Franklin, N.C.—Zickgraf Hardwood Flooring Co. has purchased The Thomson Oak Flooring brand name as well as certain assets from Thomson Oak Flooring Co. of Thomson, Ga. “We are extremely pleased and honored to add the Thomson Oak Flooring brand and its customers to the Zickgraf Hardwood family,” said Drew Hash, president of Zickgraf. “We bought all of Thomson’s raw materials, which was several million dollars worth of raw materials, as well as certain pieces of equipment that made sense for our business,” he explained. “We also bought the name, the trademark name.

“Thomson was in the process of exploring its options regarding what it was going to do as a business,” added Hash. “It had been in business since 1950. For us, strategically, our strength is in the Southeast. That was Thomson’s strength for years. It just made sense for us to [make the purchase]. “Thomson had a good customer base, and a good brand name, so it just made sense for us to put the deal together,” he said. “We had similar product lines but had a different customer base. Ultimately, I be lieve the purchase will help us grow by another 15% to 20%.” “We are a pretty low-key company, so I wouldn’t consider us to be in acquisition mode,” Hash continued.

“This purchase came along at the right time. They are good people. Thomson has been in business for a long time. Both companies had been friendly competitors for years, good business associates for many years, primarily through NOFMA. It was the right move for us.” “Strategically,” added Hash, “it’s a good move because it gave us access to a very fine brand name with a great reputation and an excellent customer base. That’s why we felt we had to do it. We now have an opportunity to market an additional brand with a good name, primarily a good name in the Southeast. It just gives us another channel to move our products through. “Since its founding in 1950,” he concluded, “Thomson has established itself as one of the most respected wood flooring manufacturers in the Southeast and our team is committed to keeping its fine reputation intact.” For more information on Zick-graf and its products, call 800/ 243-1277. —Louis Iannaco