Article Number: 5288
Mannington takes resilient realism to new heights, Omni HD seeks to capitalize on fiberglass craze
By Steven Feldman
SALEM, N.J.—Mannington set a standard for resilient realism in 1997 with the introduction of its patented NatureForm technology. While the innovation has undergone many generations throughout the last 13 years, the company at Surfaces is rolling out what it believes to be its greatest evolution yet in NatureForm HD technology, used to create Sobella Omni HD.
Omni HD is a fiberglass sheet that takes resilient visuals into an entirely new stratosphere, according to Ed Duncan, senior vice president of residential marketing. “This takes us to a level this industry never achieved before in terms of clarity, depth of color, sharp image, etc. NatureForm was an industry breakthrough in texture. This is a breakthrough in visual. This is a step change.”
But Omni HD is about more than looks. Duncan noted the product has inherent value for the retailer and consumer at a time when value is right up there with style and design in today’s buying process. “The overall thickness and performance of the product is spectacular, along with visuals that are unmatched.”
Omni HD’s rollout coincides with a very popular fiberglass category, one that now constitutes around 30% of the sheet market, according to industry insiders. “We think fiberglass will be an even more dramatic percentage of our sheet volume in 2010,” said David Sheehan, vice president of resilient and laminate business.
What’s driving this sub-category? “It’s a great product to work with,” he said. “It has great performance characteristics and high perceived value in the way it feels. And installers like working with it.”
Paul Mixon, resilient product manager, believes Omni HD will deliver a competitive advantage in the marketplace for Mannington retailers. He cited five drivers:
1. Style and design. Advancements in cylinder engraving and ink allow for tighter registration and the creation of unprecedented color variation, Mixon said. “This breakthrough in print technology results in an image 200% sharper than before. The colors are deeper, richer. This takes style and design to a new level.” The 30 design visuals include slates, marbles, woods, a concrete and a 9 x 9 terracotta.
2.Durability. Omni HD is constructed with a 20mil ScratchResist wearlayer.
3.Comfort underfoot. Omni HD is 30% thicker than the company’s Sobella Supreme.
4.Warranty. The product comes with Mannington’s exclusive Gotta Love It guarantee, where if the consumer is not satisfied 30 days after installation, the company will replace it with a Mannington floor of equal grade or value.
5. Perceived value. Omni HD offers an overall thickness of 150mil and retails between $2.99 and $3.59 a foot.
If early returns are any indication, Omni HD is sure to be a success. “We have had a lot of distributors say it brings them back to the NatureForm days when it was fun to sell vinyl,” Sheehan said. “They are calling it LVT on a spool. We’ve seen that it has very rapidly energized not only our sales force, but our distributors’ sale forces in a difficult time.” He added that the retailers who have previewed the product over the last 45 days have been nothing but enthusiastic. “We have had stronger preorders on this product than anything in recent memory. I can’t wait to get to Surfaces to show it in earnest.”
Hardwood
Mannington’s innovation initiatives for 2010 are not limited to resilient. In fact, when it comes to hardwood, the company is stepping into unchartered waters with Earthly Elements, what it is calling the first wood tile line in 12 x 12 and 12 x 24 formats.
“Ultimately, we decided about a year ago our core focus would be on innovation,” said Dan Natkin, director of hardwood business. “This is one of the byproducts. We feel we created our own innovative milestone, both from a visual and an installation perspective.”
The idea is for consumers to have the ability to create a unique floor. Patterns are styled around classic wood looks such as herringbone as well as more contemporary visuals like the checkerboard seen in tile. Other designs include the rectangular subway tiles popular in porcelain, a weave made popular in traditional textiles, and a pinwheel that should find its way into larger installations. “The idea is to bridge wood and contemporary tile,” Natkin said.
Duncan added that the genesis of Earthly Elements was Mannington’s understanding of other product categories. “We brought this to the market a year ago in Adura. The ability to create custom patterning on the floor has been strong for us in LVT.”
Mannington has also attached a simplified selection process to Earthly Elements. The first step is color choice from five oaks and three hickorys. Colors can be used alone or mixed. The next step is to choose one of the aforementioned patterns or something entirely unique. Then design the floor.
Enhancing Earthly Elements’ appeal is an innovative installation system that features tabs in that the tile can be installed in any direction.
Feedback has been nothing but positive, Natkin said. “Retailers have been going absolutely nuts. We previewed Earthly Elements for Avalon Carpet & Tile in November and they keep asking when displays are coming in. We also took quite a few orders for the display at the Carpet One and Flooring America conventions, sight unseen.”
Laminate
It’s common knowledge that this category has been under severe pressure for the last few years, although Mannington believes it took market share in 2009. And if the first three weeks of 2010 are any indication, laminate has the potential to be a shining star in 2010.
