Flooring Feb-March 2013

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february/march 2013 | vol 31 no 01 www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Industry News

Special features

Regular Reports

06 HACCP certification for Protect Crete and Polyflor

16 Carpet & Rugs

12 Airstep Retailer of the Month: Choices Homecentre Bendigo, Victoria

06 Victorian Baggers Awards

22 Display Flooring

08 BBS acquires Multifloor Accessories

30 Bamboo

10 MJS Maxbond gets QR code 10 New store for Flooring Xtra 14 ARFA appoints new president 14 Quick-Step launches new media campaign

20 Alternative Flooring

34 Entrance Systems 40 Software 44 Floating Floors

FrontCover 01 Shaw Contract Group

23 Business: IP Seminar Series, part 1 29 Business: Insurance, get the right advice 46 Surfaces Today 49 PIC: Preparation, Installation & Care 50 Exhibition Calendar 50 Advertisers Index

Flooring Feb/March 2013 3

Upfront

The difference between a good salesperson and a great one is often in the way they approach a customer.

According to Barry Nicolaou, principal of Barlan Consulting, some customers were easy as they just purchase without too much involvement, however, others needed convincing.

Making the right approach can make the difference with the customer who is dithering.

Barry chose a very unusual (not to say, off-the-wall) approach. “Cheesecake was the unusual method I used to break the ice,” he said. When the customer responds to your overtures with: “I’m just browsing, thanks (JBT)”, he would respond with “That’s great, no problem, I’ll just be over here should you need me. Oh, by the way, would you like a piece of cheesecake while you browse?

“The look I received was often one of confusion mixed with interest and intrigue,” he said. “To most the concept of having a conversation about cheesecake on the retail floor is irrational. It can be seen to have no bearing on product or service and some may argue the consequence of making a sale and increasing store conversion rates. But I’m afraid I would have to whole-heartedly disagree with those people.

It has everything to do with it. Why? Because we’re about catching the attention of the JBT customer who has not as yet made up their mind.

“Cheesecake was my curve ball that gave me an opportunity to reapproach and discuss product. A conversation about cheesecake helped establish an unconventional, non-threatening seed about a topic away from the usual shop talk, which then allowed a conversation about product and brand with greater flexibility soon after, with no barriers.”

So, how do you convert your customers from JBT to actual sales?

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.elitepublishing.com.au PUBLISHER Vicky Cammiade Email: vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Curtis Email: jennifer.curtis@elitepublishing.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Ashley Cooper Email: ashley.cooper@elitepublishing.com.au CIRCULATION MANAGER Georgia Gilmour Email: georgia.gilmour@elitepublishing.com.au PRODUCTION For artwork and production enquiries please email: production@elitepublishing.com.au PRE-PRESS Prominent Digital PRINTED BY Prominent Group Pty Ltd EXHIBITION ORGANISERS & PROMOTERS Elite Media & Marketing Pty Ltd P O BOX 800, Templestowe Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.elitepublishing.com.au ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD PUBLISHERS OF: Supplier Magazine, Furniture & Bedding Magazine, Flooring Magazine Members of the Publishers Australia Association

Member of the Australian Furniture Association South West

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD (established 1985) All rights reserved – No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

Jennifer Curtis editor Ph: 03 9890 0815; Fax: 03 9890 0087 or Email: jennifer.curtis@elitepublishing.com.au

4 Flooring Feb/March 2013

"Your Industry - Your Magazine"

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At Choices Flooring we offer you access to the very best flooring products available, including exclusive ranges from the leading national and international suppliers. We believe that in business, a partnership is the key to success and making the right choice really does make all the difference!

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For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis General Manager Mobile: 0400 400 036 Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Tim Drew Group Manager - Retail Development Mobile: 0425 751 756 Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

Or feel free to contact anyone of our 134 proud and passionate stores across Australia.

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News

Victorian Baggers

HACCP certification for Protect Crete and Polyflor Protect Crete and Polyflor have announced that following a stringent audit they have achieved HACCP certification.

HACCP is a leading food science organisation specialising in food safety methodology and related products.

Product certification assures compliance, functionality and suitability for any food preparation and manufacturing area.

The certification is for the full range of Protect Crete products as well as the

Polyflor/Kiesel/ Protect Crete guaranteed system.

Protect Crete’s General Manager, Gary Curwood explained: ”Specifiers, end users and contractors have always had a problem with fragmented warrantees and Polyflor’s ‘one system specification’ is reassuring to both specifier and contractor alike.

“All aspects of the food industries flooring needs are covered by our certification.”

The Victorian Baggers group held its annual Christmas lunch and awards event In December 2012.

The 2012 Bagger of the Year was Mark Faulkner of Godfrey Hirst; Country Rep of the Year was Luke Mulder of Embelton and Rookie of the Year was Robert Miller of Polyflor.

The Don Currie award went to Michael Ireland of Prestige Carpets.

Intafloors solving problems Whether it’s a simple tool or a major labour saving device, Intafloors is in the business of solving problems. In order to cope with the high demand for its products, both the NSW area distributors for the Intafloors buying group have now moved to bigger premises.

The new locations for Gibbon Group at Newcastle and Intafloors Trade Depot at Seven Hills provide room for the growing number of staff, together with increased storage facilities for the company’s huge range of flooring equipment and accessories to service the NSW market. There are also two mobile vans for customers’ shopping convenience!

The Intafloors buying group was established in

2003 and it now has distribution outlets in all states of Australia and New Zealand.

Intafloors markets a full range of flooring accessories for installers and retailers and is the Australian distributor for National Equipment – an innovative tool designer and manufacturer specialising in high quality surface preparation and floor removal equipment.

DE Seal and Sons has been named the new distributor for Intafloors in South Australia. The company will also have a mobile van service starting in late February.

Intafloors is currently in the process of establishing a new website http://www. intalfoors.com, which will be released very soon.

From top: Bagger of the year Mark Falkner; Rookie of the year presentation; Don Currie Award Winner Michael Ireland; Country Rep of the year presentation

6 Flooring Feb/March 2013

Australian Flooring Supplies supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Last October, two Golf events were held by AUstralian Flooring Supplies (AFS) to support the Glen McGrath foundation.

This foundation supports breast cancer awareness and helps the nurses who tend to those who suffer from breast cancer.

These two AFS events raised over $5000 in total, while also giving sales representatives and their customers the opportunity to play a round of golf and build relationships.

2013

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Ugo Tettamanti of QEP with customers Ashley Forde, Darren Bennett and Ron Tomlinson.

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Changing of the guard at Armstrong

Remember, these collections are in stock, in Australia ready for your next project.

After 37 years of tireless service, Steve Cohen has announced his retirement from the position of state sales manager for Armstrong Western Australia.

Armstrong is pleased to have appointed Joanne Yeowart as Steve's replacement. Joanne has been working in the Australian flooring industry for over 22 years, most recently as the commercial sales manager for the Shaw Contact Group.

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Joanne Yeowart with Steve Cohen and Marshall Myles, MD Manufacturers’ Agencies)

News BBS acquires Multifloor Accessories BBS Flooring Products has purchased the carpet gripper manufacturer, Multifloor Accessories, to become the last remaining manufacturer of carpet gripper within Australasia.

Multifloor was an Adelaide based manufacturer of floorcovering installation accessories and was universally known for its superior quality carpet gripper. The company started making carpet gripper almost 30 year ago and, under the stewardship of partners Brian Goodall and Barry Rogers, built a proud reputation for product quality and innovation as well as a following among professional installers.

Among the many ‘firsts’ was a wider architectural gripper with extra pins and nails to provide more carpet stretching power than any gripper made anywhere else in the world.

However, the real genius lay in the company’s ability to design new manufacturing equipment. Without knowing or seeing how carpet gripper was made, they built a series of unique manufacturing machines, each one improving on the last. By the time Brian

and Barry retired, they operated an automated facility capable of supplying 100% of the Australian market.

