Article Number: 2795
Floorscapes: Mohawk takes the wraps off 2008 introductions
By Steven Feldman
(Second of two parts)
Desert Ridge, Ariz.—Last month’s Floorscapes convention here served as the launching pad for the unveiling of Mohawk’s 2008 products and programs, preceding what will be more than 30 regional events. The mini trade shows represent a continuation of the strategy to take its show on the road rather than exhibit in one large venue.
“Floorscapes is a great venue for launching new products and programs,” said Roger Farabee, vice president, marketing, Unilin Flooring and Mohawk Hard Surface. “It gives us the ability to have a little more time to get into detail whereas a salesperson may not be able to. It’s a much more effective setting.”
Hardwood
Mohawk this year is investing heavily in domestically produced solids with new species and widths in its Nature’s Eloquence collection. Highlights include Rivara in 2 1/4- and 3 1/4-inch-wide planks, and Bella Rossa, Mohawk’s first four-sided-beveled solid.
On the engineered side, Tradition Expressions, a group of 3/8-inch oaks and domestic exotics, gets two new collections utilizing UniClic technology. And Castilla is an example of the trend toward soft-scraped wood at a more popular price point.
Then there was the Columbia brand making its Floorscapes debut by virtue of its purchase by Mohawk in August. “We are introducing ourselves to Floorscapes retailers,” said Patrick Warren, director of marketing, Columbia and Century brands. “We recognize the importance of working with this group of retailers.”
Columbia will be repositioned in March. “Right now there is some overlap with the Mohawk brand, but we are going to take what we can do best as a domestic manufacturer and position it as a bit of an upscale, classy, traditional line,” Warren said.
Laminate
Mohawk’s laminate story for 2008 is to focus on the products it introduced over the last nine months, according to Farabee, where the company revamped the line to total Unilin product. “We are using this opportunity to better educate Floorscapes retailers on what that line is all about now that it is complete,” he said. “We offer a full range of styles from three-strip wood looks at popular price points to single-plank, sophisticated handscraped, softscraped and character wood looks as well as the best ceramic tile and stone looks in the industry, all with UniClic locking technology.”
What differentiates UnicClic from the other locking systems on the market? “Uniclic offers the ability to install in any circumstance–angle and slide,” Farabee said. “The differentiator has to do with the structural integrity of the joint–it doesn’t gap or deteriorate over time. But the best thing is, it is repairable. When installed properly with an expansion gap at the perimeter, you can replace a plank in the center of the room without having to take up the whole floor.”
On the subject of locking systems, Mohawk launched a self-service kiosk for Floorscapes dealers that houses everything the DIY customer needs to install laminate and glueless hardwood—from color fill putties, tool kits and coordinating molding options to, most importantly, instructions. “There’s no reason the only place the DIY customer should be able to shop is the home center,” said Manny Llerena, vice president of retail sales. “Specialty retailers should be able to take advantage of this untapped market. Research shows customers go to the home center to get ideas but then to the specialty retailer to buy, unless they do not find what they are looking for.”
One area where Mohawk is showing gains is with the high-end consumer. To that end, the collections in Floorscapes’ Fashion Statements Shop, which combines the best of Customweave, Wunda Weve and Horizon, is now segmented by lifestyle. “This is the way consumers like to shop,” Llerena said. “Some are looking for luxurious yet comfortable. Some want to be more fashion forward. Others are seeking traditional and classic looks. So, we separated all our products into those types of classifications.”
• Creative is the fashion-forward line consisting of patterns, loops and multi-level loops.
• New Classics are the traditional textures. Here you find heavier weights and branded fiber.
• Rejuventating is basically the heavy textures and friezes, cables and cut-pile berbers. “We envisioned the woman who wants to relax; it’s her atmosphere.”
Accompanying the Fashion Statements Shop is a new kiosk that gives the consumer a starting point and sense of what’s in each department. “Consumers are accustomed to shopping in department stores, where they get this type of information,” Llerena said. “We are bringing that into the flooring shopping experience.” From there, Mohawk tied the graphics on the displays to that kiosk, so when the consumer has a sense of what she is seeking it’s easy navigation.
Mohawk also introduced four modular tile lines into its Home & Office collection for Main Street, each with the environmentally friendly Encycle backing. Encycle is PVC free, incorporates 35% pre-consumer recycled content and is 100% recyclable where it can be completely recycled back into itself without separation.
