Adairsville, Ga.—Magique, Parisian and Creme de la Creme, three new introductions from Max Windsor Floors at Surfaces 2013, have risen to the top of the company’s sales. Each is a Monumental Oak Plank, the company’s first venture into this category. Spearheaded by Magique, a unique entry due to its mixed widths of 9.5-, 6- and 3.5-inch packaged together in one carton, and by its 87-inch lengths, the category’s sales strength has surprised even its own sales team.
Fernando Ornelas, who heads this team as national sales manager, said, “Our mantra for Surfaces was The Magic of Max, and we half-kiddingly predicted that as part of this magic, Magique would “disappear the competition.” Obviously, we don’t believe that it has, because we feel them out there every day, but they’re hearing our footsteps. Magique has gone above and beyond our expectations.”
The company’s other wide plank introductions were Parisian and Creme de la Creme. Parisian is one grade down the rung of the price ladder and comes in 7.5-inch width, with 72-inch lengths. Creme de la Creme is an up-market, designer niche floor offered in various tonalities of the same color—White. It attracted the attention of the WFCA, which selected it as part of their national media tour. White is an important color in carpet, porcelain, vinyl tiles and other floorings, and the company’s research indicated that designers love working with it.
Commenting on Max Windsor’s move into these more expensive categories, Peter Spirer, director of marketing, said, “Our timing coincides with the improving national economy in which people are more willing to spend their money on finer things, as well as the company’s reputation for impeccable quality. We’ve built our business on making good floors. Now is a good time to be grading up the styling and offering customers new opportunities to make money,” he said. “We all need to get deeper into the consumer’s pocket, and style is as much a motivator as price.”