internal Cure

Thermal & Durability Gains from Within

 

E5® Internal Cure supports internal curing action at the initial reaction point, helping improve concrete durability and reduce common slab risks such as shrinkage-related movement. In this project, it was part of the selected system to support consistent slab behavior and performance without relying on additional abrasion-hardener steps.

 



E5® Internal Cure

E5® Catalyst

E5® Catalyst was paired with Internal Cure as a system approach—helping the team replace dry-shake abrasion hardener while supporting the floor performance requirements associated with robotics and laser-guided operations. The selected system also contributed to reducing shrinkage and curling for improved FF/FL consistency.

 

E5® Catalyst

$80M

Plant investment reference for this facility.

895,000 Sq ft

Manufacturing facility footprint.

92 Acres

Overall project site scale.

220+

U.S. headquarters and employment impact noted for the site.

Schedule / Process Needs

The project required a solution that achieved proper curing and abrasion performance without delaying the construction schedule. By replacing dry-shake abrasion hardener with the E5® system, the team pursued a more integrated path to performance while also addressing slab movement risk factors like shrinkage and curling that can compromise flatness/levelness over time.

Performance Needs

Because the facility supports robots and laser-guided systems, the slab needed to deliver strong floor flatness and floor levelness along with very good abrasion resistance—performance criteria that directly affect operational reliability in high-precision industrial environments.

Project Overview

Portobello America selected Baxter, Tennessee for its state-of-the-art ceramic tile facility due to the region’s natural supplies of clay and feldspar. The 92-acre project includes an 895,000 sq ft manufacturing facility supporting both production and headquarters operations in the U.S.

How E5 Elevated Performance

  • Replaced dry-shake abrasion hardener with an E5® system approach.

  • Supported abrasion resistance needs for robotics/laser-guided operations.

  • Helped reduce shrinkage and curling for more consistent slab outcomes.

  • Improved consistency in floor flatness and floor levelness performance indicators.

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