BBS is a Melbourne based floor and wall covering installation hardware manufacturer, supplying carpet gripper, carpet seaming tape, flooring trims, specialty flooring nails and tapes, wall furnishing tracks, MDF ramping and vinyl floor underlays.

BBS designs and makes all its own products with a focus on achieving value through greater performance rather than low selling prices.

It maintains its competitive edge in product design through close technical co-operation with leading international accessories manufacturers.

“BBS will use its proprietary knowledge and manufacturing systems to keep the Multifloor tradition of quality, Australian made carpet gripper alive through the Multigrip brand,” said BBS’s Will Bateman.

“We believe there is a strong place in the market for quailty products and that good installers will always be proud to use well-made Australian installation product.”

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Poly-Tech launches in Victoria Poly-Tech Industrial Services has opened a new Melbourne office as part of its ongoing commitment to Victoria and planned future growth.

Based in Ashburton, PolyTech is a leading commercial epoxy flooring contractor and concrete repair specialist founded in South Australia in 1983. With 30 years of experience in the protection and restoration of concrete and steel surfaces, its valued clientele includes Hansen Yuncken, Grocon, Mars, BHP Billiton, Santos, National Jet Systems, Lion, Woolworths, Coles and Coca-Cola.

“Victoria remains a key focus for Poly-Tech, not just in terms of new major projects but also our ability to offer specialised concrete repair solutions to existing infrastructure,” said Sam O’Neill, Client Relationship Manager Spearheaded by General Manager for Victoria, Chris Cain, this new venture offers clients a wealth of skills and experience for concrete protection and restoration.

“It’s very exciting to be able to offer the Victorian market our full suite of industrial coating and

Chris Cain

remedial solutions. This office opening signals our long-term commitment in Victoria and reflects the confidence we have in the state for large scale project development in the coming years,” said Chris.

“Using our industry leading skills and experience and our existing partnerships with suppliers, we have positioned ourselves to deliver on these important new projects for the people of Victoria.”

“Poly-Tech will be celebrating its 30th birthday this November so look out for invitations for an end of year event,” said Sam O’Neill.

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News

MJS MaxBond gets QR code MJS Floorcoverings is adding QR codes onto the packaging of its MJS MaxBond range of adhesives.

QR Codes, not unlike barcodes, can be scanned by a smartphone or tablet using free apps. Each QR code is unique and links to a specific website or other content when scanned (for example, an online file or Facebook page).

The MJS MaxBond adhesive range will have two QR codes on the packaging – one linking directly to the specific Product Data Sheet, and the second linking to the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

QR reader apps such as QR Reader for the iPhone and the QR Droid for the Android are free to download.

New store for Xtra The latest Flooring Xtra store opened in Albert Park, South Australia in January 2013.

Owner Russell Turner is delighted both with his store and the Flooring Xtra group.

He says he likes the Flooring Xtra brand because it is non political, friendly, efficient and has simple and easy procedures.

“It’s an exciting time with Flooring Xtra with the business growing and the

Feb/March 2012/Jan 2013 2013 10 Flooring Dec

team working well with other group members in South Australia,” said Russell.

“I felt there was a market opportunity in this area for a Flooring Xtra store and, since I started trading on 5 January, the business is already profitable.”

Russell, who has 38 years experience laying all aspects of flooring, is married with four children and four grandchildren.

What a run! And it’s not over yet!

This month sees Flooring Xtra reach the milestone of 100 stores across Australia and NZ. Launched in September 2011 in Australia, we’ve seen exponential growth on our shores with 45 stores now up and running, enjoying the supportive team environment within the Flooring Xtra group.

Just this month Tim Hodge, previously Essendon and Sunbury Carpet Court, has set up under the shade of the big green tree and as the year rolls on we’ll announce many more new high profile team members.

NOW FOR THE PITCH! We are unashamedly proud of our business model.

Ours is a low-cost, low-fee structure. Simple, efficient systems are managed by a small professional team functioning as your ‘Support Centre’.

Flooring Xtra stores enjoy the autonomy of running their business within simple, clear and consistent guidelines.

We provide a strong, vibrant and stylish brand further strengthened by professional support from people who know what life is like out in the field.

The fact that we are Australia’s fastest growing flooring brand supports our confidence in the way we do business.

Join the Flooring Xtra team.

Call Steve Griffin on 0432 343 076 or email steve.griffin@flooringxtra.com.au

Retailer of the month

From the past… to today Choices Homecentre Bendigo, Bendigo, Victoria

B

endigo Bulk Carpet Choice and Bendigo Curtain Choice have changed their names.

Together with Beaumont Tiles they now make up Choices Homecentre Bendigo and the history and stories of the families and people involved in this stalwart Bendigo business makes interesting reading.

In 1976 Barry Miles created Bendigo Bulk Carpets and operated out of a small shop in Reservoir Road, Bendigo.

As the business grew it moved, on Easter Tuesday 1980, to its present location in Williamson Street. Cut Price Curtains was introduced into the business in 1984 to provide quality window coverings at budget prices.

In 1986 Alan Bowles purchased the business and took control as the general manager. Under Alan’s guidance the business grew to a point where, along with other independent carpet retailers, it had fantastic buying power but lacked a marketing arm.

In 1992, Alan and 16 other retailers banded together to form Carpet Choice, which now has over 130 members and is still growing. It was also at this point that Cut Price Curtains became Bendigo Curtain Choice. It was Alan’s tenacious approach to business that led it into the commercial area of floorcoverings and, by 2005, it was regarded as a market leader for commercial floorcoverings in Central Victoria.

In January 2006 Beaumont Tiles was relaunched in Bendigo and provided the business with the ability to service all aspects of flooring in any home. Later that same year, Scott Mitchell was brought in as a partner and general manager , receiving several years of training under Alan before his retirement. Not surprisingly, Alan’s experience is still considered valuable as a consultant, mentor and confidant to Scott.

During Scott’s time the size of the business has doubled to become a

dominant floorcovering and window furnishing retailer in central Victoria. The business now employs over 38 sales, administration and installation staff, which are amongst the most respected and awarded in the industry. In fact last year the business was nominated for the Employer of Excellence award by the furnishing industry for its contribution to training apprentices in a skills-shortage trade. One of the company’s apprentices won the Apprentice of the Year Award in textile finishes, and the Apprentice of the Year Overall Award. This is on top of the runner-up and commendation award for resilient floorcoverings (vinyl) at the previous year’s awards for another installer.

“Choices Homecentre could not be more proud of what we have been able to achieve and it’s largely due to the quality of people associated with the business and their commitment to never standing still,” said Scott.

“Over the last couple of years we’ve seen increased competition – not just from the addition of extra local competitors or revamped existing ones, but from competitors in surrounding towns and Melbourne. While our business model has been successful in the past, we are now at a point where we need to be better equipped to succeed in the future.

“To do this we have enrolled several of our sales team into Certificate III Interior Decoration Retail Services– an innovation

by Choices, which gives our sales team a qualification specifically for our industry. We are also investing in further developing our installation team (eight of whom have been qualified through our business and three are at varying stages of their apprenticeship) to meet the ever increasing quality of service expected by our customers and our business.

“Added to this, we have several changes planned for our day-to-day operations to increase sales and reduce waste, both aimed at making the business more profitable.

“What the future holds is anyone’s guess, but I believe in the people I work with and in our ability to take our business up another level. 2013 will be a very exciting year indeed,” said Scott.

“Choices Homecentre Bendigo aims to be the biggest and best supplier and installer of floor and window coverings in the central Victorian region through team work, creativity and by providing products and services that meet and exceed our customer expectations.

“Our mission statement says: ‘We will be supportive of each other, be honest with each other and value the needs of our customers. We are to be a ‘no nonsense business’ with no excuses, buck passing or back stabbing.’

“Everyone is a member of our T E A M – Together Everyone Achieves More.”

