February 13/20, 2017: Volume 31, Number 18
By Lindsay Baillie
Las Vegas—The newly formed Multilayer Flooring Association (MFA) held a meeting during Surfaces 2017 to discuss the organization’s initial goals and objectives. Among the key topics discussed were category standards, membership and third-party certification.
“[This meeting] was about getting new members, talking about the ASTM standards we are trying to create and the speed at which we want to do it,” said Peter Barretto, MFA marketing chairperson and president and CEO of Torlys, one of the group’s founding members. “We already have a first draft [of the standards] to get that ball rolling. By May we want to have the next round of meetings.”
The standards Barretto is referring to will be created within the ASTM framework to better define the multilayer flooring category for the benefit of retailers and customers. “It’s a new category; we don’t have the standards here that we have in other categories such as LVT, laminate and wood—all of which are established,” he explained. “It’s a hybrid category so we need to make sure we have a hybrid standard.”
After creating standards, the MFA will look into different types of certifications for association members. “We are looking at creating performance and safety standards for the product with third-party certification,” Barretto explained, adding these standards will be categorized according to residential and commercial specifications.
Barretto believes the MFA has to continue developing to keep up with the ever-evolving subcategory. “The association is moving at the same speed as the subcategory itself. It has come from nothing to over half a billion dollars in four years.”
Thankfully, the association already has dedicated members who are willing to work hard to achieve the primary objectives. “We’ve got a group of people who are all rolling up their sleeves and just doing it,” Barretto said, noting each original member provided a number around $25,000 for membership fees.
The next meeting is scheduled to take place in the second quarter. Anyone interested in membership should contact Philippe Erramuzpe, membership chair, at philippe@usfloorsllc.com.