It’s coming up on a year since the official rollout of TrueTouch Floors’ line of organic, 99.8% wood-based product with natural oils. The product debuted amid a groundswell of excitement, and it continues to build momentum in the marketplace—especially among the company’s distributor customer base.
“We are thrilled to see the incredible momentum building around MonoTech flooring,” said David Whitehurst, executive vice president, Adleta Corp., the industry’s No. 13-ranked flooring wholesaler. “It’s a clear sign that the market is ready for innovation. We are proud to stand behind a solution that’s redefining performance, durability and design from the ground up.”
Joe Choflet vice president/general manager of Michael Halebian & Co., said he was equally excited about adding the offering to its lineup. “TrueTouch Flooring is a truly innovative, all-natural wood flooring solution that sets a new standard in the industry,” he said. “With no PVC, no adhesives and a commitment to sustainability, this product not only delivers unmatched quality and aesthetics but also aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly building materials. We see tremendous potential in TrueTouch Floors and are excited to bring this groundbreaking option to our customers.”
Adleta and Michael Halebi- an Co. are not alone. Reader’s Wholesale, the industry’s No. 18-ranked distributor, reported positive feedback from its retailer customers as well as its sales team members in attendance at Reader’s annual regional trade show held in Lake Charles, La., recently. The event exposed roughly 800 attendees to the new MonoTech technology product for the first time.
“It was the perfect time to do a pre-launch of TrueTouch,” said Kirby Jones, vice president of sales and marketing, Reader’s Wholesale Distributors. “We not only had retailers as well as our salespeople there, but we also had commercial accounts, multifamily accounts and single-family builder contractors as well. The response was truly overwhelming.”
Jones said he was particularly surprised (albeit pleasantly) by the response from attendees representing the builder and A&D communities. “I knew going in that the retail segment would love this product once they heard the pitch, but what really blew me away was the reaction of the single-family builder segment and how they jumped on it. Not only that, but also the commercial and design firms who were there. As a result we’ve placed purchase orders for more architect folders. We thought we had a hit, but we had no idea how big it was going to be.”
Reader’s attributed the early positive reaction, in large part, to the training provided by Josh McGrane and Stephen Yates, TrueTouch Floors’ co-managing partners. As Jones explained: “We did a walkthrough with our sales force the day before all the customers showed up just so they could get a better feel for it. It was invaluable for us to have Josh and Stephen at the event because they obviously know the product backward and forward.”
Winning attributes
It’s no accident that the primary attributes that first drew Reader’s Wholesale Distributors to True Touch Floors’ MonoTech line (performance, eco-conscious design, visuals and price point) are essentially the same ones that appealed to the those who attended the group’s regional convention. In fact, the product made such a big impression at the event, according to Reader’s, that the company sold upwards of 200 TrueTouch displays over the course of the two-day event.
“With TrueTouch we’re getting into a category that hasn’t been around before,” Kirby said. “I can’t tell you how many suppliers come in and show us their new SPCs, WPCs or wire-brushed European French oak—I’m so tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. Then came TrueTouch. We equate it to the invention of WPC or Per- go. We haven’t had anything this exciting in the flooring industry as a new category since one of those two. It’s so unique, the way the product is made. There are zero plastics, zero PVCs, the scratch resistance is unparalleled, really, and it’s 100% organic. The performance of the product is amazing, and the price points are dead on.”
It’s precisely those attributes that TrueTouch Floors is counting on to not only generate even greater interest among its distributor and retailer partners, but to also further separate the company from the pack.
“During our PK sessions, we’ve instructed all of our distributors to place the product in its own section,” TrueTouch Floors’ McGrane explained. “It’s monolithic, so it’s not a laminate. And we don’t want to be put- ting it in with SPC or WPC. The product needs its own category—that’s how we trademarked it, and that’s how we’re going out to market with it. We call it MonoTech because it’s the only monolithic wood product on the market in the world.”
The next phase of the rollout will entail the continuation of display placements around the country, followed by promotions in conjunction with TrueTouch Floors’ distribution partners. To date, the company has placed more than 2,000 merchandising units in the field. McGrane estimated the company’s current distribution network will have their display orders fulfilled by late September.