The future certainly looks bright for this long-running, established and vibrant business.

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News

ARFA appoints new president The Australian Resilient Floorcovering Association has appointed Wayne Donovan as its new national president.

Wayne is the Managing Director of Forbo Flooring Systems Australasia and has been in his current role for seven years.

Prior to Forbo he held senior management positions in Australia and the US, predominantly in building products organisations. With a background in flooring adhesives, levelling compounds, ceramic tiles and laminate flooring, he views the resilient flooring market as one of the most dynamic and ever changing.

“I am looking forward to working closely with my peers involved in ARFA and continue on the good work of the previous ARFA president, Andrew Lewis,” said Wayne.

New media campaign Quick-Step is launching its new media campaign in March with the slogan ‘Discover a world you’d love to live in’.

The campaign is designed to grab the attention of the people currently looking for flooring, as well as further

support the general brand awareness in Australia. It encompasses a partnership with the Nine Network and features the Quick-Step brand and its timber and laminate flooring products across home magazines, home shows and home renovation websites.

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Carpets&Rugs

Ten winners celebrated at 2013 Carpet Design Awards Every year the prestigious Carpet Design Awards sets the highest standards in terms of the quality and design of handmade rugs and carpets. An international panel of top professionals selects the winners in ten product categories. This year was the eighth time that this fascinating competition has been staged at Domotex.

It is not so much the magnificence of the individual products that matters as much as the amazing overall picture presented by the 214 imaginatively designed, innovative handmade carpets from 25 countries.

This is because the products exhibited in connection with the Carpet Design Awards not only represent the main trends in contemporary carpet design but also serve as an indication of the patterns, colours and materials that will dominate in the future.

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“I have been involved with the jury of the Carpet Design Awards now for four years and I continue to be surprised and excited by the stream of new ideas presented each year for us to judge. This year it has been noticeable that traditional carpet patterns have re-entered the contemporary rug design lexicon, opening up many new possibilities for the coming years,” said James Ffrench, chair of the judging panel.

This year’s high-calibre panel of judges comprised six top names from the field of materials, so the emphasis of the competition was on the quality of the materials used and the quality of the product itself, as well as such properties as novelty, imaginative design and the implementation of creative ideas. For the first time this year the competition also included three modern design categories in the competition.

N EW Winners of the 2013 Carpet Design Awards: 1. Best Studio Artist Design – Autumn Leaves by Deirdre Dyson 2. Best Modern Design Standard – Soleil

by Choudhary Exports 3. Best Modern Design Superior – Bohemian Rhapsody by Wool and Silk Rugs 4. Best Modern Design Deluxe – Com u Camp Llaurat by Designer Carpets by Teppich Drechsle 5. Best Traditional Nomadic Design – Celest No1 by Werner Weber 6. Best Traditional Workshop/Formal Design – Razia Jan by Amadi Carpets 7. Best Old/Antique Carpet – Heriz Silk Rug by Mollaian 8. Best Collection Modern – Water Dance Collection by Wool and Silk Rugs 9. Best Collection Traditional – Erased Heritage Collection by Jan Kath Design 10. Best Innovation – Trompe L’oeil by Zollanvari

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Carpets&Rugs

Innovative designs and bold colours “Domotex has once again delivered proof of its pivotal role as the flooring industry’s flagship fair” according to Dr. Jochen Köckler of the Deutsche Messe AG Managing Board, at the close of the 2013 event.

“With 40,000 visitors from over 80 nations came to discover the latest product innovations and trends for the upcoming season, Domotex fulfilled its function as a unique business platform and an idea-giver for the international carpet and floorcoverings industry,” he said.

“The time when floors played a subordinate role to interior furnishings is over. The current diversity of materials, colours and designs is unlimited, making floors an interior design object – a trend that was clearly visible throughout the exhibition halls.”

Trends

In the textile floorcoverings segment, graphic and geometric patterns, stripes and classic weaves were en vogue. In laminate coverings, experimental wood optics with wood-grain colour accents are the trendsetter for the coming season.

But the strongest demand continues to be for softwood and hardwood optics.

18 Flooring Feb/March 2013

Parquet floors with hand-scraped, brushed or distressed finishes are also gaining in popularity. Apart from the perennial favorite of warm brown tones, more colourful hues are also in increasing demand

The latest trends in hand-made carpets were on display at the Souk Deluxe” show as well as at the presentation of the Carpet Design Awards. Here as well, the interplay of intense colours and striking designs dominated the scene.

The future role being carved out by photo print optics was also conspicuous, with all three finalist carpets in the Best Innovations category at the Carpet Design Awards making use of such motifs.

A first at this year’s Domotex was the new Skilled Trades Hub, where visiting floor laying practitioners could find everything of value to them at one convenient location. Here they were able to try out machines and tools and plug into valuable know-how as presented by big name solution providers.

Originally debuting at Domotex 2012, the Wood Flooring Summit for the parquet and laminate flooring segment is scheduled to return at the next Domotex, which will be staged from 11 to 14 January 2014.

Colour Gard fade defying carpet launch Signature Floors has announced the launch of an extensive campaign for the next generation of Colour Gard – the company’s well respected fade protection carpet treatment.

Originally launched eight years ago, Colour Gard has enjoyed a 100% claim free record, making it the most successful innovation in carpet care in the company’s long and illustrious history.

2013 sees the launch of Colour Gard Fade Protection for brightly coloured carpets, the most vulnerable of all to the fading effects of the hot Australian sun.

“We have tested our amazing Colour Gard treatment on the toughest demands of automotive interiors, which are subject to much more rigorous heat tests than traditional carpets, and our vibrant Signature Colour Gard carpets came through with flying colours.

So we know Australian homeowners are going to love the exceptional performance of our carpets,” said Robert Herten, Head of Product Development and Company Director.

To launch New Generation Colour Gard to the industry, Signature has created a stand alone website – www. colourgard.com.au – which will be the focus of its promotion to consumers and trade alike.

The public can learn about how Colour Gard works and source patterned, textured, coloured carpets all featuring the same performance Colour Gard delivers.

“Now that we can offer Australian families a huge range of carpets that will

resist sun fade, we wanted to reward them for their clever choice,” said Herten. “We’ve teamed with Canningvale to give our customers $100 to spend on luxury bedlinen, beautiful towels and accessories to co-ordinate with their new Colour Gard carpet.”

The national consumer promotion runs until 30 April in all stores that carry the Colour Gard collection of Modern Living Carpets.

“Customers can’t help but notice the arrival of Colour Gard in the stores they visit, with an impressive and comprehensive point of sale marketing campaign, which has already grabbed the attention of the industry,” he said. “The iconic yellow Colour Gard umbrellas talk of sun protection, drawing the public’s attention to this innovative feature of a Signature carpet.

“Posters, brochures, and a national print program round out the communications campaign to educate families on the impressive carpet benefits now available to them.

“We also wanted to add some fun into the mix, so we have added a Colour Gard Staff Rewards Program for our retail partners. For every sale of Colour Gard carpet, our retail experts receive some time under the sun behind the wheel of a very fast car in a HOT LAP experience.

“And there’s no limit to how many HOT LAPS can be won!

We know some of our retailers will really enjoy the challenge of Australia’s best race circuits in our Colour Gard ‘Need for Speed Promotion!’”

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Flooring Feb/March 2013 19

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Achieving the perfect protection Although often underestimated, the correct specification of waterproofing and surfacing materials is critical, within the car park environment, to delivering a long-term, structurally protected and safe facility for car park operators and vehicle owners.

The most suitable deck coating materials will largely depend on where within the multi-level or underground parking facility they are to be installed as well as the conditions to which the material will be subjected.

This can range from slipresistance, durability and service life requirements through to temperature cycling, UV exposure and any problematic existing substrate conditions as well as any anticipated movement within the structure.

