Article Number: 4012
Mannington’s Mission: ‘Be the best people in the industry to do business with’
By K.J. Quinn
Hard work, honesty, faith, family and community. This is the foundation on which the Campbell family built Mannington Mills in 1915 and these values still ring true today from the fourth generation.
“Mannington is well managed and operates at the highest level of integrity, professionalism and moral values,” observed Jeff Streigel, president and CEO of Elias Wilf, an Owings Mills, Md.-based Mannington distributor. “It is a rarity today to find a company of Mannington’s size and stature, still being operated as a family business.”
From its humble beginnings in the farmlands of Salem, N..J., to its ascent into a full-service soft and hard surfaces supplier, Mannington has displayed an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer service. The proof is in the pudding: through innovative design and patented technology, it has developed a wide array of progressive products that have won numerous awards and accolades from retailers, distributors and prestigious design firms.
“The corporate mission is to be the best people in the industry to do business with,” stated Kim Holm, president of Mannington’s residential business. “That’s something we live with and portray in the marketplace, from (chairman) Keith Campbell down to all levels.”
As Mannington grew in size and prominence, it morphed into a “channel focused” organization supporting two key areas: residential and commercial. The Residential business includes hard surfaces such as resilient (vinyl sheet and tile), hardwood, porcelain and laminate. The Commercial organization, led by president Jack Ganley, counts broadloom, modular carpet and resilient floors as its primary branded offerings.
Each unit caters to a specific end-use market; for example, the builder and independent retailer channels are served by residential while healthcare, corporate, education and retail are in the domain of commercial.
“Mannington is loyal to the dealer, supports the dealer, knows the dealer and truly admires what dealers do every day,” said Jeff Hamar, president of Galleher, a Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based Mannington distributor. “Its products are well made and stylish, the displays attractive and functional, and it has made an oath to provide a level of support unmatched in the industry.”
Diverse product offerings
The Mannington story is more than just breadth of product: It is about style, innovation, and functionality. “Its products meet a broad cross section of price points, durability and looks,” Hamar observed.
Inspiration for the latest color and design trends comes, in part, from designer participation and membership in organizations like the Color Marketing Group.
“It starts with our internal culture, where we put product first and foremost,” Holm explained. “We’re all focused on creating the next new visual.”
Product innovation and styling leadership not only come from understanding the current market, but by taking action and implementing new floors as trends unfold. Distributors say Mannington has always worked with customers and consumers to validate its thinking, and then worked toward offering products and merchandising in sync with what it discovered.
“It starts with having the right products, styling and colorations to meet consumer taste and preferences,” Striegel said. “It then extends to showing the products in the right merchandising vehicles.”
Mannington’s approach to R&D is rather scientific. A series of product development phases and decision points are utilized to transform an idea to innovation. All products go through 140-plus quality checks during the manufacturing process to ensure customers receive the highest quality flooring with the most realistic designs that is the easiest to maintain. “The team has strived to stay at the forefront of what consumers and retailers alike truly want,” Striegel said.
The ability to transcend popular looks from one category to another is a hallmark of Mannington. The supplier is renowned for offering patterns in resilient and laminate that capture the look and feel of natural materials. “The consumer has a particular preference on what type of floor she likes to live on based on lifestyle,” Holm said. “So we continue to focus our efforts in creating technologies that provide the most realistic look in all substrates.”
Many of these designs replicate hardwood and ceramic, two categories Mannington has been involved with for several years. While a relatively small player in porcelain, Mannington has carved a niche the past three years in creating its own styling and design. “The majority of tile products today continue to be imported,” Holm pointed out. “But we create our own designs for North America.”
At Mannington Commercial, 75% of carpet products underwent a makeover the past two-and-a-half years to meet the latest styles and performance requirements. “We introduced new and different styling, with some very good updates to existing looks,” Ganley explained. “We made a conscious effort to be viewed as styling leaders in the marketplace.”
Many of the latest innovations are seen in carpet tile as interior design preferences have gradually shifted away from broadloom. “We’ve responded by having more modular introductions,” Ganley said, citing convenience, ease of handling and easy replacement as the primary specification drivers. “Having 24-inch squares can be an advantage to create unique looks that can’t be done with broadloom.”
This month, Mannington Commercial is launching a coordinating collection of carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tile targeting healthcare.
Commitment to being green
When it comes to environmental policy, Mannington’s position is clear and straightforward: actions speak. The company has chosen to focus on what it can do to increase operational efficiencies and performance of its products while decreasing the impact on the local community and Manning-ton’s resources.
Last May, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recognized Mannington for its exemplary efforts focusing on environmental responsibility. Mannington was one of three Jersey companies praised for their achievements.
Mannington continues to do its part to sustain and comply with the “environmental movement.” This includes incorporating more recycled content, switching to greener formulations and making prudent use of natural resources.
“In the old days, it used to be about quality, cost and aesthetics,” said Dave Kitts, Mannington’s vice president, environment. “Now there is a multi-legged stool, with environmental characteristics and performance right up there.”
