Article Number: 5329
Wood customization, bold patterns take center stage in Vegas
By Emily Hooper
Amidst an improving but challenging economy, the hardwood category occupied a good portion of the Surfaces show floor and dished out deals to distributors and retailers of the decidedly smaller portion of the proverbial pie.
Many manufacturers continued to offer handscraped, distressed and character woods, but a newer addition to the customization craze was the reappearance of combination-width planks, a trend not seen for generations as several suppliers showcased the customized look in solid and engineered constructions.
Anderson
Considered to be one of the best new innovations at the show, Anderson’s Luster Lock Ultra offers a finish up to six times more resistant to scuffing and abrasion. With that, the company has increased wear warranties up to 50 years on ½-inch products.
The finish gives end users affordable luxury, which is also the umbrella theme for its 2010 product introductions. Among them are Tropical Reflections; a seven-color exotic engineered line; Crossfire, a maple, cross-grain, hand-sculpted plank in four colors; Sanctuary, which embraces the combination-width trend; Natural Brilliance, a lightly brushed piano finish in four shades; Haversham, an adaptation of the Vintage Old Paint collection, and color expansions in Coastal Art and Exotic Impressions.
“Today’s end user is looking for value, performance and authenticity,” said John Woolsey, vice president of marketing. “She also wants a low price, because she knows she has the demand.”
Armstrong
The mill had introductions under all its various brands along with new merchandising systems that followed the same model: tall, stately and eye-catching. Most notably, product is organized by style. “Style is the most important thing,” said Daniel Call, vice president of wood product management. “People aren’t going to buy distressed wood for the color if they think wood floors should be smooth.” For enhanced visuals, there is also a vignette on the back of each oversized sample.
For the Armstrong brand, new applications in Century Estate made its debut in parquet installation, with six granite stones that also coordinate with Armstrong countertops, though wood embellishments are available. The parquet flooring also matches current Century Estate planks and can be installed in a herringbone design as well.
Legacy Manor is the new, handscraped addition to the Bruce brand, with random surface chatter and beveled edges. 3/8-inch engineered construction comes in nine colors in oak and hickory for a casual, rustic visual.
Ark
Laurie Sanfillippo, marketing manager, disclosed good traffic and a positive outlook at the show. Trending back to a higher gloss and smoother finish, a subtle color palette is newly available on morado, Brazilian cherry, cumaru, ironwood, mahogany and oak.
With a new cost-effective display for retailers, she noted the supplier is doing all it can to help the dealer profit. “We pride ourselves on personal support; if you need something, just let us know,” Sanfillippo said. “We strive to maintain positive and healthy relationships.”
Cikel
One of the largest vertically integrated hardwood companies, Cikel presented new lines of exotics with economically conscious price points on all its Forest Sustainability Council (FSC) certified wood. According to Gerry Schappel, vice president, the mill presents style, design and considerate pricing on products like Brazilian cherry, not usually FSC certified. All lumber is grown on over 1 million acres of proprietary forests in Brazil.
Cikel’s exotics are available in an engineered construction, seen in the Leblon collection, offering optimal stability above, on or below grade. Ranging in widths of 3¼ to 5 inches, the line includes tigerwood, ironwood, walnut and Brazilian varieties of cherry, oak, walnut, chestnut and teak.
DuChateau
The Dutch manufacturer uncovered the Riverstone collection, a handscraped engineered plank. The 3/8-inch product comes in eight colors of larch pine, sapele and European oak and walnut with a 4mil wearlayer. It was designed to keep a natural feel, though the fibers had been manipulated.
For customization, Versailles medallions were showcased. Each medallion is made to order at facilities in San Diego in six patterns from any species of the mill’s wood flooring. They can be specified to any finish and thickness, said Scott Petersen, operations manager.
Elegance
The supplier brought out its Victorian and Private Vineyard collections. The Victorian collection comes in six colors with soft, genuine handscraping, and the Private Vineyard has seven colors in a smooth finish. Both are 9/16-inch-thick in maple with a 3mil wearlayer.
The new lines offer special pricing until May 1, said Lukasz Piatek, regional sales manager, adding that Elegance is going national, expanding distribution through the Midwest to Maryland. This is possible via a new 2.5 million-square-foot distribution facility.
Home Legend
For environmentally friendly flooring materials, this supplier provides options in hardwood, cork and bamboo. President Erik Giventer pointed to the strand woven, solid bamboo collection as something new in the company’s product portfolio. “We have had a lot of interest in this product,” which utilizes the Unilin click system and floats for installation above or below grade.
