Beaulieu's Ultimate Performance

By Matthew Spieler
Hicksville, N.Y.—Everyone knows carpet is a soft, warm and cozy product. So when the big three carpet mills along with the fiber suppliers started introducing soft fibers a handful of years ago, many were skeptical and felt it was just a marketing ploy.

As most people will attest to, that wasn’t the case as consumers flocked to broadloom made with these new fibers.

“Soft fibers are here to stay,” said Kathy Young, creative director for Shaw Industries. “Soft carpeting has carved out its place as a day-to-day demand, not a trend.”

“Plus,” she added, “they have become the norm in every fiber category—spun and filament nylon and polyester as well as loop olefin—particularly in the trade-up categories.”

Shaw offers carpets featuring a variety of exclusive soft yarn systems as well as those from the major fiber suppliers. The mill’s own branded yarns can be seen in some of its newest products such as Comfortouch in Fresh Finish and Portfolio; Clear-Touch in Texture, Twist and Loop; EverTouch with In the Mix and Secrets of Success, and Anso Caress which it obtained with the purchase of Honeywell, in its new Visions Collection. In addition, Invista’s Tactesse can be found in My Fair Lady, Coronation and Tiffany Park from its Tuftex division.

Pete Ciganovich, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Beaulieu of America, also feels this section of the category has worked its way into the norm. Because of this, those who produce soft fibers such as Beaulieu have invested more into the area to create yarns that surpass those introduced just a few years ago.

“Softness is foremost,” he explained, “although comfort, quietness and barefoot elegance make for an excellent transition from the discipline of hard surfaces.”

Better Capabilities

Ciganovich pointed to advances such as higher twist friezes with color and better dying capabilities as things that have helped make carpets even more attractive to consumers. “Our new Ultimate Performance introductions bring affordable, solid color solution dyed nylon. And a twisting application called Perma Twist, allows for a luxurious blending of solution dyed nylon soft fibers for the home demanding unique design.”

“For the past 15 years, our market research has shown that consumers rank soft fiber as one of the most desired attributes in carpet,” said Steve Griffith, vice president of residential flooring for Invista, which has seen its soft fibers business account for more than 50% of the company’s growth the last five years. “Therefore, we don’t see this as a short-lived trend, but a fiber system, such as Tactesse, that gives consumers what they are looking for—a soft and durable carpet. For this reason we expect carpet manufactured with soft fibers to stay integrated in the industry.”

That’s good news for everyone—from mill and manufacturer all the way down to the consumer.

Mike Zoellner, vice president of marketing services for Mohawk Industries, said even though “soft fibers are as much about preference and styling as anything...for the carpet industry and for Mohawk, soft yarns have created new consumer choices.”

For Mohawk, these choices come from its own soft fiber, Permastrand, or through one of the fiber suppliers’ brands. In the first four months of 2006, the company has already introduced products containing all these fiber systems, including La Concha, a cut-pile cable, with Mohawk Smart-strand made with DuPont Sorona; Alluring Touch, a hobnail loop texture make with Permastrand XS; Emerging Beauty/Graceful Elegance, a cut-pile frieze and a mid-luster product made from Tactesse Stainmaster, and Seaside Park, a cut-pile texture with Solutia’s Wear-Dated DuraSoft BCF.

And, with it comes more enhancements and innovation. Steve Sieracki, Shaw’s director of product marketing, said the company has “enhanced its offerings” with benefits such as the mill’s patented R2X Stain and Soil Resistance system and “our SoftBack Platinum also distinguishes our soft products from the competition.”

Griffith added, Invista has debuted a silk-like accent fiber that “adds a sleek yet subtle luster to Tactesse which already has a wool-like feel. It simulates a wool and silk aesthetic currently found in clothing and rugs and will be of interest to the fashion-conscious consumer.”