In terms of product development, Mannington has created a number of innovations to reduce the environmental impact of its floors. For example, Relay RE commercial sheet goods feature 35% recycled content; 20% of that is post-consumer. Finished laminate floors generally contain 70% recycled content by weight, with the visual printed on water-based inks. The adhesives and finish coats used on wood floors are all low-VOC, and provide a long-lasting durable finish.
Meanwhile, Mannington floors meet a number of recognized green building standards and certifications. For instance, vinyl sheet and floor tile are FloorScore certified, and, when standards for carpet were initially established in 1993, Mannington was one of the first mills to certify products.
As the green movement gains more traction, officials are being very careful in how the company is perceived in the marketplace. Specifically, it has taken great pains to avoid greenwashing. “You have to meet the different standards for certification; it’s clearly something that people want,” Ganley said. “On the selling side, we’re more cautious in using the things that we are doing on the environmental front as a sales pitch. It’s not a contest to see who’s more green, it’s about doing the right thing.”
An important fundamental difference between Mannington and some competitors is how the company is positioned to help retailers sell its branded products. “Everyone wants to sell, but not many want to help accounts sell products, which are extremely important in this type of business climate,” Elias Wilf’s Striegel observed. “From merchandising, to sales and installation training, and of course, consumer 800 info lines and Web site, Mannington’s support is all encompassing.”
Of course, none of this would be possible without the collective resources of both Mannington and its nationwide distribution network. The two entities work hand-in-hand to deliver a product and support proposition that provides great value to all channels served. To that end, Mannington has worked diligently with distributors to streamline common functions, eliminate redundancies and be more efficient in the supply chain.
“In general, there really isn’t another manufacturer that has made the type of commitment to distribution that Mannington has in helping reshape the cost structure and methodology in how distribution operates,” Striegel reports. “Having a great product offering is certainly important, but having the most cost-effective means of bringing it to market coast-to-coast completes the overall package.”
Mannington is well positioned to meet distributors’ product needs with distribution centers in High Point, N.C., and Salem, which maintain high levels of inventory ready for immediate shipment.
Perhaps Mannington’s support of independent flooring retailers, in particular, is best exemplified by a decision made about 20 years ago not to sell branded products to home centers. While this decision helped protect the brand with regard to quality and consumer awareness, more importantly, it avoided competition with the big boxes.
“Retailers have told us over and over how they appreciate the support we’ve provided,” Holm concluded. “We feel you live and die with successful products, and we continue to invest in products which will help retailers close sales.”
Hard work, honesty, faith, family and community. This is the foundation on which the Campbell family built Mannington Mills in 1915 and these values still ring true today from the fourth generation.
“Mannington is well managed and operates at the highest level of integrity, professionalism and moral values,” observed Jeff Streigel, president and CEO of Elias Wilf, an Owings Mills, Md.-based Mannington distributor. “It is a rarity today to find a company of Mannington’s size and stature, still being operated as a family business.”
From its humble beginnings in the farmlands of Salem, N..J., to its ascent into a full-service soft and hard surfaces supplier, Mannington has displayed an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer service. The proof is in the pudding: through innovative design and patented technology, it has developed a wide array of progressive products that have won numerous awards and accolades from retailers, distributors and prestigious design firms.
“The corporate mission is to be the best people in the industry to do business with,” stated Kim Holm, president of Mannington’s residential business. “That’s something we live with and portray in the marketplace, from (chairman) Keith Campbell down to all levels.”
As Mannington grew in size and prominence, it morphed into a “channel focused” organization supporting two key areas: residential and commercial. The Residential business includes hard surfaces such as resilient (vinyl sheet and tile), hardwood, porcelain and laminate. The Commercial organization, led by president Jack Ganley, counts broadloom, modular carpet and resilient floors as its primary branded offerings.
Each unit caters to a specific end-use market; for example, the builder and independent retailer channels are served by residential while healthcare, corporate, education and retail are in the domain of commercial.
“Mannington is loyal to the dealer, supports the dealer, knows the dealer and truly admires what dealers do every day,” said Jeff Hamar, president of Galleher, a Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based Mannington distributor. “Its products are well made and stylish, the displays attractive and functional, and it has made an oath to provide a level of support unmatched in the industry.”
Diverse product offerings
The Mannington story is more than just breadth of product: It is about style, innovation, and functionality. “Its products meet a broad cross section of price points, durability and looks,” Hamar observed.
Inspiration for the latest color and design trends comes, in part, from designer participation and membership in organizations like the Color Marketing Group.
“It starts with our internal culture, where we put product first and foremost,” Holm explained. “We’re all focused on creating the next new visual.”
Product innovation and styling leadership not only come from understanding the current market, but by taking action and implementing new floors as trends unfold. Distributors say Mannington has always worked with customers and consumers to validate its thinking, and then worked toward offering products and merchandising in sync with what it discovered.