According to Sheehan, business is up an astounding 60% over the same year-ago period, due in large part to the August introduction of Diamond Bay, Mannington’s entry into the high-clarity, high-gloss segment that Armstrong had cornered with its Grand Illusions and Park Avenue lines.
“When we introduced Diamond Bay, it exceeded our expectations within a few months,” Sheehan said. “We actually ran out of inventory for three SKUs.”
This year Mannington is adding to Diamond Bay’s initial four patterns and 10 SKUs with two new patterns and four SKUs. “We feel we have a competitive edge with our styling in high-clarity, high-gloss products,” he said. “The competition basically took off- the-shelf patterns from China, while all of our patterns have been uniquely handcrafted from scratch.” Diamond Bay retails for $3.99 to $4.59 a square foot, product only.
Aside from Diamond Bay, Mannington’s laminate game plan for 2010 is to “feed the things that are already working for us,” Sheehan said. That would include collections such as Revolutions Plank and Revolutions Tile.
In Revolutions Plank, Tazmanian Blackwood is added to the Time Crafted Series. The unique visual features the company’s proprietary Variable Edge Technology, an edge treatment which emulates a timeworn look. Three colors are available.
Mannington is unique among laminate suppliers in that approximately 35% of its business is tile. Much of that is attributed to technology that allows it to create enhanced realism and unique sizes, like 12 x 24. With this in mind, the big deal for 2010 is the reduction of the grout width in Revolutions Tile, which Sheehan says more accurately depicts what is going on today in real tile. Sedona and Portofino are the two new patterns that feature this tighter, more narrow grout line. Combined, seven SKUs are available.
LVT
Luxury vinyl tile is one of the few growth categories despite the economic downturn and Adura is no exception. According to Sheehan, Adura posted “high double-digit growth” in 2009 with similar expectations for 2010. “Years ago laminate was the category retailers were excited about. That has switched to LVT.”
Mannington is centering on two stories for 2010: the expansion of its tile offerings and the industry’s first variable width plank.
Retailer feedback was such that Mannington needed to add more neutrals to the collection, particularly whites and beiges. “We have won any styling award you can win in LVT, and we tend to win them for color,” Sheehan said. “But one perceived deficiency was not having a white and beige offering.” To that end, Mannington introduced three patterns—Metropolis, Athena and Grand Canyon— to “beef up the basics.”
Part 2 of the Adura story for 2010 is Mannington’s desire to innovate with plank. Looking to the hardwood category for inspiration, the company is introducing Provence, the first variable width LVT packaged together in three sizes: 3 x 3, 4½ x 4½ and 6 x 6.
SALEM, N.J.—Mannington set a standard for resilient realism in 1997 with the introduction of its patented NatureForm technology. While the innovation has undergone many generations throughout the last 13 years, the company at Surfaces is rolling out what it believes to be its greatest evolution yet in NatureForm HD technology, used to create Sobella Omni HD.
Omni HD is a fiberglass sheet that takes resilient visuals into an entirely new stratosphere, according to Ed Duncan, senior vice president of residential marketing. “This takes us to a level this industry never achieved before in terms of clarity, depth of color, sharp image, etc. NatureForm was an industry breakthrough in texture. This is a breakthrough in visual. This is a step change.”
But Omni HD is about more than looks. Duncan noted the product has inherent value for the retailer and consumer at a time when value is right up there with style and design in today’s buying process. “The overall thickness and performance of the product is spectacular, along with visuals that are unmatched.”
Omni HD’s rollout coincides with a very popular fiberglass category, one that now constitutes around 30% of the sheet market, according to industry insiders. “We think fiberglass will be an even more dramatic percentage of our sheet volume in 2010,” said David Sheehan, vice president of resilient and laminate business.
What’s driving this sub-category? “It’s a great product to work with,” he said. “It has great performance characteristics and high perceived value in the way it feels. And installers like working with it.”
Paul Mixon, resilient product manager, believes Omni HD will deliver a competitive advantage in the marketplace for Mannington retailers. He cited five drivers:
1. Style and design. Advancements in cylinder engraving and ink allow for tighter registration and the creation of unprecedented color variation, Mixon said. “This breakthrough in print technology results in an image 200% sharper than before. The colors are deeper, richer. This takes style and design to a new level.” The 30 design visuals include slates, marbles, woods, a concrete and a 9 x 9 terracotta.
2.Durability. Omni HD is constructed with a 20mil ScratchResist wearlayer.
3.Comfort underfoot. Omni HD is 30% thicker than the company’s Sobella Supreme.
4.Warranty. The product comes with Mannington’s exclusive Gotta Love It guarantee, where if the consumer is not satisfied 30 days after installation, the company will replace it with a Mannington floor of equal grade or value.
