Article Number : 2587 |
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| Date | 10/15/2007 8:27:09 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=2587 |
| Abstract | By Steven Feldman Princeton, N.J.—The overwhelming success of Congoleum’s DuraCeramic technology has spawned two new products—DuraPlank and Underfloor—which the company believes will continue the momentum generated by the 2003 launch... |
| Article | By Steven Feldman Princeton, N.J.—The overwhelming success of Congoleum’s DuraCeramic technology has spawned two new products—DuraPlank and Underfloor—which the company believes will continue the momentum generated by the 2003 launch. At the same time, Congoleum is raising the curtain on Bravada, a brand new sheet vinyl designed to fill the critical $19.99 retail price point that had been fruitfully occupied by Ultima until a series of price increases pushed it to another level. Congoleum previewed these new products and more at its distributor meeting here Oct. 3, the earliest in company history. It went to great lengths to have its samples ready to ship immediately to give its sales team and distributor partners some much-needed ammunition to combat the challenging economy. It’s also no coincidence that Congoleum’s launches are related to the immensely popular DuraCeramic, whose sales are up 20% over 2006, according to Dennis Jarosz, senior vice president, sales and marketing. DuraPlank is the wood-look extension of DuraCeramic. Consumers are enamored with wood looks, Jarosz said, and DuraPlank provides real wood visuals without the common problems associated with wood floors, such as splintering, warping, cracking, crowning and cupping. And the fact that it is moisture resistant lends itself to kitchens, bathrooms and basements. “Dealers who embraced DuraCeramic will love DuraPlank,” he said. “It’s a no brainer.” Jarosz called DuraPlank an affordable, practical alternative to wood. Its surface glaze yields a stainproof, easy-to-maintain floor with nylon particles for wear resistance, and its limestone composite construction offers stability and impact resistance. The line debuts with nine SKUs in three species (oak, cypress and walnut). Planks measure 41/2 x 36 with micro-beveled edges. Brian Carson, president of Mohawk’s hard surface division, believes DuraPlank will do well. “DuraCeramic has already proven it can provide a substantial upgrade for the industry from traditional vinyl products,” he said. “DuraPlank was a natural extension to something that was already a winning formula for Congoleum.” Carson also believes DuraPlank will expand areas in the home “where you don’t typically see vinyl anymore.” Art Layton, director of marketing, CMH Flooring Products, Wadesboro, N.C., agreed, adding he is particularly excited about the customization possibilities by installing DuraPlank and DuraCeramic together. “We are finding a lot of people want a custom floor. It’s a great opportunity for the retailer.” Bill Morrissey, president of Bishop Distributing in Grand Rapids, Mich., talked about a pair of V’s: visuals and value. “The digital imaging and texturing is pushing resilient closer to wood and laminate,” he said. “Also, in our area, where the economy is tough and the price-value relationship is an issue, a product like DuraPlank serves us well.” Underfloor If there is one thing that negatively impacts DuraCeramic sales, it’s subfloor issues. “For some people, the cost of a new subfloor can be an obstacle,” said Erik Anderson, vice president of sales. “For example, a 1/4-inch underlayment costs 60 cents per foot and installers charge 70 cents to install it. An embossing leveler costs 30 cents per foot and 55 cents to install. This can lead a retail salesperson to push the consumer toward laminate.” To combat the issue, Congoleum introduced Under-floor, an all-in-one underlayment system for floating installations of DuraCeramic products. “Under-floor is an economical, time-saving alternative to costly underlayment systems,” Anderson said. “This new technology will help take DuraCeramic to the next level.” Underfloor offers a felt construction coated with a vinyl moisture barrier. It can go over plywood, OSB, particleboard, concrete, gypsum, existing floors like resilient or hardwood, and even old adhesive or paint. Congoleum believes Under-floor will create opportunities in a variety of segments. For new construction, it alleviates the need for a ?