By Louis Iannaco
Lancaster, Pa.—On the heels of its emergence from bankruptcy last fall (FCNews, Oct. 16/23), Armstrong World Industries introduced its new lines for 2007.
“Products are at the foundation of everything we do,” said Frank Ready, president and CEO, Floor Products. “It’s about great products and differentiation. Meaningful innovation is the way to stand out among the crowd.
“We’ve got a great portfolio of product, and people want to hear about it. We feel we’re in a good position right now.”
Armstrong is making a strong commitment to the hardwood category with an array of introductions. In fact, according to Dick Quinlan, general manager, product management, engineered wood, Armstrong had placed 14,000 hardwood display systems and introduced 258 new products in 2006. He added that more than 25% of company sales are coming from introductions made between 2004 and 2006.
This time around, the focus was on the new locking hardwood, Armstrong’s locking floors with NextGen technology (FCNews, Jan. 15/22), and their ability to be installed over concrete at a lower price. “The laminate category’s switch to glueless has helped us in wood,” Quinlan said.
The Armstrong locking hardwood offerings, 32 in all, have been out for just under a year, he noted. “What we had been seeing in locking was European-style visuals. We’ve done a lot of work in this. In the U.S. we have to deal with different conditions like dryness and moisture. We needed a dependable locking system and have developed one with our NextGen technology, which enables the retailer to broaden his lines to the consumer.”
Brand positioning of the Bruce, Armstrong and Robbins brands along with consumer environmental awareness were also top of mind as Quinlan spoke of Armstrong’s plans for 2007. From an environmental standpoint, he noted that Armstrong supports “aggressive enforcement of contract terms of our raw material suppliers and have a new alliance with the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF), whose mission it is to promote sustainable tropical forest management by gathering and disseminating information about its benefits.”
From a product standpoint, new to the Valenza Exotics line is Brazilian Ruby Ironwood, Pangali Ironwood, Tigerwood and Tauari. Armstrong’s Century Farm Hand Sculpted, new for 2007, features 1/2-inch thick by 5-inch-wide varying-length planks up to 4 feet long. The domestically engineered product has beveled edges, can be installed with glue or as a floating floor on, above or below grade. Species include birch, cherry, walnut, hickory and maple. Century Farm comes with a 25-year residential finish warranty. “The appearance of a centuries-old floor and the technology of factory finishing fuse into this stunning new collection of hand-sculpted flooring,” Quinlan said.
Robbins Artesian Classics also features 1/2-inch thick by 5-inch wide varying-length planks up to 4 feet long. The engineered product can be glued or floated and features the ForEver II Satin Finish. It’s available in birch, cherry, walnut and maple. “This line features a high-end look mimicing kitchen cabinets,” Quinlan said. “It has a multi-dimensional coloration, look and feel. They were released in California but are expanding nicely.” Artesian retails for approximately $9 a foot.
Armstrong also rolled out its Bruce Turlington Lock & Fold plank. The 3/8-inch x 3-inch and 5 x 48-inch random-length engineered planks have micro-beveled edges and feature the Bruce DuraLuster Plus finish. The Lock & Fold technology, in which the planks are locked together then folded down, allows for installation to be completed in 10% to 50% less time, reducing labor cost. The collection is available in maple, cherry, walnut, oak and hickory and features the patent-pending NextGen technology that is two times the lock strength of locking laminate, noted Quinlan.
The line will be available to independent retailers and builder channels in March. More than 3 million square feet have been sold and installed in North America in the last six months with no problems. “The Lock & Fold system allows for the fastest installation,” he said, “meaning tradesmen can increase their earning potential by moving quicker between jobs, as it’s 30% faster than locking laminate.”
Armstrong’s highlight from its residential sheet introductions is StrataMax, a high-performance “loose-lay sheet flooring that leverages our ToughGuard technology,” said Allen Cubell, vice president, product management, residential sheet. “StrataMax is great from a performance standpoint in that it will not buckle, so it’s excellent for new home construction. Its stain resistance is fantastic. The story of StrataMax is its construction. From the revolutionary ToughGuard II base layer to the proven CleanSweep high-performance layer, Strata-Max flooring is designed to outperform and outlast other floors.” With StrataMax, Armstrong is targeting property managers and builders.