“It starts with having the right products, styling and colorations to meet consumer taste and preferences,” Striegel said. “It then extends to showing the products in the right merchandising vehicles.”
Mannington’s approach to R&D is rather scientific. A series of product development phases and decision points are utilized to transform an idea to innovation. All products go through 140-plus quality checks during the manufacturing process to ensure customers receive the highest quality flooring with the most realistic designs that is the easiest to maintain. “The team has strived to stay at the forefront of what consumers and retailers alike truly want,” Striegel said.
The ability to transcend popular looks from one category to another is a hallmark of Mannington. The supplier is renowned for offering patterns in resilient and laminate that capture the look and feel of natural materials. “The consumer has a particular preference on what type of floor she likes to live on based on lifestyle,” Holm said. “So we continue to focus our efforts in creating technologies that provide the most realistic look in all substrates.”
Many of these designs replicate hardwood and ceramic, two categories Mannington has been involved with for several years. While a relatively small player in porcelain, Mannington has carved a niche the past three years in creating its own styling and design. “The majority of tile products today continue to be imported,” Holm pointed out. “But we create our own designs for North America.”
At Mannington Commercial, 75% of carpet products underwent a makeover the past two-and-a-half years to meet the latest styles and performance requirements. “We introduced new and different styling, with some very good updates to existing looks,” Ganley explained. “We made a conscious effort to be viewed as styling leaders in the marketplace.”
Many of the latest innovations are seen in carpet tile as interior design preferences have gradually shifted away from broadloom. “We’ve responded by having more modular introductions,” Ganley said, citing convenience, ease of handling and easy replacement as the primary specification drivers. “Having 24-inch squares can be an advantage to create unique looks that can’t be done with broadloom.”
This month, Mannington Commercial is launching a coordinating collection of carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tile targeting healthcare.
Commitment to being green
When it comes to environmental policy, Mannington’s position is clear and straightforward: actions speak. The company has chosen to focus on what it can do to increase operational efficiencies and performance of its products while decreasing the impact on the local community and Manning-ton’s resources.
Last May, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recognized Mannington for its exemplary efforts focusing on environmental responsibility. Mannington was one of three Jersey companies praised for their achievements.
Mannington continues to do its part to sustain and comply with the “environmental movement.” This includes incorporating more recycled content, switching to greener formulations and making prudent use of natural resources.
“In the old days, it used to be about quality, cost and aesthetics,” said Dave Kitts, Mannington’s vice president, environment. “Now there is a multi-legged stool, with environmental characteristics and performance right up there.”
In terms of product development, Mannington has created a number of innovations to reduce the environmental impact of its floors. For example, Relay RE commercial sheet goods feature 35% recycled content; 20% of that is post-consumer. Finished laminate floors generally contain 70% recycled content by weight, with the visual printed on water-based inks. The adhesives and finish coats used on wood floors are all low-VOC, and provide a long-lasting durable finish.
Meanwhile, Mannington floors meet a number of recognized green building standards and certifications. For instance, vinyl sheet and floor tile are FloorScore certified, and, when standards for carpet were initially established in 1993, Mannington was one of the first mills to certify products.
As the green movement gains more traction, officials are being very careful in how the company is perceived in the marketplace. Specifically, it has taken great pains to avoid greenwashing. “You have to meet the different standards for certification; it’s clearly something that people want,” Ganley said. “On the selling side, we’re more cautious in using the things that we are doing on the environmental front as a sales pitch. It’s not a contest to see who’s more green, it’s about doing the right thing.”
An important fundamental difference between Mannington and some competitors is how the company is positioned to help retailers sell its branded products. “Everyone wants to sell, but not many want to help accounts sell products, which are extremely important in this type of business climate,” Elias Wilf’s Striegel observed. “From merchandising, to sales and installation training, and of course, consumer 800 info lines and Web site, Mannington’s support is all encompassing.”
Of course, none of this would be possible without the collective resources of both Mannington and its nationwide distribution network. The two entities work hand-in-hand to deliver a product and support proposition that provides great value to all channels served. To that end, Mannington has worked diligently with distributors to streamline common functions, eliminate redundancies and be more efficient in the supply chain.
“In general, there really isn’t another manufacturer that has made the type of commitment to distribution that Mannington has in helping reshape the cost structure and methodology in how distribution operates,” Striegel reports. “Having a great product offering is certainly important, but having the most cost-effective means of bringing it to market coast-to-coast completes the overall package.”
Mannington is well positioned to meet distributors’ product needs with distribution centers in High Point, N.C., and Salem, which maintain high levels of inventory ready for immediate shipment.
Perhaps Mannington’s support of independent flooring retailers, in particular, is best exemplified by a decision made about 20 years ago not to sell branded products to home centers. While this decision helped protect the brand with regard to quality and consumer awareness, more importantly, it avoided competition with the big boxes.
“Retailers have told us over and over how they appreciate the support we’ve provided,” Holm concluded. “We feel you live and die with successful products, and we continue to invest in products which will help retailers close sales.”
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