Article Number : 3522 |
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| Date | 8/6/2008 8:42:58 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=3522 |
| Abstract | DALLAS—Columbia Flooring has undergone an extensive makeover of its brand, strategically developing a well-edited hardwood product line focused on new, fashionable, quality flooring, while simultaneously unveiling a new branding approach incorporated into all of its merchandising elements... |
| Article | DALLAS—Columbia Flooring has undergone an extensive makeover of its brand, strategically developing a well-edited hardwood product line focused on new, fashionable, quality flooring, while simultaneously unveiling a new branding approach incorporated into all of its merchandising elements. Columbia’s launch is highlighted by an assortment of stylish “Character Woods” featuring a variety of popular surface treatments, including hand-sculpted, recovered, weathered, distressed and time-worn looks. “To ensure Columbia’s place as the design and style leader in hardwood, we extensively researched current consumer tastes and then boldly responded with a total reinvention of our line,” said Roy Foster, vice president of sales for Columbia Flooring. “We are taking Columbia in a completely new direction with a curated, deliberate approach, offering the ‘right products’ focused solely on the finest American hardwoods in a variety of innovative, fashion-forward looks. “Our new line is all about design,” Foster added. “Columbia is now the ‘industry’s specialist in character woods.’ Character woods make available the popular surface treatments such as distressed, weathered, recovered, time-worn and hand-sculpted design. We are now offering a full range of 98 character woods across multiple species and multiple colors, in both solid and engineered hardwood. No one else offers this.” According to Roger Farabee, Columbia’s vice president of marketing, when Mohawk Industries first purchased Columbia last year (FCNews, July 9/16, 2007), “we stepped back and looked at the brand, where it had been, what the perception of it was with retail customers, our distributor partners and what the perceptions were with the public. Consumer research “At the same time,” he added, “we did research on exactly what consumers were looking for in wood products, what they liked, what they didn’t like, not only from a product standpoint but from a shopping experience as well. We took all that in, and developed a strategy that covers both the brand, as well as the product.” Hardwood with character Columbia’s new Character Woods collection are the first hardwood flooring products that offer such a myriad of surface treatments prefabricated from the factory, noted Foster. “Previously, expensive on-site finishing was required to achieve these looks.” In addition to Character Woods, Columbia’s launch also includes Domestic Exotics and Traditional Oaks. “The variety within each of these categories, in both color and design, makes Columbia the most comprehensive line in the marketplace,” he said. All three lines offer similar color and design options in both solid and engineered wood. To position Columbia, not only as the design leader during this reinvention, but also to solidify its new status of offering unique technical advantages, Foster noted, the mill has invested in technologies including SuperiorShield, PureBond formaldehyde-free engineered flooring technology as well as the patented Uniclic locking system. SuperiorShield Surface Technology by 3M is built into the product during the curing process to protect the floor against stains, germs and grime, while also improving gloss retention. PureBond technology for engineered flooring is a new innovation replacing traditional urea formaldehyde hardwood plywood construction with technology that adds no formaldehyde to the finished flooring, creating products that are healthier for families and the environment, he explained. Adding Uniclic “Incorporation of the revolutionary Uniclic locking system into Columbia’s Intuition collection of domestic exotic woods not only makes installation fast and easy as planks simply snap together,” Foster surmised, “but this innovation also lowers installation costs making the dream of owning a hardwood floor attainable to a great number of consumers. “From a marketing perspective, the new branding was designed to reinforce the beautiful, fresh, authentic, hand-crafted new product looks and is featured comprehensively throughout an entire line of new merchandising materials. The new imagery and visuals encompassing the brand will draw consumers seeking a truly original product to Columbia.” Columbia has made significant capital investments in its production plants so the highest quality traditional and character looks can be produced internally. “These investments will ensure all products consistently meet the most stringent quality standards while giving us the ability to manufacture complex textured products in-house,” he said. “By being domestically harvested and produced, the new Columbia assortment will offer superior service and availability versus imported products.” Columbia Flooring products will continue to be offered exclusively through a network of North American independent flooring distributors. “The changes to the Columbia product assortment and merchandising have been greeted enthusiastically by Columbia’s distributor partners,” Foster concluded, “and will start appearing in retail flooring showrooms within the next couple weeks.” |