Epoxy and polyurethane resin based car park decking and wearing systems are most common although acrylic (MMA) systems, which offer fast cure installation in order to keep disruption to car park operations to a minimum during renovation, are increasingly being specified, particularly in refurbishment situations.

The nature of car parks demands that they are constructed with large clear spans with a minimum number of supporting columns, in order to achieve the maximum number of parked vehicles.

This type of construction, when subject to cyclical traffic flow, inevitably leads to the structure being susceptible to flexing and movement. In order to counteract the risk of dynamic loading, flexible, crack-bridging polyurethane based deck

coatings systems are often used to move alongside the structure, preventing any longlasting damage to the surface or the building itself.

Often fully exposed to the environment, car parks are subject to high temperatures, extreme sunlight, UV exposure, low temperatures, freezing and thawing, high levels of rain and extreme temperature fluctuation. Again, specialist resin-based decking coating systems act as a protective coating by accommodating thermal movement in order to prevent thermal cycling over a 24 hour period or seasonal change from posing any lasting damage.

Airborne water, de-icing salts and automotive fluids; antifreeze, battery acid, AC fluid,

diesel and petrol as well as toxic gases from exhaust pipes are all examples of aggressive chemicals and pollutants to which the car parking structure is exposed. Highly resistant resin-based decking coating systems can be used to prevent the early onset of corrosion, providing a protective barrier between the contaminants and the host substrate.

Pigmented resin coating systems will transform a parking structure; protecting it over time whilst simultaneously brightening up the environment with the addition of colour, improving lighting levels through its reflective properties and enhancing the overall ambience of the car park making it a safer and brighter place for people to park.

Unique process boosts concrete durability Paccar Australia, the manufacturer of Kenworth Trucks, runs a facility in Bayswater, Victoria, that turns out several thousand trucks a year. Its concrete production floors suffer hard wear from scrapes, vehicle traffic, and heavy materials and equipment loads.

It’s the job of facilities manager James Rees to keep the plant safe and in top working order, including the aesthetic and safety of the concrete floors. “We regularly paint the floors so that they look better, but the paint does not last long,” Rees said.

“After seeing what some of our sister plants in the US were doing, I decided to trial a polished concrete floor.”

Rees selected the Melbourne-based concrete polisher Geocrete, headed by

20 Flooring Feb/March 2013

chief artisan/concrete polisher Paul Warner, to conduct the trial on a 90 m2 passageway that carried vehicle and foot traffic. Rees chose it as the most difficult example of concrete in the plant, containing oil stains, patched holes and redundant bolts.

Geocrete has developed a unique concrete polishing process, Geoshine, based on Warner’s extensive technical knowledge of concrete and a perfectionist’s attitude to using the best possible

equipment, chemicals and process available.

Originally trained as a geologist, Warner has 14 years’ experience as a concreter and 10 years’ concurrent experience as a concrete polisher, beginning in the field when it was in its earliest days in Australia.

Geoshine encompasses the usual grinding and polishing stages, but the extra durable floor strength it creates lies in its sequence of seven applications of

Geocrete’s polished concrete floors add to the luxurious qualities of high-end residential properties. This Phillip Island, Victoria, home has a pink granite floor with a grey base polished to a high-gloss finish.

premium quality potassium and lithium densifiers, including Woodcrete’s Stride Densifier.

“I spent hundreds of hours on testing to develop Geoshine,” Warner said.

“I used dozens of different chemical sequences, machinery, resins, diamonds, and grinding and polishing techniques. I didn’t worry about cost or manufacturer; all I wanted was to develop a process that would produce the hardest, most durable polished concrete floor available to the market.”

Rees said Paccar Australia was “ecstatic” with the result achieved. “We were very impressed and the floor actually exceeded our expectations,” he said. “It is now very smooth, very hard, much easier to clean, 22

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The plain concrete floors at Paccar’s truck manufacturing plant have been converted to extra-durable polished concrete in a mix of matt and gloss finishes using Geocrete’s unique Geoshine process.

20 looks far better, and will save us money on maintenance.

Geocrete also guarantees the floor for eight years and expects it will last a lot longer.”

The trial’s success led PACCAR Australia to contract Geocrete to polish two large

production floor areas totalling 1200 m2 during its Christmas shutdown.

Geocrete’s Geoshine concrete polishing process is suited to high-end residential, premium retail and industrial applications.

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22 Flooring Feb/March 2013

Floor store customers bare all Jason Simmonds and the team at The Floor Store in Abbotsford, Victoria are well on the way to delivering their customers the unique shopping experience they aim to provide.

Rather than a one size fits all approach, Jason wants each customer to enjoy a variety of experiences without being overwhelmed on entering the showroom. Large masterpieces of carpet inlays have already see homemakers shedding their shoes: the recently installed Gerflor display presents another invitation to shoppers to bare their feet and experience what’s on offer.

“We want our customers to be drawn to products that hold most appeal for them and the Gerflor display is a perfect example,” said Jason.

“The soft, clean appeal of the images communicates the comfort and warmth that are features of the Texline range.

On the floor we have installed two different Creation Clic

designs and colours so customers can see and feel the appeal of these loose lay Gerflor vinyl planks.

“It all looks terrific and we are using it as the benchmark for everything else in the showroom now,” Jason said.

Business

Introduction to No Nonsense IP Tim O’Callaghan and Tim Clark, Piper Alderman www.piperalderman.com.au Part one of the No Nonsense IP Seminar Series.

The effective management and protection of intellectual property (IP) is not easy.

Primarily this is because IP is intangible. It’s a set of legal rights. You can’t see IP, and that makes it harder to do the usual cost/benefit analysis behind any decision about management and protection of an IP asset.

It isn’t the same as, for instance, real property. You can see real property. You know where it is. You can generally see if others are camping on it. And you can fence it off to stop that from happening.

It isn’t the same as a car, or a fleet of cars. You can see them too. You can identify them and keep a record of where they are. You know what they are worth. You can see when they are damaged or stolen. You know what that damage or theft will cost you. And you can take steps to protect your vehicles from being damaged or stolen.

With tangible property, it is easier to be confident about a decision to undertake a management or protection measure.

It’s not the same with IP. Every business has IP. Some of it is, for that business, very valuable. You need to manage and protect your valuable IP. It will cost you money and resources to do it, but its essential that you do this or your business will suffer.

By contrast, however, particularly in times when money is short, you can afford not to spend money and time trying to manage and protect

what is, for that business, ‘nonsense IP’.

Nonsense IP is intellectual property, which most businesses have, and which adds very little to the business objectives and will be of little value.

Piper Alderman’s IP practice is entirely devoted to helping our clients to recognise the nonsense IP and to manage, protect and enforce their valuable IP. We have observed that it can be difficult for a business to form decisions about the management and protection of their IP assets. It can be difficult to form a decision about whether the costs and resources required for a particular IP protection measure are warranted. This is because it is difficult to decide objectively whether the IP in question is valuable or nonsense.

As a consequence of this, some businesses can do far too little to protect valuable IP assets and leave to chance whether the IP will survive.

Other businesses want to protect every IP asset they can identify which is fine when the business is profitable, and economic times are good.

But when times are lean, it is not advisable to be spending resources on what is for that business, nonsense IP. Consider some IP protection decisions, which have recently received media attention: • Mambo opposing Mabo’s trade mark application for indigenous design clothing.

• The Bradman family taking

a large law firm to court over the right to use (the word) Bradman on cookies.

• Cadbury’s multi-million dollar decision to fight for the right to claim monopoly over the use of the colour purple as a trade mark.

• The cigarette companies’ decision to fight the Australian Government’s plan to ban the use of trade marks on cigarette packets.

• Apple’s decision to use its patents to sue companies that try to copy its computer tablet.

Each of these decisions involved a boardroom level cost/benefit analysis of the value of the IP, being the costs involved in the decision to fight for it versus the anticipated benefits. That is not an easy analysis but it is what we hope this seminar series will help you consider.

