New York—When most people think of LG Chem, pictures of cell phones, electronics and batteries come to mind. But, truth be known, the company is one of the top four players in the world’s resilient flooring market with $800 million in annual sales.

And, that was before quietly entering the U.S. a couple of years ago. This does not include its chemicals and polymers division which supplies many of the industry’s other vinyl manufacturers with key raw materials.

Now, having firmly established a foothold on this side of the globe through an exclusive partnership with Innovision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated/ACC International, the South Korean company is set to showcase to the industry why it intends to become a major player in the U.S.

Richard Goodman, president and COO of Innovision, said since bringing LG to America, the company has formed alliances with some of the industry’s top full-line distributors in all the major markets, had its products installed in a number of high-profile areas, and is ready to have an official “coming out party.”

Even though the company’s primary focus is the commercial segment, Innovision/LG chose Surfaces 2006 for its official unveiling, as all its distributors will be there. “Surfaces may be viewed as a residential market,” explained Michael Freedman, Innovision’s executive vice president of sales and operations, “but many of the people and companies who attend and take part in the show are involved on the contract side as well.”

Founded in 1947 as the Lucky Chemical Industrial Corp., it was the first chemical company in Korea and has had a long and successful history in the various industries in which it participates.

Among its storied past includes producing Korea’s first facial cream and toothpaste; being the country’s first plastic manufacturing business; establishing the country’s first research and development center; discovering the world’s first gemifloxacin quinolone antibiotics, and producing Korea’s first Lithium-Ion batteries.

In July of 1961, it began producing vinyl flooring, under what was to be called Lucky Vinyl, Ltd. The company officially changed its name to LG Chemical in 1992 and nine years later shortened it to what it is now.

Today, LG Chem is part of the LG group, which is a vertically integrated company with a global workforce of 130,000 employees and worldwide company sales of $110 billion. It manufactures a wide range of products from electronics, petrochemical goods to high-value added plastics, and high performance industrial materials.

It also expands its chemical expertise to high-tech materials for electronics such as rechargeable batteries and TFT-LCD display materials. LG’s business is comprised of three major areas: chemicals and polymers, industrial materials, and information and electronic materials, along with owning various other types of businesses such as construction companies and even gas stations.

It conducts global management through its manufacturing affiliates, research centers, and marketing branches in major countries around the world, including the U.S, China, India and Germany. “It’s a huge company,” Goodman said, “with a vast amount of resources. The best part is, despite its immense size, it is very flexible and very willing to listen and adapt new ideas and methods.

Its sole focus is providing customers and end users with the best products and services with the knowledge it will benefit from their prosperity. “That’s why its entry into the U.S., albeit quiet for the first couple of years, has been met with great success,” he added, “and why it is poised to be a major player in the domestic flooring industry.”

It is already off to a good start, as it not only has a number of top distributors who have a dedicated commercial division, it has become a preferred supplier to StarNet, the industry’s largest buying group of flooring contractors with annual member sales exceeding $2 billion.

One of the main reasons LG is prospering, added Freedman, is the company’s desire to create products that are tailored for the American market. “Just look at the products we are offering—they have not only been designed with our input, but fit perfectly in the various settings where they are being marketed.

“LG not only possesses state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to create beautiful floors with numerous value-added benefits built into them, it has the ability to quickly change and adapt as the market needs change.”

For example, S.B. Park, president of LG Chem America, said the four collections recently launched for the healthcare market—Naturelife, Deco (Stone and Wood), Neovia and Noble Art—“not only offer unique colors, grain patterns and textures, but durable, wear-resistant, scratch-resistant and anti-bacterial properties with easy-to-install and cleaning features.”

Whether it is sheet, solid vinyl tile or luxury vinyl tile, Goodman said combining performance and style into a product are two main considerations when designing and creating a new collection. Two examples he pointed to was Naturelife sheet and Deco luxury vinyl tile.

“Both are ideally suited for healthcare, assisted living, retail and hospitality installations because they recreate the warm, comfortable appeal of hardwood.” Park added these products were “designed to meet the growing demand for hardwood looks, but also combine the functional performance of vinyl.

Both collections offer a wide range of grain patterns—from maple and pine to more exotic selections such as teak and zelkova. It’s these kind of details that we achieve a realistic hardwood look.”

Deco is actually a two-headed line, as it contains five wood collections available in three plank widths and two wear layer choices, and a dozen stone offerings from the traditional concrete, marble, slate and granite to the avant-garde hues, crocodile patterns and metamorphic visuals in an 18-in. tile format.

The total collection features 100 colorways. “Deco Wood offers warmth and appeal with a natural wood look,” Goodman explained, “while Deco Stone allows you to develop your most upscale and conservative concept, or your most fanciful and unique design.

It can be used to create interesting, fun, spaces with new colors, textures and design options.” Naturelife is a urethane-finished heterogeneous sheet floor that recreates the texture, appearance and warmth of real wood floors, Freedman noted.

“The unique fiberglass and woven polyester reinforced construction provides dimensional stability, tensile strength and durability, even under hospital beds.” It comes in 25 embossed in register wood grains. Artwalk is a different kind of sheet flooring as its designs incorporate metal effects, realistic leathers and concrete visuals.

Designed for a wide range of commercial environments, including retail, education, government and hospitality, the collec tion features 12 contemporary metals as well as 16 concrete and leather color combinations.

“These patterns create bold environments,” said Park, “and are designed to offer a response to specifier interest in unusual patterns and textures, while still offering the functional needs of high-performance areas.”

Finally, LG has incorporated its electronics expertise into the Static Pulse ESD flooring system which combines a homogenous solid vinyl floor with the company’s solvent-free ESD adhesive.

Goodman said the system safely removes static charges in sensitive environments, including clean rooms; computer, telecommunication and electronic equipment areas; healthcare facilities, and electronics manufacturing assembly and test areas. “The static charge is carried through the thickness of the tile to the conductive adhesive to the ground.”

Static Pulse is available in conductive and dissipative ranges and complies with ASTM standards. As for the design, the tiles, which come in 14 colorways and three sizes —12-, 24- and 36-in.—feature a reverse-beveled edging system which provides “tight seams and a perfect fit,” Goodman noted, “giving the floor a monolithic appearance.” For more information on LG and its products, call Innovision toll-free at 888/291-9903.