March 19/26, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 20 By Reginald Tucker In a sea of European oak, wide-plank/long length sameness, Ribadao Wood Boutique is looking to set itself apart from the pack. The key, according to the company, lies in targeting the mid-to-high-end tier of the market with visuals, profiles and product formats consumers and commercial end users won’t find among the bevy of commodity offerings currently flooding the market.
Tag "wood"
March 5/12, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 19 By Ken Ryan Las Vegas—Historically known for its prowess in the area of locking systems, Välinge Innovation is now positioning itself as a complete manufacturer, revealing plans to open a new hardwood production facility in Viken, Sweden, this summer that will produce what it hails as “a new generation of surfaces.” The Nadura and Woodura surface technologies from Välinge provide durable surfaces
San Diego, Calif.—Cali Bamboo has launched seven new bamboo floors, including two made for herringbone style installations. All new floors feature a solid Fossilized bamboo construction—Cali’s proprietary manufacturing technique yielding floors with Janka hardness scores of over 5,000. The two new Herringbone styles—Riverwood and Outer Banks—both bear a smooth wood grain, with Riverwood wrapped in a subtle storm cloud gray and Outer Banks glowing from a calming palm brown. Outer Banks
Lancaster, Pa.—Armstrong Flooring will initiate a 5%-7% price increase on solid hardwood products in the United States and Canada in May 2018. “Over the past several months, we have experienced significant increases in raw material costs, with lumber inflation across wood species and grades, coupled with energy, transportation and operating cost inflation,” said Brent Flaharty, senior vice president North America sales. “We expect this cost pressure to continue throughout 2018.” Flaharty
February 5/12, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 17 By Ken Ryan and Reginald Tucker Putting the brands together just makes sense because this is how people live in their homes. That’s how Katie Ford, director of brand strategy, describes the thought process behind the combination of the Anderson and Tuftex brands to form one company. Rest assured, this is not just a merger of brands for simplicity’s sake. “We have
February 5/12, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 17 By Reginald Tucker Hardwood flooring suppliers across the industry are combining creativity and technology as they seek to develop the next generation of products that will compete against the likes of WPC, LVT and rigid core floors. Case in point is the staining technology employed by Hearthwood in the manufacture of its Controlled Chaos and Dynamic Earth lines. Designed to mimic a
November 27-December 11, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 13 By Reginald Tucker Fashion trends come and go, but hardwood flooring installations are designed to last for many years. For manufacturers, that poses a challenge: How to accurately forecast color/style design trends several years in advance of actual product rollouts? “The biggest challenge is always developing a product inspired by a home fashion trend that’s too early for the market,” said
October 23/30, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 10 By Lindsay Baillie Southwind Carpets, a division of Cherokee Carpet Industries, has been known for providing a range of residential and Main Street commercial carpets to dealers throughout the U.S. and abroad. Since its hard surface division launched in 2015, the company has added LVP, WPC and hardwood collections to its portfolio—providing retailers with the complete flooring package. Southwind’s leap into hard
October 23/30, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 10 By Reginald Tucker Fashion and style play a key role in the development of today’s floor covering products, and hardwood is no exception. While the correlation is well documented, many would also argue that the development of hardwood looks, patterns, colors and styles are largely a function of regional tastes irrespective of overarching, global fashion trends. The key for many suppliers, experts
October 9/16, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 9 By Reginald Tucker When it comes to selling bamboo, a big draw is the category’s well-known environmental, aesthetic and performance attributes. But achieving consistent success in retailing the product also requires educating the consumer or end user about the product’s attributes, advantages and limitations. FCNews recently rounded up several bamboo experts—including David Keegan, president and CEO, Bamboo Hardwoods; Philippe Erramuzpe, COO of
October 9/16, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 9 By Reginald Tucker The growing popularity of wide-width/long-length planks reflects consumer demand for hardwood floors that add depth and character to living spaces, design experts say. What this means for retailers is many of these wider/longer products—which, by their very nature, entail greater use of the raw material—retail in the high-middle to upper end of the register. This has the dual effect
Lancaster, Pa.—Armstrong Flooring is revolutionizing the hardwood flooring industry with the introduction of Paragon solid hardwood with Diamond 10 technology, offering the timeless beauty of genuine hardwood and the ultimate in scratch resistance. Paragon hardwood is made from 100% solid Appalachian wood and offers today’s most in-demand wood colors and textures. The collection features a variety of choices in both high- and low-gloss finishes. Three popular looks include smooth hardwood, for a
St. Louis—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) recently opened the application process for the 28th annual Wood Floor of the Year contest. Recognized as the “Academy Awards” of the wood flooring industry, this competition celebrates innovation and quality craftsmanship in wood floor installations. “Over the years, we have had the honor of presenting more than 200 awards to the artists and craftsmen behind these incredible floors,” said Michael Martin,
September 11/18, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 7 By Reginald Tucker As demand for certain “tropical exotic” hardwood floors softens in the U.S., the popularity of several domestic exotic species has been steadily rising, industry observers say. While there continues to be niche market opportunities for tropical species such as Brazilian cherry, Santos mahogany and the like, more American consumers are leaning toward homegrown species such as birch, hickory and
September 11/18, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 7 By Reginald Tucker First-time visitors to the Hemisphere Imports booth space at the recent CCA Global Partners convention (FCNews, Aug. 14/21) found out firsthand what all the fuss was about. The focus was on a unique species called kupay, a durable, dense hardwood sourced from Paraguay. While it might not be easy to pronounce (it’s also known by its genus name, “copaifera”),
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