“For every season, change, change change...” Just like the song says, autumn has brought a plethora of new products from several resilient manufacturers. Focusing on natural looks and ease of installation, these new items are designed to make the fall selling season a breeze for flooring dealers.

Mannington
The multi-category supplier recently launched an aggressive and dramatic line of new resilient products. “While other manufacturers are retrenching their efforts to weather the current downturn in business, Mannington views these conditions as an opportunity to take market share,” said David Sheehan, director of hardwood and resilient. “Resilient is still a vibrant category, and we firmly believe these new introductions will drive our sales and gain share for the company”.

Kennett Square is a resilient sheet designed primarily for the builder and multi-family market. It’s comprised of 20 SKUs the company says are fashionable and stylish, yet neutral enough to have wide appeal. These SKUs have been adapted from the best-selling looks in Mannington’s upper-end resilient line.

Kennett Square features Mannington’s unique Asphalt-Blocker technology; Guardian Protection to guard against rips, tears and gouges; urethane-caliber performance at a more affordable price point, and a guarantee against yellowing from area rugs and rubberbacked mats with Never-Yellow.

Simplicity, also a recent sheet intro, represents another step in the simplification of the Mannington resilient line, whose goal is to be “easy to shop and easy to sell.” Simplicity includes 30 SKUs of consumertested, dealer-approved patterns that provide beauty and durability at an equally attractive price point, the company says. Simplicity has the added benefits of ScratchResist, Never-Yellow and NatureForm for exceptionalrealism and performance.

According to Sheehan, Simplicity has been out in the marketplace for a couple of months now and has exceeded expectations. “The patterns in this line are timeless classics with an updated lower-gloss look and added durability of ScratchResist,” he said. “It’s validation that our voice-of-customer process works.”

Benchmark is one of Mannington’s best-selling lines. As such, the company introduced two new patterns and a total of eight SKUs. The new patterns expand on its collection of nature-inspired looks. Benchmark also has NatureForm, Never-Yellow and Guardian Protection.

Homestead is a new collection of luxury vinyl plank, which takes the category into a new market, Sheehan noted. Designed primarily for the builder and multi-family segments, Homestead offers a crisp, realistic texture and design; low-gloss visual, and 15-year residential/six-year light commercial warranty.

The collection has four patterns replicating today’s popular looks in real hardwood— maple, oak, cherry and pine. Each is designed to coordinate with a variety of home décor trends.

“We think the success of our Adura line will translate very well for this product,” Sheehan said. “As the fastest-growing segment in the industry, we feel the time is right to introduce luxury vinyl to this market—it has superior durability and incredibly realistic designs, and it’s offered at a very attractive price point.”

Metroflor
The Solidity 20 collection features an industry-leading 25-year warranty for residential use, eight for commercial applications.

Three collections of tiles comprise the Solidity 30 Renaissance line, which fills the “better” niche in Metroflor’s layered marketing scheme.

Venetian Travertine features 24-inch tiles in four colors. The decorative tiles are quartered and accented with a diamondshaped center. Appalachian Stone and Moroccan Sandstone are 16-inch tiles that mimic natural stone patterns. Each collection comes in five colors.

Solidity 30 offers another Metroflor design innovation, a beveled edge that is imprinted on only two sides of the tile. The L-shaped configuration allows the tiles to be installed groutedge against plain edge to eliminate the unnatural-looking seam that runs through the center of the grout feature on other tiles. Solidity 30 features a 1/8-inch thickness and is backed by lifetime residential and 10-year commercial warranties.

The two new collections join the centerpiece of Metroflor’s extensive product line, Solidity 40. With its 1/6-inch thickness, patent-pending aluminum oxide finish and realistic designs, Solidity created a new standard for luxury vinyl tile when it was introduced two years ago. With its combination of looks, durability, comfort and quietness, Solidity has helped Metroflor gain market share from the ceramic tile category.