-inch underlayment and the prep that goes with it. For property management, it is easy to install and remove. “There is never a concern with adhesion problems,” Anderson said. It is also a practical, economical solution for remodel given the wide variety of substrates, he added. “This will be huge for us,” CMH’s Layton said. “DuraCeramic requires a smooth and perfect underlayment. Now there are no limitations where you can install the product. This will impact high-rise construction as we can install over gypcrete.” Hitting a price point When Congoleum launched its Ultima sheet in 2001, it quickly became the most successful introduction in company history due to its price/value relationship. Six years later, Congoleum has again filled that $19.99 retail price point with Bravada, a collection that offers advanced styling, realistic textures and value-added features. Wholesalers told FCNews it fills a critical void. “As Congoleum’s largest distributor, this was something we were requesting for some time, and we are thrilled they stepped up and filled that need,” Mohawk’s Carson said. “When Ultima came out, it took the industry by storm offering terrific value. But over time, that price point moved up, so there was a void at that $20 point. I give Congoleum an A+ for coming up with a product that moves into that void.” Bravada launches with nine designs and 28 colors. A new embossing texture adds realistic dimension to the natural stone, wood and ceramic and designs, which is something not lost on Bishop’s Morrissey. “This is great imaging. Congoleum is leveraging the uniqueness of the category in terms of design.” Morrissey noted this is more important today than ever. “With fewer customers coming into retail stores, you need the right product. What we’ve seen today will get consumers to buy.” Liz Charboneau, vice president of marketing, noted that Bravada is about more than aesthetics. “Part of the Bravada equation calls for improved durability and scratch resistance,” she said. “The UltraShield wear surface, reinforced with nylon and aluminum oxide particles, provides not only for better wear protection, but the Congoleum patented wear surface means Bravada is also easy to maintain.” In addition, BacStop protection prevents against discoloration from mold and mildew. Bravada comes in 12-foot widths and with Congoleum’s 4-star warranty–lifetime protection against wear and manufacturing defects and 10-year protection against asphalt staining, rips, tears, gouges and discoloration from mold, mildew and alkali. With the Bravada launch, the Utopia line will be discontinued at the end of October. Joining the crowd Congoleum is the latest resilient manufacturer to enter the fiberglass-backed floating floor arena when it takes the wraps off Airstep in the first quarter of 2008. The launch joins a field that already includes the likes of FiberFloor from Tarkett, CushionStep from Armstrong and Sobella from Mannington. While Airstep will have similar attributes, Congoleum uses sharper pricing as a competitive advantage, Jarosz noted. Congoleum needed to participate in a category that now accounts for 8% of the resilient sheet market, Jarosz said. He noted that much of the fiberglass sheet’s success is attributed to the fact that it’s something new for retail salespeople to talk about. As well, installers say these floors are easier to cut. Interesting enough, Jarosz claims the majority of retailers are not loose laying these floors. Rather, they are fully adhering them, which minimizes the risk of problems. Airstep will launch in two collections, an entry level and upgraded version. Basis is the 80 mil entry-level product in four designs and 10 SKUs. Cloud 9 is the upgrade in seven designs and 20 SKUs with a thickness of 100 mil, including a 10 mil textured urethane wearlayer. A unique, compact, easy to assemble merchandising system accompanies the launch. In other news, riding the philosophy that design is the driver of product success, Congoleum is adding seven designs and 24 colorations to existing products this year and more throughout 2008. Specifically: • Two patterns will be added to Ultima. Patagonia is an exotic wood plank in four colors, while Nobility is an 18-inch travertine tile set on a diagonal in four colors. • Pacesettter is bolstered by one new design: Navarro, a 6-inch tumbled stone in five colors • Prelude, Congoleum’s base grade product, gets two new designs. Mohave stone is a random stone paver in three colors while Bavarian Wood comes in two colors. • Concept gets two new designs this year, while DuraCeramic gets new designs in second quarter 2008. |