DALTON (September 20, 2010)—Last summer, Mohawk changed the rules of flooring performance by placing SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet into the enclosure of a 2,800 lb. Black Rhino for two weeks, submitting the product to unbelievable abuse. At the end of the incredible test, people across the country—flooring retailers, national media, and millions of consumers—were astounded to watch the carpet restored to brand-new condition with a simple cleaning.

Mohawk proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that SmartStrand carpet’s built-in stain protection is second to none and able to withstand any wildlife. But that wasn’t enough! The company is raising the stakes this year by making the SmartStrand Zoo Challenge bigger.

WAY bigger!

This October, Mohawk is teaming up with The Dallas Zoo to put SmartStrand carpet to the mightiest durability test the floor covering industry has ever seen. For two weeks, not one, but SIX African Elephants—the world’s largest land mammal—will be turned loose on Mohawk StrandStrand. That’s 45,000 pounds of brutal force testing the resiliency of the carpet.

And that’s not all. Mohawk is also introducing a new Human Habitat element to the challenge, where zoo guests can visit four different household situations: a living room, kitchen, bedroom and foyer. Each living situation will incorporate Mohawk flooring products—carpet, laminate ceramic and Mohawk’s brand new strand woven bamboo—allowing visitors to interact with the exhibits and see for themselves how the flooring is tough enough to stand up to their wildlife. This special area also allows consumers to engage with Mohawk’s GreenWorks sustainability platform. Because we are all part of something bigger than our individual selves, the Human Habitat makes consumers aware of available sustainable products they can select for their homes.

Additionally, Mohawk is helping retailers take full advantage of the tremendous merchandising and promotion opportunities available by providing comprehensive point-of-purchase kits, customizable advertising materials like television spots and print ads, among other exciting elements.

“We have an extraordinary product and we’re challenging it in an extraordinary way to prove the unmatched durability of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona,” said David Duncan, Mohawk’s Vice President of Marketing. “After having 45,000 pounds of pressure applied to the carpet repeatedly for two weeks showcasing its supreme resiliency, consumers will be confident in putting SmartStrand in their own wildlife situations at home. And we’re getting additional ‘human testing’ on our hard surface products with the Human Habitat! The SmartStrand Zoo Challenge is back and bigger than ever—all designed to drive consumer traffic to retail store locations.”

SmartStrand Zoo Challenge t-shirts will be sold, benefitting the Dallas Zoo’s “Zoo2Wild” Conservation fund, and supporting field conservation partnership programs such as Charles Foley’s Tarangire elephant project, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, International Rhino Fund and Gulf Oil Spill relief efforts.

SmartStrand triexta carpet made with DuPont Sorona is a sustainable flooring option that is also luxuriously soft. Bio-PDO®, which is made from corn sugar and is a renewable resource, makes up 37 percent of DuPont Sorona. Additionally, SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona provides superior stain resistance due to the way it’s engineered. Stain protectors are built-in the carpet fiber and will never wear or wash off. It will even resist discoloration from bleach.

About Mohawk Industries:
Mohawk Industries has been a trusted name in carpets for more than 130 years and is a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk offers a complete selection of broadloom carpet, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, vinyl, rugs and other home products. These products are marketed under the premier brands in the industry, which include Mohawk, Karastan, Lees, Bigelow, Columbia, Century, Dal-Tile, American Olean and Quick-Step. Mohawk's unique merchandising and marketing assist our customers in creating the consumers' dream. Mohawk provides a premium level of service with its own trucking fleet and more than 250 local distribution locations.