This series has been designed to help identify those IP assets which are valuable and worth protecting and distinguish these from your nonsense IP. When you can do that, you will be better equipped to articulate the reasoning behind a particular IP management, protection or enforcement measure and to form a robust decision about this.

You will be able to justify that decision to your business unit, in-house lawyer, CFO, CEO, Board and shareholders.

As a whole, the company will be able to fully understand why a particular IP measure is being undertaken.

Identifying nonsense IP

Our aim is not just to advise you on the steps that can be taken to manage, protect and enforce your IP and the costs of taking those steps, we also aim to help clients make good commercial decisions about their IP. This involves helping you to do the cost/ benefit analysis of the IP protection measure in question to make sure that the proposed measure meets your business objectives.

The value of an IP Audit To be really helpful, the IP audit needs to be done in a way that addresses the commercial issues. The task of conducting an audit of the IP assets of a business can be huge, in both resources and cost. It needs to capture information, which may or may not be confidential software or documents that may have copyright attached brands that act as trade marks that may or may not be registered patents and designs.

This process will identify that the business has a lot of IP. But unless the company takes the next step of working through the list and identifying what is valuable IP and what is nonsense IP, the audit has simply produced a big list of everything that can be called IP. The more commercially useful IP audit includes a process, which helps the business to build a culture in which: • everyone understands the business strategy;

Flooring Feb/March 2013 23

Business

• valuable IP, which assists in meeting the business strategy is identified as it is created; • the business takes appropriate steps to record, manage and protect that valuable IP as an ongoing process.

The aim of the No Nonsense IP approach is to look at the strategy and decision making process that should occur before a decision is made whether to proceed or not proceed with a proposed IP protection or management step.

IP Go/No Go Decision Checklist This decision makers tool aims to provide a cost/benefit analysis of the particular IP management, protection or enforcement steps being proposed.

The IP Go/No Go Decision Checklist takes into account the fact that some IP is valuable and truly critical to your business aims, whereas other IP can be less important or ‘nonsense’.

And this is all done within the context of your business goals.

IP Go/No Go Decision Checklist works around this formula -

AAIPC _________ V - to determine the value of a proposed IP protection measure and to determine whether the measure is warranted or not.

A = Achievement – what is your business trying to achieve? What are your business objectives?

A = Assets – what assets does the company rely upon to meet its aims? What assets are needed to meet the business objectives?

I = Intellectual property – What are the intellectual property rights

24 Flooring Feb/March 2013

in those assets? How can that intellectual property be effectively protected?

P = Protection measure proposed – For the purpose of this particular decision making process, what measure of protection for that intellectual property right is being contemplated?

C = Cost/benefit – What is the cost of the intellectual property measure being proposed? In terms of benefit, what is the likelihood that the protection measure is going to successfully remove or greatly reduce the threat that it needs to address?

V = Value – Is there value in the IP management measure being proposed having regard to the cost and benefit and in light of what the business is trying to achieve overall?

Achievement: What is the business trying to achieve?

Broadly speaking, most businesses are generally trying to generate revenue and make a profit, but this can be achieved in a number of different ways and there will be a number of factors that impact on this.

Firstly, it is wise to be mindful of at what stage in the life cycle your business is, for example: • Short term sale of the business or build to flip –The business aim is at a stage where it wants to be a target for a acquisition within five years for a capital gain to shareholders. Short term profit is not important, and is fed back into the business. An example of this would be YouTube.

• Be profitable and sustainable – The business owner intends to keep the business for as long as it can be profitable, driving a steady income flow out of the business. An example of this would be News Corp.

• Longer term income – The business aims to build its capital base with a view to earning income in the longer term, such as oil exploration company, Beach Energy.

Secondly, there is consideration of an organisation’s business model, including strategies about how to differentiate your business from competitors: • The business aims to have technology advantage, such as Telstra.

• The business aims to set the industry standard, such as Microsoft.

• The business aims to have significant brand recognition and reputation, such as Nike.

• The business aims to be first to market and sell product until competitors catch up, then be ready with the next product. For example, Sony.

• The business obtains revenue through licensing/ franchising or achieves revenue through royalty streams. The business may have been set up so it can be run profitably with only high level input from the owner, who may only promote the business, helps to train staff or build royalties.

Such examples include McDonalds or IBM. Some business objectives may change over time. Apple, for example, was once reliant on innovation and being the alternative to the dominant player. Now it is the dominant player and aims to maintain that position and defend its market share against competing alternatives.

Some businesses can also have multiple objectives that can sometimes give rise to tension within the organisation. For example, organisations like Sony and Telstra, who have been historically seen as the industry standard with a

monopoly in their sector, are now faced with trying to hold onto their existing market, while also evolving and innovating to make up any loss in position and managing the different priorities of various business units.

Location can be a factor also. Different territories or countries may need different strategies.

Assets: What assets does the business rely upon to meet its aims?

Assets are a key part of the achievement of a business’ goals: • human assets – people’s time and effort. Through people, a business develops assets such as: »» knowledge and data, which includes fruits of research and development »» expertise »» group capability • physical assets – premises, equipment, raw materials • financial assets – cash and investments • intangible assets – IP, knowledge, reputation and goodwill The importance that a business places on assets will differ depending on the organisation’s goal, its business model and end product or service. The quality of these assets will also be a key factor in differentiation of that business.

Consider Nike. It is known to be a shoe company but it does not make shoes. It has no manufacturing facilities. Its income relies entirely upon its reputation.

In a service firm like Piper Alderman, the major differentiator with our competitors is likely to be the individuals, in other words competency and personality of our lawyers. The firm as a whole has developed a good reputation over time as a result of the collective personalty and competency of its lawyers.

As another example, this time in manufacturing industry, the differentiating asset would more likely to be the different sizes and capabilities of machinery the factory floor, which could impact things like production volumes and even quality.

Intellectual property: What are the IP rights in those assets?

IP is a set of rights, which are created by statute or by common law. In general terms IP rights aim to protect the fruits of one’s thoughts, knowledge, research and innovation.

IP rights may be registered or may arise automatically upon creation: • confidential information • copyright • circuit layout rights • patents • designs • registered and unregistered trade marks.

IP rights relate directly to the tangible assets of the business: A tool can be the subject of a patent or registered design, for example, or software or an instruction book can attract copyright protection.

Knowledge can be protected as confidential information and reputation can give rise to the need to have a trade mark protection strategy.

So the drivers of value in a business are often a combination of the tangible assets that a business owns and the IP rights that subsist in those tangible assets.

While all businesses have a range of tangible and intangible IP assets, a business will rely more heavily on some of those assets than on others.

As mentioned previously, good business planning will identify what differentiates you from your competitors and what the key assets are that give rise to that differentiating factor. This

applies to both tangible assets and intellectual property.

The “key assets” can be identified by answering the questions: • What is the major differentiator between my business and that of my competitors?

• What are the intellectual property assets that allow us to have that differentiating factor?

• To what extent would the business suffer if it lost one or more of those assets?

• What intellectual property rights help to protect against the loss of their assets?

By answering these questions, one is able to separate the more important IP assets (being those that give us our differentiator) from the less important IP assets (being those that all businesses have).

Nike’s important IP assets are its trade mark registrations and the protection from laws against passing off. If everyone could copy the Nike brand with impunity, Nike would lose its position in the market.

Apple’s iPod and iPhone’s differentiating factor is the look and feel of its products as well as the ease and reliability of use. Apple protects these factors by relying upon registered designs of the units and the patents underlying the technology, but does not rely heavily on its trade mark. Looking at your own iPhone, iPod or iPad, you will see that there are very few words on the product at all, including the word Apple.

They rely on the design protection and trade mark that is constituted by the shape and look of the item itself.

Scooter company X manufactures and sells kick scooters used by boys aged between eight and18 years.

Kick scooters are a dime a dozen, so Scooter company X relies on the shape of its scooter as a differentiating factor. It is therefore in its commercial interests not to allow others to copy that shape.