Following the new, retrospective trend for combination widths, Home Legend offers the design pattern in cork. Variations of 5-inch planks, 36 inches in length, feature a cork underlayment with Microban technology and GreenGuard certification.
Max Windsor
Peter Spirer, marketing director, expressed cautious optimism about an economic recovery. “The consumer is always the last to know,” he explained. “They don’t know they’re supposed to be buying.”
The Concord collection is a new line company executives hope will entice buyers. Introduced at the show, the line offers an engineered, HDF core and birchwood base that is highly resilient to changes in temperature and humidity; four shades of hickory and four shades of maple are available. Additionally, 10 coats of the aluminum oxide Bona UV finish lend a 25-year residential and 3-year light commercial warranty.
Mercier
Although the industry has taken a hit, Mercier was pleased with the show’s turnout, and retailers that visited its booth were there to buy, said Wade Bondrowski, director of U.S. sales. The company displayed its New Lock system as well as new stains on its domestic and exotic species. All products are positioned to be market friendly, topping out at $8 per square foot.
Mullican
Showing in a booth slightly smaller than last year, traffic was good, reported Brian Greenwell, vice president of sales and marketing. Among the introductions was the Castillian collection, an engineered product in 6- and 7-inch widths. The character line features sculpted, brushed, fumed and whitewashed details in oak, hickory and walnut. Conscious of the economic climate, the products will retail in the mid $5 range.
Pinnacle
Closing the gap between quality and value is one of the company’s goals, said Xiao Yan Zhu, CEO. Noting its direct communication from manufacture to market, product growth is an important part of Pinnacle’s 2010 strategy.
Country Classics added elm in four colors and surpassed expectations for reception, said Brenda Cashion, vice president of operations. “Retailers like the grain on this product.” A higher-end product, it is expected to sell for around $7 to the end user, product only.
Embracing combination-width planks, the new Amberleigh collection comes in 4½-, 6- and 7½-inch widths in three shades of hickory and three shades of maple.
Royalton
The licensed Ernest Hemingway line offers 15 styles that are encompassed in the Ketchum collection, reminiscent of the famed adventurer’s Idaho retreat, and the Old Havana line, a tribute to his time in Cuba. All Hemingway products are made from exotic species with an aluminum oxide, 25-year warranted finish.
Amidst an improving but challenging economy, the hardwood category occupied a good portion of the Surfaces show floor and dished out deals to distributors and retailers of the decidedly smaller portion of the proverbial pie.
Many manufacturers continued to offer handscraped, distressed and character woods, but a newer addition to the customization craze was the reappearance of combination-width planks, a trend not seen for generations as several suppliers showcased the customized look in solid and engineered constructions.
Anderson
Considered to be one of the best new innovations at the show, Anderson’s Luster Lock Ultra offers a finish up to six times more resistant to scuffing and abrasion. With that, the company has increased wear warranties up to 50 years on ½-inch products.
The finish gives end users affordable luxury, which is also the umbrella theme for its 2010 product introductions. Among them are Tropical Reflections; a seven-color exotic engineered line; Crossfire, a maple, cross-grain, hand-sculpted plank in four colors; Sanctuary, which embraces the combination-width trend; Natural Brilliance, a lightly brushed piano finish in four shades; Haversham, an adaptation of the Vintage Old Paint collection, and color expansions in Coastal Art and Exotic Impressions.
“Today’s end user is looking for value, performance and authenticity,” said John Woolsey, vice president of marketing. “She also wants a low price, because she knows she has the demand.”
Armstrong
The mill had introductions under all its various brands along with new merchandising systems that followed the same model: tall, stately and eye-catching. Most notably, product is organized by style. “Style is the most important thing,” said Daniel Call, vice president of wood product management. “People aren’t going to buy distressed wood for the color if they think wood floors should be smooth.” For enhanced visuals, there is also a vignette on the back of each oversized sample.
For the Armstrong brand, new applications in Century Estate made its debut in parquet installation, with six granite stones that also coordinate with Armstrong countertops, though wood embellishments are available. The parquet flooring also matches current Century Estate planks and can be installed in a herringbone design as well.
Legacy Manor is the new, handscraped addition to the Bruce brand, with random surface chatter and beveled edges. 3/8-inch engineered construction comes in nine colors in oak and hickory for a casual, rustic visual.
Ark
Laurie Sanfillippo, marketing manager, disclosed good traffic and a positive outlook at the show. Trending back to a higher gloss and smoother finish, a subtle color palette is newly available on morado, Brazilian cherry, cumaru, ironwood, mahogany and oak.
