Volume 26/Number 16; Dec. 17/24, 2012
Tarkett has recently acquired Tandus Flooring, which allows expansion into the commercial carpet business in North America and Asia Pacific and enhances each company’s ability to provide customers a broader range of products and services. The transaction closed Sept. 28.
“This acquisition is aligned with our mission to offer complementary solutions in both hard and soft surfaces,” said Michel Giannuzzi, Tarkett Group CEO. “We will extend our activities in the commercial carpet market in North America while further developing our footprint in the Asian markets.”
With an annual turnover of $340 million and 1,400 employees, Tandus serves architects, designers, end-users and service providers in the specified commercial markets in North America and Asia. It has five production sites in North America and one site in China. Tandus produces a product line that includes hybrid resilient, modular carpet, and higher-end broadloom and woven products.
Jeff Buttitta, president of Tarkett North America, noted how Tandus has earned a reputation for being an innovator through product advances such as Powerbond—the industry’s first hybrid resilient sheet. “Tandus is recognized as a design leader, winning eight Best of Neocon Awards over the past five years.”
Buttitta said the company has been building its portfolio around a strategy of offering a full solution for its commercial customers, and that it had been looking to add a commercial carpet component.
The result of the acquisition, Buttitta noted, means “Tarkett will now be able to offer a broad commercial portfolio of soft and hard surfaces, have a deep field organization and hold positions in the education, corporate and healthcare segments.”
While the organizations will maintain their own identities (Tandus will continue to operate as a separate entity within Tarkett’s North American division), Buttitta said “there could be opportunities for them to collaborate on projects at the local level.”
Buttitta recognized how commitment to environmental integrity played into Tarkett’s purchasing decision. “We will leverage our combined resources for accelerated product innovation, integrated design activities and joint sustainability initiatives.”
For more, call 330.283.7474 or visit tarkett.com.