Article Number : 2014 |
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| Date | 5/25/2007 8:35:40 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=2014 |
| Abstract | It’s been 13 years, almost to the day, since I became a part of this industry, albeit a small part. One of the best things for me is I still get to see new people and places. And I still visit companies I may never have had the opportunity to call on before... |
| Article | It’s been 13 years, almost to the day, since I became a part of this industry, albeit a small part. One of the best things for me is I still get to see new people and places. And I still visit companies I may never have had the opportunity to call on before. A few weeks ago I found myself in a small corner of the world known as Johnson City, Tenn., home of Mullican Flooring. I always knew of the company, but maybe not so much about the company. I knew Mullican was led by a couple of talented ex-Tarketters, Neil Poland and Brian Greenwell. Until this month I really didn’t know how talented. Poland, president, and Greenwell, vice president of sales and marketing, came on board in 1999. Until that point, Mullican’s business was 100% unfinished, 95% 2 1/4-inch strip. It sold its products through wholesale distribution, which, in turn, sold to lumber yards, hardwood flooring specialty dealers, contractors/ installers and some floor covering retailers who did sand and finish. Upon arriving, the two men immediately began to grow the business, expanding into 3-, 4- and 5-inch plank. They ventured into alternative species like cherry, maple, hickory, walnut and ash. The strength was quality product and a reputation at the top of the unfinished industry. Between 1999 and 2001, Mullican added two plants and a shift of specialty plank production at an existing facility in Norton, Va. The company was on a roll. It expanded distribution and worked with existing wholesalers to expand their business. In the process, Mullican added unfinished exotics to its assortment. Another plant was built in 2002 in Holland, N.Y., and almost at the same time it acquired a building in Johnson City to establish its finishing operations. The company launched its first finished products at Surfaces 2003. Today, Mullican’s strength is prefinished plank in all types of species, eventually leading to handscuplted and wirebrushed. It also boasts one of the largest 3/4-inch solid prefinished product lines in the industry. Adding engineered has only made it stronger. But ask Poland and Greenwell about the company’s true strengths and they are quick to cite quality, product selection and the experience of its people. “We have more hardwood flooring industry management experience than anyone in the industry,” Poland said. “It gets us noticed by a lot of people.” Quality is also paramount. Poland noted that instead of having 1,000 quality-control inspectors, Mullican starts at the saw mill to ensure the lumber is as high a quality as possible when it leaves the facility. “We take numerous steps to make sure lumber comes in to our specifications. We plane all our lumber grain to ensure consistency of thickness before dried. We stack lumber 12 inches apart after it is planed as opposed to the industry standard of 24 inches. This de-stresses the lumber and ensures flatter flooring.” Greenwell noted that although company sales were up about 8% in the first quarter, Mullican is not without its challenges. There are significant price pressures on the unfinished side of the business, which still constitutes 50% of sales. Also, Mullican is doing business in an environment where housing starts are down 25%. “There are signs that maybe in the Northeast, maybe because they dropped sooner, things may be starting to improve. But as far as the nation as a whole, we are probably a year away from coming out of this.” |