Protection measure proposed: What is the IP protection measure proposed?

There is a range of steps that can be employed to manage or protect particular IP rights. These include: • knowledge audit – to identify and collate the knowledge of a business • registration of patents and designs • identification of trade secrets and the steps that are necessary to maintain those secrets • steps required to maintain copyright • practical steps to prevent or make it more difficult to copy • trade mark registration • enforcement of intellectual property rights when faced with a potential infringement • due diligence to ensure that the company owns the rights in the identified intellectual property.

Cost/Benefit: What is the cost/ benefit of the proposed IP protection measure?

Each of those IP protection measures described above has a cost attached, both in terms of money and resources for the business.

The questions surrounding whether or not these costs should be expended is essentially part of a standard risk management analysis.

A standard risk management analysis is: • What is the risk if we don’t take this protection measure?

• What is the likelihood of risk occurring?

• How big would the risk be?

• What are the best protection measures for eliminating or reducing the risk?

• What are the prospects of success for that measure in reducing or eliminating the risk?

• What is the anticipated cost of that step in time, money and resources?

When we look at benefit at this stage, we are thinking of the extent to which the proposed protection measure will reduce or eliminate the risk that has been identified.

So the question is, how confident can we be that it will be effective in eliminating or reducing that risk? And how long will this benefit last?

Value: is there value in the IP management measure being proposed?

The element of the equation that underlies all of these issues is value and whether the cost/benefit of the protection measure is good value in helping the business achieve its goals.

When considering IP steps that will be expensive in cost, we must then return to consideration of what the business is trying to achieve and the key intellectual property assets that the business relies upon to meet those aims. Greater cost is justified in protecting those key assets.

The cost/benefit analysis has to tie back into the overall business model, and should have regard to where in the business life cycle you happen to be.

Lawyers, Tim O’Callaghan and Tim Clark specialise in protecting intellectual property rights. They are partners of Piper Alderman, a full-service, commercial law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Flooring Feb/March 2013 25

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Business

If you can't measure it, you can't manage it Small business confidence is the number one litmus test of the health of our economy.

Starting the new year with an optimistic outlook is one thing. To remain confident throughout the rest of the year requires setting a series of short-term measurable goals.

The partners at CFO On-Call are often asked by business owners to help them to set goals, both short-term and more distant three and five year goals.

The question usually stems from the business owners not being 100% sure of what to measure to set their goals and how to set a realistic target for the future.

We've all seen the acronym SMART in relation to goals before.

Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound If you use this SMART methodology, you'll be well on your way, but still the question remains – what should you measure?

For most people, the first instinct is to set a goal for revenue and work hard all year focused on growing just sales. If you've ever heard the term 'growing broke', then you'll know that this singular focus on revenue is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

What happens when you land a once-in-a-lifetime contract and have neither the working capital or enough goodwill with your suppliers to fulfil the order? Or nothing as dramatic as that – and you just get a little lax with your debt collection and don't have enough in the bank to pay your suppliers in a timely

28 Flooring Feb/March 2013

fashion. They might drop your customer classification to you being a B or C class customer.

What to measure to achieve sustainable growth All five areas of your business need to be firing well to achieve sustainable growth – product and service development, sales and marketing, operations and finance, customer service and human resources. It's important to set goals in all areas and choose the one or two items from the key drivers of profit and cash flow that you can use to measure your success. These are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of your business.

A few financial KPIs are: • gross profit percentage – a KPI of sales and direct costs management; • net profit – a KPI of overheads and overall business operations management; • accounts receivable days – a KPI of customer payment and possibly customer satisfaction, ie, dissatisfied customers may be slow to pay; • accounts payable days – a KPI of supplier payment.

If it is too low this could affect cash flow and if too high could affect service from suppliers; • inventory days – a KPI of stock management. If it is too high this could affect cash flow and if too low could affect customer satisfaction, if goods aren’t available to sell; • work in progress days – a KPI of job/service management. If it is too high this could affect cash flow as jobs aren’t being

finished and able to be invoiced.

Comparing your business to similar types of business Once you've agreed on your Key Performance Indicators you'll need to set a benchmark and then decide what's a realistic target for this KPI over a set period of time.

There may be many factors that make your business unique and seemingly incomparable to others, but at the heart of things most businesses will have a fundamental framework that make them comparable to others of a similar size within their industry.

The best place to start is to look at the already established benchmarks for your industry. Most good accounting professionals will have access to these reports, and should be able to give you the information you need to compare your business against the benchmarks.

How to manage your goals over time Once you've looked at your industry's benchmarks and decided on some realistic improvements for your business, the next step is to choose a time frame for achieving your targets.

To ensure your goals are attainable, it's best to set small increments for improvement – weekly, monthly and quarterly goals are much easier to monitor and manage than one great big annual target.

If you've missed a weekly target, it's much easier to make that up, than a monthly

or quarterly target. The upside of small increments, too, is that if you reach the small goals along the way, the great big future goal is attained by default.

As Henry Ford said: “There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems” and that needs to be your approach to managing the KPIs in your business.

Break down your annual goals for the improvement of your business into weekly, monthly and quarterly targets and deal with the little slips off target as they arise. Keep everyone in the loop of how the business is progressing towards the goals with regular weekly, monthly or quarterly updates to keep momentum going.

Your team will be a key component of the success of your goal setting and achievement. Involve them in the process. Consult with them firstly to decide what the KPIs should be for their area of responsibility, and how the targets can be achieved.

Paying close attention to and improving the smaller measurable parts of your business means things like profit and cash flow are taken care of too.

CFO On-Call is a team of financial and business advisors, who work with open-minded people committed to business growth and achieving success. CFO On-Call regularly runs webinars on business financial management.

To register please visit http:// www.cfooncall.com.au/events/ webinars.html For help call us on 1300 36 24 36 – NZ 0800 180 400 or visit our website www.CFOonCall.com.au/ www. cfooncall.co.nz.

Get the right advice Insurance is a business necessity and often complex, confusing and daunting for those in business who have to make the decisions of what to cover and how much. To make things even worse is the myriad of insurers and insurance brokers plus the multitude of different policies available – all competing for your insurance dollar.

Do you deal with an insurer directly?

If so, you may not necessarily be getting the advice suited to your situation as insurers are not equipped to offer broad based, comprehensive advice.

Their off is based on their own products, which may not be necessarily inferior, but they do have a vested interest in promoting it.

Do you deal with an insurance broker?

Often this is a better way to go. An insurance broker will generally deal with a multitude of insurers and will be in a position to offer

comprehensive advice on a wide range of insurance policies best suited to your business. A broker is fully licensed and compliant with fundamental financial services requirements and works for you, not the insurer, and therefore has your best interests at heart.

FloorInsure has recently appointed Kai Cameron to its team of insurance professionals to offer tailored and specific insurance products to flooring retailers, flooring installation contractors, flooring restoration contractors and associated flooring sector businesses.

Insurance for the flooring industry is what FloorInsure does best. In fact it's all they do. With over 15 years experience insuring businesses in the flooring sector, FloorInsure tailors policies for business insurance, public liability, motor vehicle and everything else needed to protect businesses within the flooring industry.

"In light of the recent weather events sweeping the nation, insurance has been thrust, once again, into the business world spotlight. If you have been unfortunate enough to have been caught up in the devastation then you will need good sound advice and assistance to help see your business through these tough times."

In light of the recent weather events sweeping the nation, insurance has been thrust, once again, into the business world spotlight. If you have been unfortunate enough to have been caught up in the devastation then you will need good sound advice and assistance to help see your business through these tough times.

Aside from the actual property damage and stock loss, you also have to keep the business afloat (pardon the pun) with many bills and expenses still coming in.

Business interruption (loss of

profits) will be put to the test.