5. Perceived value. Omni HD offers an overall thickness of 150mil and retails between $2.99 and $3.59 a foot.
If early returns are any indication, Omni HD is sure to be a success. “We have had a lot of distributors say it brings them back to the NatureForm days when it was fun to sell vinyl,” Sheehan said. “They are calling it LVT on a spool. We’ve seen that it has very rapidly energized not only our sales force, but our distributors’ sale forces in a difficult time.” He added that the retailers who have previewed the product over the last 45 days have been nothing but enthusiastic. “We have had stronger preorders on this product than anything in recent memory. I can’t wait to get to Surfaces to show it in earnest.”
Hardwood
Mannington’s innovation initiatives for 2010 are not limited to resilient. In fact, when it comes to hardwood, the company is stepping into unchartered waters with Earthly Elements, what it is calling the first wood tile line in 12 x 12 and 12 x 24 formats.
“Ultimately, we decided about a year ago our core focus would be on innovation,” said Dan Natkin, director of hardwood business. “This is one of the byproducts. We feel we created our own innovative milestone, both from a visual and an installation perspective.”
The idea is for consumers to have the ability to create a unique floor. Patterns are styled around classic wood looks such as herringbone as well as more contemporary visuals like the checkerboard seen in tile. Other designs include the rectangular subway tiles popular in porcelain, a weave made popular in traditional textiles, and a pinwheel that should find its way into larger installations. “The idea is to bridge wood and contemporary tile,” Natkin said.
Duncan added that the genesis of Earthly Elements was Mannington’s understanding of other product categories. “We brought this to the market a year ago in Adura. The ability to create custom patterning on the floor has been strong for us in LVT.”
Mannington has also attached a simplified selection process to Earthly Elements. The first step is color choice from five oaks and three hickorys. Colors can be used alone or mixed. The next step is to choose one of the aforementioned patterns or something entirely unique. Then design the floor.
Enhancing Earthly Elements’ appeal is an innovative installation system that features tabs in that the tile can be installed in any direction.
Feedback has been nothing but positive, Natkin said. “Retailers have been going absolutely nuts. We previewed Earthly Elements for Avalon Carpet & Tile in November and they keep asking when displays are coming in. We also took quite a few orders for the display at the Carpet One and Flooring America conventions, sight unseen.”
Laminate
It’s common knowledge that this category has been under severe pressure for the last few years, although Mannington believes it took market share in 2009. And if the first three weeks of 2010 are any indication, laminate has the potential to be a shining star in 2010.
According to Sheehan, business is up an astounding 60% over the same year-ago period, due in large part to the August introduction of Diamond Bay, Mannington’s entry into the high-clarity, high-gloss segment that Armstrong had cornered with its Grand Illusions and Park Avenue lines.
“When we introduced Diamond Bay, it exceeded our expectations within a few months,” Sheehan said. “We actually ran out of inventory for three SKUs.”
This year Mannington is adding to Diamond Bay’s initial four patterns and 10 SKUs with two new patterns and four SKUs. “We feel we have a competitive edge with our styling in high-clarity, high-gloss products,” he said. “The competition basically took off- the-shelf patterns from China, while all of our patterns have been uniquely handcrafted from scratch.” Diamond Bay retails for $3.99 to $4.59 a square foot, product only.
Aside from Diamond Bay, Mannington’s laminate game plan for 2010 is to “feed the things that are already working for us,” Sheehan said. That would include collections such as Revolutions Plank and Revolutions Tile.
In Revolutions Plank, Tazmanian Blackwood is added to the Time Crafted Series. The unique visual features the company’s proprietary Variable Edge Technology, an edge treatment which emulates a timeworn look. Three colors are available.
Mannington is unique among laminate suppliers in that approximately 35% of its business is tile. Much of that is attributed to technology that allows it to create enhanced realism and unique sizes, like 12 x 24. With this in mind, the big deal for 2010 is the reduction of the grout width in Revolutions Tile, which Sheehan says more accurately depicts what is going on today in real tile. Sedona and Portofino are the two new patterns that feature this tighter, more narrow grout line. Combined, seven SKUs are available.
LVT
Luxury vinyl tile is one of the few growth categories despite the economic downturn and Adura is no exception. According to Sheehan, Adura posted “high double-digit growth” in 2009 with similar expectations for 2010. “Years ago laminate was the category retailers were excited about. That has switched to LVT.”
Mannington is centering on two stories for 2010: the expansion of its tile offerings and the industry’s first variable width plank.
Retailer feedback was such that Mannington needed to add more neutrals to the collection, particularly whites and beiges. “We have won any styling award you can win in LVT, and we tend to win them for color,” Sheehan said. “But one perceived deficiency was not having a white and beige offering.” To that end, Mannington introduced three patterns—Metropolis, Athena and Grand Canyon— to “beef up the basics.”
Part 2 of the Adura story for 2010 is Mannington’s desire to innovate with plank. Looking to the hardwood category for inspiration, the company is introducing Provence, the first variable width LVT packaged together in three sizes: 3 x 3, 4½ x 4½ and 6 x 6.
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