DALTON (January 25, 2007)—Mohawk is introducing 70 new SKUs into its hardwood lineup during the first part of 2008. The first four styles being added are available now. These products are made in the USA, and promise to have an immediate impact in retail showrooms, with value price points and features such as glueless installation and the easiest care and cleaning available today.

“We know that in today’s market, dealers need products that make customers think, ‘Wow—I can afford all this,” said Dennis Szczybor, Director of Product Management, Hard Surface. “These new floors hit the mark with exceptional value and mainstream styling.”

Solids: Rivermont and Belle Meade

Two new ¾” solid products are being added to Mohawk’s Lineage Collection. Rivermont is a solid oak featuring 8 colors. This mill run square edge oak captures the breadth of nature’s beauty and offers a broad range of styling options with strong value. Belle Meade is a solid oak in 10 colors with a cleaner, classic look. Belle Meade features #1 common or better wood flooring with beveled edges and ends. Both products are available in 2 ¼” and 3 ¼” widths.

Both products feature Mohawk’s exclusive Scotchgard™ Protector Advanced Repel Technology. It protects against catastrophic stains and marks including permanent markers, latex paint, nail polish, and grape juice.

It can also help keep a floor looking cleaner and newer.

Over time, hardwood finishes develop microscopic imperfections that can trap dirt and diminish the floor’s shine. Even after cleaning, the floor may appear dingy. On a floor treated with Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel Technology, the treatment forms a barrier that helps stop dirt from being trapped. The lack of dirt not only helps keep the floor looking new, but it also provides a cleaner, more hygienic surface to protect today’s busy families.

Engineered: Capistrano and Pastiche

In the Artiquity Collection, Capistrano is new a 3/8” engineered product in Oak, Hickory and Maple. Capistrano is offered in four finishes and features hand scraping at a value price point. In the Revival Collection, Pastiche is a 3/8” engineered oak that is the first Mohawk hardwood product to feature glueless installation with Uniclic® technology. Recognized as an installer’s favorite for laminate, Uniclic technology for hardwood is being enhanced so that it provides exceptional connection strength on all sides of the plank. A simple drop lock system connects end joints while an angle and click system secures the long sides. This system offers installers the option of floating or gluing down the planks.

“With Uniclic, hardwood installation can be as simple as laminate,” said Szczybor. This makes the product attractive to installers by cutting down installation time, and it also becomes a great option for the DIY market.”

Szczybor also noted that all four new Mohawk hardwoods are Appalachian sourced products, and that there would be “more emphasis on this in the future.”

“Our 2008 introductions will match best-in-class products with best-in-class service, which will open up new opportunities for our dealers coast to coast,” he said. “There is a lot of excitement about these four products. And we’re just getting started.”

Products (and samples) are now available. To learn more, see your Mohawk Hard Surfaces Representative.