Get advice - good advice, and make sure that your accountant is involved to ensure that you get your full insurance entitlement. Your insurance broker needs to be involved directly from the start and it is their job to get things happening and get your business back on track ASAP. Insurance policies are like any other product so the cheapest may not be the best, but unlike any other product you can't take it back if it doesn't do the job – it's a contract and an important one at that.

Flooring Feb/March 2013 29

Bamboo

Verde: helping to solve the problem Verde Bamboo is an independently, family owned and operated concept retailer specialising in bamboo and hardwood flooring in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast in NSW. Managing Director Mel Haverfield and sister Emily have grown up with floorcoverings in the family carpet business over many years and, in the last eight years, have been instrumental in creating decorator colours to enhance the popularity of bamboo in Australia – to the point where bamboo is now their most asked for flooring selection.

The inception of Verde Bamboo in 2010 challenged stereotypes in the conservative coastal region by, firstly, being a flooring business owned and operated by women in a traditionally male industry and, secondly, offering a concept showroom specialising and showcasing over 160m2 of the family owned trademark Mosowood bamboo flooring, bamboo decking and solid bamboo furniture boards.

“We have serviced customers from as far as the Northern Territory and south to Sydney, the Central Coast and Canberra, with our main service area being Newcastle to Coffs and out to Tamworth and Armidale,” said Mel Haverfield.

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“Having the opportunity to present every colour in the quality Mosowood range in three square metre displays is an invaluable benefit for our customers and is great for a country store.

“The development of the cold press manufactured Mosowood as a premium quality bamboo has always been the focus in differentiating ourselves in the marketplace – delivering a great product that we have full confidence in while offering an extensive colour range for our customers means we can service the functionality and design aspects of hardwood flooring exceptionally well.”

Bamboo flooring is the core business of Verde, but over the last three years the company has listened to the market place and evolved its product lines to include bamboo decking, screening and protective coatings, bamboo furniture boards for cabinetry and furniture applications, engineered timber flooring, pre-finished timber and laminates.

Being women in business, networking plays a large role for Mel and Emily in the continuing growth of Verde Bamboo within their local community. In November 2012 they were invited to an annual fundraising event hosted by a passionate group of local women called Bling for the Girls. This non for profit organisation focusses on raising money to support women’s causes and for this event the beneficiaries selected were Hastings Women’s and Children’s Refuge and the Port Macquarie Sexual Assault Service.

“Both of these vital services are extremely underfunded by the government and rely heavily on the generosity of donations and fundraising to remain viable,” explained Mel. “The Women’s and Children’s Refuge was in desperate need of new floorcoverings as the existing floor was an aged, institutional grey commercial vinyl in a sad state of disrepair.

“After consulting with the manager of the Refuge, we agreed 32

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Kitchen – before and after

30

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the residence, children’s playroom and offices would benefit greatly from a natural based, distressed bamboo flooring in a semi-gloss finish, which is Distressed Huon in the Mosowood range. The natural colour would create light and space in the dark hallways, bedrooms and offices, while transforming the common living areas into warm and inviting spaces for families to share.

“The distressed and black flick feature in the board accommodates the high traffic flow of residents and staff while reducing the maintenance due to the character and movement in the design, making it an ideal for commercial uses.

“We were excited to discover that the event raised an incredible $23000, which provided the refuge with not only the bamboo flooring fully

32 Flooring Feb/March 2013 CS half page vertical - Flooring1 1

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installed but a significant donation to the Sexual Assault Service too.”

The removal of existing floorcovering and installation of bamboo flooring took place in February 2013 over a week period and all stakeholders in this project were thrilled with the final result.

“I think this particular project encapsulates the reasons why we choose to own a bamboo and hardwood concept store,” said Mel. “Every person who comes through our door has a problem to solve, whether it is by choice or circumstance. We are invested in supporting our customers with the education and products to best solve their situation, whether that be enhancing the value of their property, improving the living environment for health reasons or just rejuvenating living or working spaces, so they too can smile.”

NATIoNAL

For removal of: • Carpet • Vinyl • Ceramic tiles • Timber • Laminate

n

Operates for 8 - 12 hours on a single charge depending on the floor application.

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No need for multiple battery sets.

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Comfortable to ride and drive.

n

Ergonomically designed controls for safe and easy handling.

n

Precise hydraulic steering for maneuvering in tight spaces.

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Built-in charging system.

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Unique swivel head keeps the blade in contact with floor.

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Sliding front plate allows for exact blade angle.

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Adjustable blade pitch and angle.

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Zero turn radius.

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Non-marking tires.

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Travel speed: 67 metres / min

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Weight: 1,164 kg

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AUSTRALIAN DISTRIbUToRS QLD

SA

McDonals Flooring Accessories Gold Coast: 07 5564 9999

TAS

Gibbon Group Brisbane: 07 3881 1777

NSW

Gibbon Group Newcastle: 02 4951 1002 Intafloors Trade Depot Sydney: 02 8678 5479

Seal and Sons Adelaide: 08 8346 9833

Total Flooring North Hobart: 03 6234 9855

VIC

FIS Distributors Knoxfield: 03 9764 2400 Dandenong: 03 9702 7822 Geelong: 03 5521 6670 Preston: 03 9416 7878

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Entrance

How to enhance a first impression Six key points to consider when identifying entryway systems for your facility.

By Tom Humphrey, sales manager for Milliken’s commercial matting business in the USA. Imagine a brand new highrise office building featuring a wonderful lobby complete with full service restaurants and a beautiful atrium with fountains. It is evident when a building owner invests tremendous amounts of money and energy to create a design, image and brand for a facility. And yet, oftentimes a design team ends up selecting (at the last minute) undersized,

34 Flooring Feb/March 2013

monochromatic mats to highlight the entryways of impressive interior settings – which can have both aesthetic and functional consequences.

The wrong matting system can lack the functionality needed to protect a building against the soil and moisture that thousands of individuals track in daily – and can also counteract the design the owners were trying to create, spoiling the first impression of the building.

So what are the key points to consider when identifying an ideal entryway system?

Functionality

Each entryway needs to be assessed individually to identify the best solution.

Entryways are one of the most important areas of a building. The right product should provide superior functionality, while offering safety and aesthetic benefits to the building.

Most of the time, entryways don't have enough walk-off product to handle the traffic coming through the door.

• According to an American Institute of Architects study, it takes a minimum of eight metres of walk off matting to stop 100% of the soil and moisture entering a building.

• An ISSA study shows it costs $250 to $400 a kilogram to get dirt back outside.

If the physical structure permits, an entryway should include a three-part system.

Zone 1: The first part should include a scraper product, which is placed outside the entrance – to stop dirt before it gets inside the building. The scraper should consist of a bi-level construction that allows the soil to be removed from the shoes and then fall down below the surface.

Zone 2: The second step should include a combination scraper and textile construction. The mixture of products will begin absorbing moisture and small particulates. Again, it should contain a bi-level construction to allow the soil

to be scraped and removed from the shoes and then fall down below the surface.

Zone 3: The third and final part should include a textile product that is engineered to remove and hold the remaining soil and moisture. The construction of this component should be a blend of multifilament and monofilament yarns.

The monofilament yarns continue the scraping action, while the multifilament yarns retain and hold the soil and moisture.

Safety

According to Wausau Insurance, the average cost of a slip and fall-related injury exceeds $12,000.

Additionally, the National Floor Safety Institute in the USA states that the average cost to defend against a slip and fall lawsuit costs an average of $50,000. Furthermore, according to the Jury Verdict Research, plaintiffs win 51% of premise liability claims.

The use of a safe and secure entryway system is a compelling reason to prevent unnecessary injuries resulting from slips and falls, as well as the resulting liabilities.

36

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® Shaw Contract Group is a registered trademark of Shaw Industries, a Berkshire Hathaway company/7418 November 2012.

Entrance 34

Aesthetics

This decision point is rarely brought into the equation.

