Factory of Ideas™

Ludowici Roof Tile has opened the Factory of Ideas™, the world’s first hands-on facility for visualizing and designing roofs. Built originally in 1903 as a railroad car loading platform, the building was renovated in 2007 as a workshop for architects, designers, and decision makers.

Schedule your visit today! Call Ludowici at 800.945.8453 or email us at VisitFOI@ludowici.com.

Testimonials

"The Factory of Ideas is a valuable tool. You are able to see what the product looks like in an array of circumstances. You can see the tile in sunlight, from one angle to another. It is truly a hands-on experience and you get to see all the selections Ludowici offers. When it comes to picking tile you can't shop on-line for it, you need to be face to face with it. You can put different tiles together and see if it works or if it doesn't."
-Bill Harrison, Bill Harrison Design, Atlanta, GA

"Going to the Factory of Ideas is a unique experience because it allows architects and homeowners to see, touch and feel all the different Ludowici tile options. All of the tile options and colors are there, beautifully displayed with great natural light. I think it has to be inspirational for architects and clients alike to see all of the possibilities for tile roofs."
-Michael Robinson, Architect, Samsel Architects

"The really great thing about the Factory of Ideas is that they have carts that roll in and out of the building, which simulate roof angles and help you better understand how light will impact the appearance of the tile. We took our tiles out on top of the carts, along with the accessory pieces. We were then able to stand back and see what our selections looked like in comparison to dozens of other samples. We went to the FOI expecting to find a second best option but found the perfect option instead.

"It's like being in a candy store for architects because of all of the options, colors, and patterns that are available. We specifically went to the Factory of Ideas to match the historic shape, texture, and color of our tile for a restoration project. It's much easier to make a selection, or even a precise visual match, with three-dimensional samples rather than with two-dimensional images on paper or a computer screen."
-Lynette Stuhlmacher, Antunovich Associates, Chicago, IL

"It's clear after going through the Factory of Ideas that Ludowici is not willing to sacrifice for automation and that they take great pride and care with their products. Because of the customization it's a 'must' to go to the Factory of Ideas. Each product is different from the next. To know it is to see it and it's worthwhile."
-Todd Hetz, Todd Hetz Roofing, Cincinnati, OH

The Factory of Ideas showroom was fantastic, I was very impressed, it showed us everything that Ludowici carries and all the different varieties. We went there because my wife and I are in the process of building our house. It really helped us make our choice.
-Bill Saras, Homeowner, Philadelphia, PA

Experience

Each visitor will be welcomed at the main office by a Ludowici expert and given a tour of the manufacturing plant, highlighting the employees' craftsmanship and all-natural materials. The tour ends at the Factory of Ideas where the visitor, working one-on-one with Ludowici experts, builds mockups, selects colors, and chooses textures and finishes, discovers trim pieces, mixes custom blends of tiles, and is shown special tiles for curved roofs. The visitor can interact with the industry’s largest range of tile forms, styles, colors and textures and then can select, customize, match, modify and create tiles.

The visitor solves unique design and construction problems with Ludowici experts with the mockup right in front of them. Mockups can be modified as many times as the visitor requires, all with expert advice. Color blends can be refined, special tiles can be integrated, transitions can be studied and resolved. At the visitor’s request Ludowici can manufacture custom tiles and construct a mockup before the visitor’s arrival, then the mockup can be modified as desired. When the visitor is satisfied with the mockups they can be packaged and shipped without charge.