“The StrataMax floor gives just enough as it moves with the subfloor,” Cubell explained. “It will absorb humidity. Installation is fast and easy with the modified loose-lay method. It installs over concrete, single-layer vinyl, 1/4-inch underlayment and OSB, which eliminates the need for wood underlayment and adhesives, reducing installation time and cost by 50%.” StrataMax will retail for $7.99.
The latest in Armstrong’s residential tile offerings is MODe (FCNews, Oct. 30/Nov. 6), a high-end collection of luxury vinyl tile combining installation options, durability and design flexibility. The two installation methods are traditional adhesive or the new easy down/easy up QuickTac system that uses a specially developed grid liner that installs the tile using either tabs or spray adhesive.
MODe offers a vast array of looks for any room of the home, from retro to ornate, from solids to whimsical, and from traditional stones to wood planks, parquets and cork designs. “There are 88 looks, colors and styles along with varied sizes, which, contribute to the collection’s design versatility,” said Judy Grillo, vice president, product management, residential tile.
With laminate flooring, the Armstrong mantra is “anything other than oak.” Grand Illusions is its new offering that features a rustic look. It is being positioned as a premium exotic and provides the look and feel of real, solid exotic wood, noted Larry Browder, national sales manager, laminate and ceramic. “It has a thickness of 12mm and features both the new TrueColor HydroCore and Lockfold system. The finish is a proprietary process that provides realism and clarity.
“The Lockfold system is a game changer,” Browder said. “It cuts 50% off installation time. We call it goof-proof because you just don’t have callbacks.”
Park Avenue is another new collection positioned as a premium exotic look. The texture features a filled-face, high-gloss piano finish with micro-beveled edges. “This takes the realism of laminate to a whole new level,” Browder said. “We’ve never seen a reaction like this to a new laminate product.” Grand Illusion and Park Avenue hit the market in March.
(Editor’s note: Look for more on Armstrong’s products/initiatives in future issues.)
Lancaster, Pa.—On the heels of its emergence from bankruptcy last fall (FCNews, Oct. 16/23), Armstrong World Industries introduced its new lines for 2007.
“Products are at the foundation of everything we do,” said Frank Ready, president and CEO, Floor Products. “It’s about great products and differentiation. Meaningful innovation is the way to stand out among the crowd.
“We’ve got a great portfolio of product, and people want to hear about it. We feel we’re in a good position right now.”
Armstrong is making a strong commitment to the hardwood category with an array of introductions. In fact, according to Dick Quinlan, general manager, product management, engineered wood, Armstrong had placed 14,000 hardwood display systems and introduced 258 new products in 2006. He added that more than 25% of company sales are coming from introductions made between 2004 and 2006.
This time around, the focus was on the new locking hardwood, Armstrong’s locking floors with NextGen technology (FCNews, Jan. 15/22), and their ability to be installed over concrete at a lower price. “The laminate category’s switch to glueless has helped us in wood,” Quinlan said.
The Armstrong locking hardwood offerings, 32 in all, have been out for just under a year, he noted. “What we had been seeing in locking was European-style visuals. We’ve done a lot of work in this. In the U.S. we have to deal with different conditions like dryness and moisture. We needed a dependable locking system and have developed one with our NextGen technology, which enables the retailer to broaden his lines to the consumer.”
Brand positioning of the Bruce, Armstrong and Robbins brands along with consumer environmental awareness were also top of mind as Quinlan spoke of Armstrong’s plans for 2007. From an environmental standpoint, he noted that Armstrong supports “aggressive enforcement of contract terms of our raw material suppliers and have a new alliance with the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF), whose mission it is to promote sustainable tropical forest management by gathering and disseminating information about its benefits.”
