Article Number : 4441 |
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| Date | 5/1/2009 8:52:56 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4441 |
| Abstract | By Sarah Zimmerman There’s only one word beginning with an ‘e’ that may trump economy when it comes to flooring consumers’ top of mind these days: environment. With the eco movement enveloping all industries— including flooring—in recent years, all categories have been asked to put their... |
| Article | By Sarah Zimmerman There’s only one word beginning with an ‘e’ that may trump economy when it comes to flooring consumers’ top of mind these days: environment. With the eco movement enveloping all industries— including flooring—in recent years, all categories have been asked to put their greenest face forward, offering new environmental best practices and en vogue sustainable products. And this includes hardwood. Though the hardwood segment may stake its claim to being an inherently eco-friendly category— made from natural, sustainable materials; longer lifespan; use of entire tree; enhanced IAQ, etc.—it too has taken to the call for further environmental awareness and responsibility under the subhead of alternative hardwoods featuring products like bamboo and cork, which offer enhanced eco-stories. And with advancing technology and increased category awareness, leading alternative wood producers have not only confronted the consumer’s eco-consciousness, but also her desire for individual style and functionality. “People are still very much interested in the green story, but it’s progressed enough now that the creativity and fashion aspects are equally expected,” explained Ronit McGuthrie, marketing manager for Amorim Flooring. That’s why the company’s Wicander brand has revamped its selling strategy and product offerings. “We are selling emotions this year—style, design, attributes, etc. We need to make retail as easy as possible to sell that product at the point of purchase,” she explained. The new Wicanders brand will be comprised of five product lines by 2011—CORKcomfort, WOODcomfort, VINYLcomfort, LINOcomfort and Parquet—all of which will include cork in their makeup. “End users will now be satisfied on both levels—stylish flooring across an array of categories with the environmental and innate benefits of cork.” With this shift toward a twofold consumer satisfaction, the company has also refreshed its advertising and merchandising focused on the benefits and suggestions for combining different materials, textures and colors in the form of atmospheres. ‘Emotion’ and ‘Lifestyle’ are the themes chosen to depict the new collections and refreshed mindset. An example of Amorim’s fashion-forward eco-appeal was its booth at this year’s Surfaces, which featured its revamped image including outside-the-box room scenes showcasing trendy new product intros in a variety of formats—enhanced color, texture and size offerings. Also expanding on its stylishly sustainable success this year is USFloors, whose tagline—Manufacturer of Unique and Sustainable Floors—again holds true with an increased attention to its green island offerings as well as the introduction of Natural Bamboo Wovens. “Consumer awareness and interest in buying green will do nothing but continue to increase,” said Piet Dossche, CEO, “however, with that increased interest comes an expanded demand for unique and different stylings that appeal to a variety of end users.” With that in mind, the company introduced its Natural Bamboo Wovens—an assortment of strand woven bamboo floors infused with cork strands—during Surfaces ’09. “Not only does the addition of cork add improved sound reduction properties,” Dossche explained, “it also makes for a truly unique and distinctive surface visual.” And, taking style a step further, he noted the new assortment features a designer color palette suitable for both residential and commercial applications, is backed by lifetime residential wear and structure warranties and a 15-year heavy commercial warranty, and is manufactured domestically in the mill’s new plant in Dalton. “We refuse to take part in the doom-and-gloom of the current economy and are very excited at the opportunities being presented with revamps of old municipal buildings—most of which will be getting green facelifts,” Dossche said. “Our new manufacturing site, enhanced sales team and continued green island success, as well as new-and-improved product selection all create additional value for our customers, differentiating our already unique eco-friendly flooring options.” And embracing the eco-evolution on its own “terms” is Torlys, which is utilizing “eco-innovation” to enhance its practices and products from an environmental, performance and style-conscious arena. “The environmental story gets a lot of play,” explained John Kocemba, vice president of marketing. “But within this story, products still need to meet specific requirements aside from their green roots: beauty, performance and a fair market price. Our mentality of ‘eco-innovation’ allows nature to become our center as we constantly think of new ideas to make the green story and its product offerings better.” He again reiterated the importance of offering an emotional connection to the consumer. “Though it may be hard to believe, people are still walking into stores,” he said. “The trick today is how do you capture them? We try to do this by understanding the differentiators in the industry and remaining great at what we do— offer fashionable products centered around the environment.” Torlys’ new Naturals display— which features its latest cork and leather offerings—is an example of how the company works to capture market share by providing increased sustainability in visually and performance-appealing products, Kocemba noted. “Eco-innovation with cork is relatively easy since it comes from an entirely renewable resource,” he said. “Enhanced visuals and corresponding product lines only add to the products’ inherent benefits.” The combination display is also available in a smaller version called duets, which features a few of the most popular products in a more compact space. Dansk Hardwood is another green leader taking initiative to offer environmentally friendly products catered to individual tastes. “We recognize there are different products and trends for each market—commercial, upper-end residential, more affordable residential, etc.,” said Frank Hearst, director of sales, “all of which are interested in sustainable, alternative flooring options. With our expanded offerings featuring new and exciting looks and advanced installation with the same level of environmental responsibility, we intend to fit multiple markets in years to come.” One of the ways Dansk is expanding its appeal is through enhanced strandwoven bamboo looks in both its Natural and Exotic collections. Now available with increased durability, the Natural collection offers natural tiger and coffee looks, while the Exotic collection highlights styles such as cedar, auburn, pinot noir, gunstock and Bordeaux. And, all Dansk products are compliant with the most up-to-date regulations, Hearst noted. Also setting its Fusion Bamboo products apart is the company’s new click system, which makes for quick, easy and mess-free installation, Hearst noted. Utilizing the Uniclic locking system, the clic floors are recommended for both residential and commercial applications and are easy to remove and replace. “Now, end users have the option of a sustainable floor with a unique visual that takes less time and money to install while offering the same—if not better— value as other wood products, such as durability, hardness, indentation resistance, IAQ and more.” Another bamboo supplier taking market share with unique styles and value-added performance is Teragren. Still placing major emphasis on the enhanced green story associated with bamboo— specifically optimum 5.5 Moso bamboo, which the mill utilizes— Teragren also recognizes the evolving visual trends moving forward. “In recent years technology has definitely played an important role in enhancing the style, durability, performance and eco-friendliness of Teragren’s bamboo flooring,” said Ann Knight, executive vice president and global brand director. “Today’s end user is becoming even more environmentally and socially conscious than in the past—she is looking for beauty [including more selection in styles, grains and colors] as well as durability and green.” She pointed to the mill’s latest introduction, Synergy strand bamboo floating floors. Available in 711/16 x 72-inch planks, the flooring is engineered with a 4mm top wear-layer of strand bamboo on a cross-ply 100% bamboo core for extra stability— averages 154% harder than red oak and 125% harder than North American maple. “Our Synergy products are particularly popular because they offer all of the eco-friendly benefits of bamboo flooring with the aesthetic appeal of a traditional hardwood,” Knight explained. And keeping ahead of the curve with en vogue visuals, Teragren also offers several topical stain selections in its Signature Colors line—featuring machine-stained bamboo in espresso, cherry, charcoal and walnut—and Synergy—available in wheat, chestnut, java and brindle. |