(Second of two parts)
Desert Ridge, Ariz.—Last month’s Floorscapes convention here served as the launching pad for the unveiling of Mohawk’s 2008 products and programs, preceding what will be more than 30 regional events. The mini trade shows represent a continuation of the strategy to take its show on the road rather than exhibit in one large venue.
“Floorscapes is a great venue for launching new products and programs,” said Roger Farabee, vice president, marketing, Unilin Flooring and Mohawk Hard Surface. “It gives us the ability to have a little more time to get into detail whereas a salesperson may not be able to. It’s a much more effective setting.”
Hardwood
Mohawk this year is investing heavily in domestically produced solids with new species and widths in its Nature’s Eloquence collection. Highlights include Rivara in 2 1/4- and 3 1/4-inch-wide planks, and Bella Rossa, Mohawk’s first four-sided-beveled solid.
On the engineered side, Tradition Expressions, a group of 3/8-inch oaks and domestic exotics, gets two new collections utilizing UniClic technology. And Castilla is an example of the trend toward soft-scraped wood at a more popular price point.
Then there was the Columbia brand making its Floorscapes debut by virtue of its purchase by Mohawk in August. “We are introducing ourselves to Floorscapes retailers,” said Patrick Warren, director of marketing, Columbia and Century brands. “We recognize the importance of working with this group of retailers.”
Columbia will be repositioned in March. “Right now there is some overlap with the Mohawk brand, but we are going to take what we can do best as a domestic manufacturer and position it as a bit of an upscale, classy, traditional line,” Warren said.
Laminate
Mohawk’s laminate story for 2008 is to focus on the products it introduced over the last nine months, according to Farabee, where the company revamped the line to total Unilin product. “We are using this opportunity to better educate Floorscapes retailers on what that line is all about now that it is complete,” he said. “We offer a full range of styles from three-strip wood looks at popular price points to single-plank, sophisticated handscraped, softscraped and character wood looks as well as the best ceramic tile and stone looks in the industry, all with UniClic locking technology.”
What differentiates UnicClic from the other locking systems on the market? “Uniclic offers the ability to install in any circumstance–angle and slide,” Farabee said. “The differentiator has to do with the structural integrity of the joint–it doesn’t gap or deteriorate over time. But the best thing is, it is repairable. When installed properly with an expansion gap at the perimeter, you can replace a plank in the center of the room without having to take up the whole floor.”
On the subject of locking systems, Mohawk launched a self-service kiosk for Floorscapes dealers that houses everything the DIY customer needs to install laminate and glueless hardwood—from color fill putties, tool kits and coordinating molding options to, most importantly, instructions. “There’s no reason the only place the DIY customer should be able to shop is the home center,” said Manny Llerena, vice president of retail sales. “Specialty retailers should be able to take advantage of this untapped market. Research shows customers go to the home center to get ideas but then to the specialty retailer to buy, unless they do not find what they are looking for.”
One area where Mohawk is showing gains is with the high-end consumer. To that end, the collections in Floorscapes’ Fashion Statements Shop, which combines the best of Customweave, Wunda Weve and Horizon, is now segmented by lifestyle. “This is the way consumers like to shop,” Llerena said. “Some are looking for luxurious yet comfortable. Some want to be more fashion forward. Others are seeking traditional and classic looks. So, we separated all our products into those types of classifications.”
• Creative is the fashion-forward line consisting of patterns, loops and multi-level loops.
• New Classics are the traditional textures. Here you find heavier weights and branded fiber.
• Rejuventating is basically the heavy textures and friezes, cables and cut-pile berbers. “We envisioned the woman who wants to relax; it’s her atmosphere.”
Accompanying the Fashion Statements Shop is a new kiosk that gives the consumer a starting point and sense of what’s in each department. “Consumers are accustomed to shopping in department stores, where they get this type of information,” Llerena said. “We are bringing that into the flooring shopping experience.” From there, Mohawk tied the graphics on the displays to that kiosk, so when the consumer has a sense of what she is seeking it’s easy navigation.
Mohawk also introduced four modular tile lines into its Home & Office collection for Main Street, each with the environmentally friendly Encycle backing. Encycle is PVC free, incorporates 35% pre-consumer recycled content and is 100% recyclable where it can be completely recycled back into itself without separation.
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