Lancaster, Pa.—Armstrong is stepping up its commitment to the increasingly popular floating floor category with the introduction of CushionStep Flooring, a fiberglass cushion floor that will be marketed exclusively to the independent retail channel.

According to Alan Cubell, vice president of product management, residential resilient, the floating floor category in 2005 represented approximately 8% of the resilient sheet market in North America. Armstrong has a leadership position in the DIY arena, but in the past three years the category has gained acceptance at specialty retail.

While there are currently two other players in the market, he was quick to point out Cushion-Step Flooring is not a me-too product. In fact, he cited what he believes to be seven competitive advantages:

• The brand. Armstrong’s brand aided awareness among all consumers is 98% and number one in their minds in terms of quality and design, according to a Millward Brown study.
• The distribution network. “Our distributors offer the highest level of service, training and education, and have the greatest penetration.”
• The Web site. At www.armstrong.com a consumer is recommended to retailers every two minutes.
• Style and design. “This is our biggest advantage. We are taking our MasterWorks technology across entire product lines. And on our ‘best’ product line, we are bringing MasterWorks technology with VTx, which provides variable texture and depth.”
• Flexibility. Armstrong is offering two installation systems for CushionStep Flooring—a loose lay system which employs double-faced acrylic tape, and a fully adhered system.
• Comfort. Armstrong’s CushionCore and CushionCore HD creates comfort underfoot and also resists water, mold and mildew, making the product useful in high-moisture areas.
• Durability. The VisionGuard urethane wearlayer offers stain, fade and wear resistance.