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Article Number: 3764
WICANDERS Cork Oak Flooring & TATE Access Floors - World Leaders in Sustainable Building Solutions Join Forces
HANOVER, MD, October 17 2008-Amorim Flooring, the manufacturer of Wicanders Cork Oak Floors, announces its affiliation with Tate Access Floors, Inc., the largest access flooring company in North America. Tate will be the OEM supplier in North America for Wicanders' new line of access floors called Wicanders UP, which combine the natural features and benefits of cork oak with advanced technology to create a commercial flooring system that is flexible, durable, and energy efficient. Wicanders UP is made with 92% recycled material, contributing to LEED® certification in the Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Air Quality categories. In the US, Amorim is stocking six products in the Wicanders UP Series 2000 and 4000 covering a wide range of cork and wood visuals. Many other visuals are available by special order.

Tate Access Floors, Inc. has more than 45 years of experience creating sustainable building solutions, and is a recognized worldwide leader in the research, design, manufacture, distribution, sales, and installation of raised access floors.

Wicanders UP-the only access floor covering that is 3.2 mm thick-has the added advantage of Wicanders' High Performance Surface® (HPS). Conceived and constructed for use in high traffic areas, it is tougher than any other high resistance finish in its class. With a 15 year Commercial Warranty, HPS® is considered to be a revolutionary innovation in the flooring market. Based on the strength of nano-bead technology, HPS® works by embedding a fine shield of nano-beads atop the surface layer to protect and preserve Wicanders UP from scratches, scuff marks, dents, abrasions, stains, and UV damage. This fine layer of nano-beads has a lower gloss level for a natural look and provides excellent traction to prevent slipping. HPS® is unique, in that it retains the natural properties of cork flooring.

Wicanders UP allows for the creation of different flooring combinations of cork textures and colors, and personalization through the screen-printing of logos and other design features.

Wicanders UP provides thermal insulation, acoustic dampening, health benefits, and resiliency for new construction and building refurbishment. Cork oak is also free from allergens and hidden germs and is naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and hypoallergenic. Wicanders flooring is now produced with Acrodur®, a purely water based, 100% formaldehyde-free binder created by BASF. It is used in the agglomeration process of cork. Acrodur® is an innovative alternative to the classic reactive resins like Melamin-Formaldehyde and Polyurethane. Wicanders products stand out due to lower VOC emissions and an improved ecological performance.

Amorim's cork products represent a unique balance between the creation of wealth and the protection of the environment. The cork industry is remarkably sustainable; it takes a natural raw material, extracted cyclically from trees without ever harming them, and turns it into high value-added products. The cork industry continues to promote the economic and social sustainability of areas that are at risk of desertification. The world's cork oak forests' role in reducing CO2, by preserving biodiversity and in fighting desertification, is now recognized as both fundamental to, and a unique example of, true sustainable development. Wicanders products retain the CO2 that would otherwise be contributing to global warming. The CO2 retention capabilities of Portugal's cork forests are estimated to be as high as 5%, or 4.8 million tons, of the country's annual emissions per year.

Amorim has been the environmentally conscious world leader in the cork oak industry for over 130 years. Amorim's North American headquarters is located in Hanover, Maryland. For more information about Wicanders UP Access Flooring, please contact Amorim Flooring, N.A., at 410.553.6062 or visit the Wicanders website at www.Wicanders.com or blog at www.WicandersCorkOakBlog.com.


Cork being harvested from tree