With a new cost-effective display for retailers, she noted the supplier is doing all it can to help the dealer profit. “We pride ourselves on personal support; if you need something, just let us know,” Sanfillippo said. “We strive to maintain positive and healthy relationships.”
Cikel
One of the largest vertically integrated hardwood companies, Cikel presented new lines of exotics with economically conscious price points on all its Forest Sustainability Council (FSC) certified wood. According to Gerry Schappel, vice president, the mill presents style, design and considerate pricing on products like Brazilian cherry, not usually FSC certified. All lumber is grown on over 1 million acres of proprietary forests in Brazil.
Cikel’s exotics are available in an engineered construction, seen in the Leblon collection, offering optimal stability above, on or below grade. Ranging in widths of 3¼ to 5 inches, the line includes tigerwood, ironwood, walnut and Brazilian varieties of cherry, oak, walnut, chestnut and teak.
DuChateau
The Dutch manufacturer uncovered the Riverstone collection, a handscraped engineered plank. The 3/8-inch product comes in eight colors of larch pine, sapele and European oak and walnut with a 4mil wearlayer. It was designed to keep a natural feel, though the fibers had been manipulated.
For customization, Versailles medallions were showcased. Each medallion is made to order at facilities in San Diego in six patterns from any species of the mill’s wood flooring. They can be specified to any finish and thickness, said Scott Petersen, operations manager.
Elegance
The supplier brought out its Victorian and Private Vineyard collections. The Victorian collection comes in six colors with soft, genuine handscraping, and the Private Vineyard has seven colors in a smooth finish. Both are 9/16-inch-thick in maple with a 3mil wearlayer.
The new lines offer special pricing until May 1, said Lukasz Piatek, regional sales manager, adding that Elegance is going national, expanding distribution through the Midwest to Maryland. This is possible via a new 2.5 million-square-foot distribution facility.
Home Legend
For environmentally friendly flooring materials, this supplier provides options in hardwood, cork and bamboo. President Erik Giventer pointed to the strand woven, solid bamboo collection as something new in the company’s product portfolio. “We have had a lot of interest in this product,” which utilizes the Unilin click system and floats for installation above or below grade.
Following the new, retrospective trend for combination widths, Home Legend offers the design pattern in cork. Variations of 5-inch planks, 36 inches in length, feature a cork underlayment with Microban technology and GreenGuard certification.
Max Windsor
Peter Spirer, marketing director, expressed cautious optimism about an economic recovery. “The consumer is always the last to know,” he explained. “They don’t know they’re supposed to be buying.”
The Concord collection is a new line company executives hope will entice buyers. Introduced at the show, the line offers an engineered, HDF core and birchwood base that is highly resilient to changes in temperature and humidity; four shades of hickory and four shades of maple are available. Additionally, 10 coats of the aluminum oxide Bona UV finish lend a 25-year residential and 3-year light commercial warranty.
Mercier
Although the industry has taken a hit, Mercier was pleased with the show’s turnout, and retailers that visited its booth were there to buy, said Wade Bondrowski, director of U.S. sales. The company displayed its New Lock system as well as new stains on its domestic and exotic species. All products are positioned to be market friendly, topping out at $8 per square foot.
Mullican
Showing in a booth slightly smaller than last year, traffic was good, reported Brian Greenwell, vice president of sales and marketing. Among the introductions was the Castillian collection, an engineered product in 6- and 7-inch widths. The character line features sculpted, brushed, fumed and whitewashed details in oak, hickory and walnut. Conscious of the economic climate, the products will retail in the mid $5 range.
Pinnacle
Closing the gap between quality and value is one of the company’s goals, said Xiao Yan Zhu, CEO. Noting its direct communication from manufacture to market, product growth is an important part of Pinnacle’s 2010 strategy.
Country Classics added elm in four colors and surpassed expectations for reception, said Brenda Cashion, vice president of operations. “Retailers like the grain on this product.” A higher-end product, it is expected to sell for around $7 to the end user, product only.
Embracing combination-width planks, the new Amberleigh collection comes in 4½-, 6- and 7½-inch widths in three shades of hickory and three shades of maple.
Royalton
The licensed Ernest Hemingway line offers 15 styles that are encompassed in the Ketchum collection, reminiscent of the famed adventurer’s Idaho retreat, and the Old Havana line, a tribute to his time in Cuba. All Hemingway products are made from exotic species with an aluminum oxide, 25-year warranted finish.
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