From a product standpoint, new to the Valenza Exotics line is Brazilian Ruby Ironwood, Pangali Ironwood, Tigerwood and Tauari. Armstrong’s Century Farm Hand Sculpted, new for 2007, features 1/2-inch thick by 5-inch-wide varying-length planks up to 4 feet long. The domestically engineered product has beveled edges, can be installed with glue or as a floating floor on, above or below grade. Species include birch, cherry, walnut, hickory and maple. Century Farm comes with a 25-year residential finish warranty. “The appearance of a centuries-old floor and the technology of factory finishing fuse into this stunning new collection of hand-sculpted flooring,” Quinlan said.
Robbins Artesian Classics also features 1/2-inch thick by 5-inch wide varying-length planks up to 4 feet long. The engineered product can be glued or floated and features the ForEver II Satin Finish. It’s available in birch, cherry, walnut and maple. “This line features a high-end look mimicing kitchen cabinets,” Quinlan said. “It has a multi-dimensional coloration, look and feel. They were released in California but are expanding nicely.” Artesian retails for approximately $9 a foot.
Armstrong also rolled out its Bruce Turlington Lock & Fold plank. The 3/8-inch x 3-inch and 5 x 48-inch random-length engineered planks have micro-beveled edges and feature the Bruce DuraLuster Plus finish. The Lock & Fold technology, in which the planks are locked together then folded down, allows for installation to be completed in 10% to 50% less time, reducing labor cost. The collection is available in maple, cherry, walnut, oak and hickory and features the patent-pending NextGen technology that is two times the lock strength of locking laminate, noted Quinlan.
The line will be available to independent retailers and builder channels in March. More than 3 million square feet have been sold and installed in North America in the last six months with no problems. “The Lock & Fold system allows for the fastest installation,” he said, “meaning tradesmen can increase their earning potential by moving quicker between jobs, as it’s 30% faster than locking laminate.”
Armstrong’s highlight from its residential sheet introductions is StrataMax, a high-performance “loose-lay sheet flooring that leverages our ToughGuard technology,” said Allen Cubell, vice president, product management, residential sheet. “StrataMax is great from a performance standpoint in that it will not buckle, so it’s excellent for new home construction. Its stain resistance is fantastic. The story of StrataMax is its construction. From the revolutionary ToughGuard II base layer to the proven CleanSweep high-performance layer, Strata-Max flooring is designed to outperform and outlast other floors.” With StrataMax, Armstrong is targeting property managers and builders.
“The StrataMax floor gives just enough as it moves with the subfloor,” Cubell explained. “It will absorb humidity. Installation is fast and easy with the modified loose-lay method. It installs over concrete, single-layer vinyl, 1/4-inch underlayment and OSB, which eliminates the need for wood underlayment and adhesives, reducing installation time and cost by 50%.” StrataMax will retail for $7.99.
The latest in Armstrong’s residential tile offerings is MODe (FCNews, Oct. 30/Nov. 6), a high-end collection of luxury vinyl tile combining installation options, durability and design flexibility. The two installation methods are traditional adhesive or the new easy down/easy up QuickTac system that uses a specially developed grid liner that installs the tile using either tabs or spray adhesive.
MODe offers a vast array of looks for any room of the home, from retro to ornate, from solids to whimsical, and from traditional stones to wood planks, parquets and cork designs. “There are 88 looks, colors and styles along with varied sizes, which, contribute to the collection’s design versatility,” said Judy Grillo, vice president, product management, residential tile.
With laminate flooring, the Armstrong mantra is “anything other than oak.” Grand Illusions is its new offering that features a rustic look. It is being positioned as a premium exotic and provides the look and feel of real, solid exotic wood, noted Larry Browder, national sales manager, laminate and ceramic. “It has a thickness of 12mm and features both the new TrueColor HydroCore and Lockfold system. The finish is a proprietary process that provides realism and clarity.
“The Lockfold system is a game changer,” Browder said. “It cuts 50% off installation time. We call it goof-proof because you just don’t have callbacks.”
Park Avenue is another new collection positioned as a premium exotic look. The texture features a filled-face, high-gloss piano finish with micro-beveled edges. “This takes the realism of laminate to a whole new level,” Browder said. “We’ve never seen a reaction like this to a new laminate product.” Grand Illusion and Park Avenue hit the market in March.
(Editor’s note: Look for more on Armstrong’s products/initiatives in future issues.)
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and Paul Murfin, Vice President |
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