Hicksville, N.Y.—In the last two years, the hardwood flooring category has become the floor covering industry’s fastest growing segment with year-over-year sales increases in the high single- to low double-digits. Though final sales figures for 2002 are not yet in, nearly all industry observers estimate the category will have surpassed the $2 billion mark for the first time. There are many areas outside the industry which can be pointed to—and have been well documented—as a reason for wood’s tremendous growth spurt. But within the category itself, there are a number of sub-sectors that are driving forces behind the above average growth rates. 

One of those key areas is the rise of exotic woods ( FCNews, March 3/10). And, within the exotic field, is the emergence of bamboo flooring. Bamboo floors began to make their U.S. appearance to the general consumer in the early 1990s. Over the course of the decade it slowly made inroads with architects and designers who appreciated its different, yet high-end look, as well as the performance properties the species offered. But it was not until the year 2000 that the product began to blossom with the general homeonwer. Part of this was the fact bamboo manufacturers began targeting the specialty flooring dealer and distributor. This was most noticeable at the National Wood Flooring Association’s ( NWFA) annual convention that year which saw more companies exhibiting bamboo flooring than ever before. 

Today, the product has established itself as an integral part of the hardwood flooring category with more and more companies trying to get involved, including many of the larger, traditional wood players. “Bamboo has really broken through,” said Piet Dossche, president of US Floors. “It has become acceptable now—by both the consumer and the retailer.” Despite its growing popularity, most experts believe the bamboo segment will always be a niche product within the category, although a highly profitable one. No official sales figures have been established for bamboo, but observers and insiders surveyed by FCNews estimate the sector will have reached $100 million in annual sales last year in North America, or about 5% of the total hardwood category. “It will never achieve the status of the oaks of the world,” said Tom Cody, managing director of Moso International NA, which has been selling bamboo floors in the U.S. since 1990. “But, it is still a nice niche product that has built a solid reputation as a good looking, easy-to-maintain floor covering.” 

“There is no real base to go from because it is still a relatively new industry, plus a very private one with many of the players coming in from other countries, most notably China,” said Ann Knight, vice president of TimberGrass, one of the key drivers in legitimizing bamboo flooring in the U.S. “But, we’re seeing more of these companies getting more serious about the American market because they are starting to recruit Americans to run their U.S. operations.” Cody said while it is true that more and more companies are taking a serious approach to selling bamboo flooring in the U.S., “there are still lots of people out there who are bringing in a few containers and then leave; they are never heard from again.” Mike Conneen, national sales manager for TimberGrass, noted for those companies that have worked hard to educate and help architects, designers and retailers over the last decade better understand the properties of bamboo floors as well as how to effectively position them within the selling environment, the cheap goods and faux bamboos should not hurt them. 

“The people who know us, know us for what we stand for—quality and service—and they also now know the low priced, low quality goods.” Like any product, especially flooring, it is this distinction that can make a product successful. Which is why just about everyone involved in the bamboo field feels education is still the most important element to maintaining the product’s viability. In fact, the bamboo exhibitors at the 2000 NWFA show understood it just as the product began to sprout. At that time, David Paxton, U.S. representative for Bamboo Flooring International Corp. (BFI), noted that even though sales of bamboo have been “on a geometric curve up in recent years, we still need to educate dealers and end users about it.” 

Part of this reason is knowing that bamboo is not really a tree, but a grsss, albeit one that can grow to well over 50 feet. Also, there is somewhere around 1,500 different types of bamboo worldwide but less than a handful can be used in the manufacture of floors. Of these, the most popular type is Phyllostachys pubescens, more commonly known as Moso or Mao. It typically reaches 50-ft. in height and 2-ft. in circumference. “It means hairy bamboo,” said Cody. “Also, it is the hardest of the bamboos and also has a uniform color. Other types tend to be spongy and variegated in their color.” Jack Tang, sales manager for Shanghai Sihe Wood Co., said the Moso is also “well known for its distinctive features, such as having a straight main stem, which has little difference between upper and lower diameter. It has a thicker texture, denser fiber and lower content carbohydrate than other sorts of bamboo.”

Moso grows in the low mountain areas of eastern China in the Zheijiang Province where the weather is four seasons. It is roughly at the same latitude as northern Florida. One important thing just about every company that uses Moso bamboo stresses is this species does not grow in an area where Pandas live, feed and breed. TimberGrass’ Knight said this is a question that comes up often. “It is important to note that Moso is not a food source or habitat for Pandas.” “Moso is grown far from the Panda habitat and the cooler elevations they favor,” Cody added. Factories use various techniques to prepare bamboo for manufacture—from the way it is dried to how it is treated—but one thing is for certain, technological advances have enabled mills to produce products that perform as well as any other flooring on the market.

“Bamboo starts off being harder than hardwoods traditionally used by the American consumer,” Cody said. Even so, companies are taking advantage of manufacturing innovations to meet end user demands and make sure bamboo is at the forefront of any developing trend. For example, following the lead of other hardwoods and laminates, D&M Bamboo Flooring Co. has introduced EcoWood which contains aluminum oxide as part of the protective wearlayer. TimberGrass has combined the trend to have wider planks and a mechanical locking system for its latest introduction. At 8-1/4-in. wide, it is one of the widest wood planks on the market today. “There are some challenges ahead,” Conneen concluded, “but for those dealers and distributors who are serious about getting into bamboo, they are studying the field and seeing for themselves those of us who are serious players in the category.”