A huge amount of time, energy and money is spent creating the perfect interior so that businesses can project a positive design or brand image. Then, often at the last minute, a decision is made on what to put at the entryway. To incorporate a first-rate impression, facility managers and building designers should discuss entryway systems at the onset of a project – to incorporate aesthetics, functionality and safety.

A study was done in four major US cities with end-users of entryway products. Each group was asked: “What are the most important factors when using entryway products?”

According to the results, the five most important factors for entryway systems

– that all received very high ratings – were: • to stop water; • to stop dirt; • to increase safety; • to offer ease of maintenance benefits; • to create an aesthetic appeal.

The groups were then asked to rate the entryway product they were currently using. The ratings dropped dramatically but the largest variance was in the aesthetically-pleasing category. In fact, there was a 43% gap in what they would like to see and what they were actually using.

Their underlying message resonated clearly: they wanted an entryway product that was both functionally superior, while at the same time appearing less industrial and more aesthetically appealing.

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36 Flooring Feb/March 2013

The wrong matting system can lack the functionality needed to protect a building against the soil and moisture that thousands of individuals track in daily – and can also spoil the first impression of the building.

Durability

How much traffic does the entryway experience?

There are so many different types of entryway products available today, ranging from mats made from recycled tires to installed systems. When selecting an entryway system, careful consideration should be given to the three elements that separate all of the entryway products. Pay close attention to: • raw materials; • product construction; • engineering.

Unfortunately, many available entryway products are not engineered to be soil and moisture barrier systems. They are products that were developed for other applications that found their way into the entryway arena. Properly engineered entryway products are specifically developed to serve as soil and moisture barrier systems. They stop, hold and hide soil and moisture.

Equally, some of the materials used to manufacture entryway products do not lend themselves to either functionality or durability.

They wear out quickly, and they have to be replaced on a regular basis.

One way to identify the expected life of the product is the length of the warranty.

If it is a short-term warranty, you can wager it will not last long.

Construction is also important. Is it a roll good or modular? Each has its benefits and it is best to look at each entryway to choose the right product for the right application.

Serviceability

Essentially, any entryway product – despite its inherent quality – is virtually useless without a regular cleaning program. If the entryway is not maintained properly, the soil and moisture will build up and the matting will create a problem rather than provide a solution. Careful consideration should be given to the required maintenance and cleaning cycles.

Each type of product will require a different type of program and the products that were not originally engineered to be suitable entryway products will need a far more extensive and costly maintenance program.

There are service programs available that will actually change the matting on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and each provider varies on the service levels and 38

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Entrance 36 products they supply. There are also cleaning services that will not only clean your field flooring but will also maintain the entryway.

Again, it is well worth looking into all the different options to ensure proper results are realised.

Price

The price decision point seems to dominate much of the decision-making process when considering entryways.

Of course, price is important but the life cycle and total cost of ownership should also be taken into consideration.

Some of these factors include the initial product cost, as well as the cost of: • premature replacement; • maintenance; • slip and fall liability; • an unsatisfactory first impression.

Entryways are one of the most important areas of a

building. The right product should provide superior functionality while offering safety and aesthetic benefits to the building.

By evaluating six key benefits in your entryway decision-making process, individuals have the ability to create a first impression that enhances the design and image, while establishing a safe non-slip environment when customers, employees and visitors enter the building.

Integra offers it all – good, better and best

About the Author – As the sales manager for Milliken’s commercial matting business, Tom Humphrey leads the introduction of innovative entryway products with an emphasis on the aviation, retail, healthcare and hospitality industries. Peter Cudmore represents Milliken in Australia and New Zealand and resides in Melbourne, Victoria peter.cudmore@milliken.com

As our ever changing need of our designscape continues to push the precincts, Integra Matting always maintains the capacity to keep in front.

Integra Vantt is now offering an expanded range with three insert options to cater for all buyers and specifiers with choices for the budget conscious buyer right through to the contemporary specifier

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An installation of Integra Vantt matting in a modern office tower.

19/02/13

10:31 AM

without compromising the renowned Integra quality.

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Software

Technology and staff: what are the benefits?

By Chris Ogden What would happen to your business if you (or you and your partner) were to suddenly walk away from it for an extended period of time – say six months – while you have a European holiday?

If you cannot confidently anticipate that the business would be as good (or better) in six months time then you have a problem. You don’t own your business – your business owns you.

If this is the case you’re not on your own: the majority of flooring businesses that I see revolve around the skills and experience of a small number of people and often just one – the owner.

If the success of your business rests solely on you or a small number of key people then there are a number of things that you should be doing to change that situation but over the next few paragraphs I would like to consider just one – your staff.

What is the quality of your people?

One of the big challenges we face is attracting good people into our businesses. Generally, we are employing people who have been in the same pool of flooring employees for the past 20 years and longer (20 years experience or one year’s experience 20 times?) or people who come into the industry but quickly disappear from it. Why is that?

Frankly, our businesses, with some exceptions, are locked in the 70s and 80s; nothing has happened in the past 30 years that has made our businesses fundamentally different to what they were back then.

Good staff have expectations of an employer and one of them is that on getting to work they won’t feel that they have stepped into a time warp.

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The biggest opportunity to change this situation is to adopt technology that will help you run your business and to attract and retain good staff.

What sort of feedback can you give your staff?

If they have done well you need to know so that you can encourage and reward your high performers. Similarly you need to be able to coach your under performers to the point where they either improve or they go to work for the opposition (you know most of them will stay in the industry).

These decisions have to be based on facts. Good luck with any staff discussion where you kick off with: “I think...”.

You have to know and you have to be confident in your facts.

Do you pay commission to your sales staff?

I recently saw some data out of the US that showed that, on average, flooring salespeople on commission achieve higher GP, have a higher conversion rate, a higher average sale and take fewer days to close.

Most of us instinctively know that paying commission is the best way to remunerate salespeople but we don’t because it’s hard – we don’t have the systems that would make implementation of a commission scheme as easy to do as paying a weekly wage.

So, if we don’t have consistently good people and if we don’t have the environment or the incentive packages to attract good people we very likely have a business that owns us.

The staff structure in most flooring businesses can be represented by an upside down pyramid: at the pointy end we have owners and maybe one or two good staff carrying the weight of the the rest of the team and the business.

The reality is that there is technology out there that can change this, that will help you attract and keep good people.

There is technology out there that will enable you to measure performance and to run effective commission schemes.

RFMS is a leader in this market and I would love to show you how investment in a business management system will not only make you more profitable today but make your business easier to run-even from a distance as you take that European holiday.

Chris Ogden is a consultant and Managing Director of RFMS Australasia a supplier of IT solutions specific to the flooring industry. He owned a large and successful flooring business which he sold and for 10 years he was a director and Chairman of Carpet Court New Zealand. He was CEO of a large retail flooring enterprise before leaving that role to partner with RFMS to form RFMS Australasia.

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Software

Using tools to generate efficiency, growth and profit

By Chris Ogden, RFMS Australasia “I don’t visit a store today anywhere in the world without seeing customers using technology on the floor, communicating online and shopping using what I see as more-empowering technologies.” – Mike Duke, President and CEO Walmart as quoted in Time Magazine, 4 February, 2013.

I’m guessing that Mike hasn’t been into a flooring store recently. For the most part our businesses are firmly locked into systems and processes that have remained largely unchanged for decades.

Which is not to say that the technological advancements haven’t been made just that,

as an industry, we have been slow to adopt them.

Duke also made the following comment: “We often call it the productivity loop and it’s really operating with lower expenses, more efficiency, lowering our prices for our customers and, as a result, having more customers, which allows for more efficiency”.

We don’t see this productivity loop in the flooring industry; from year to year very few flooring businesses grow and the simple reason for this is because the systems that they are operating with simply don’t allow for growth. In fact they restrict growth.

Measure is an inexpensive yet remarkably powerful estimating solution that will allow any flooring retailer to experience the benefits of technology. With only minimal training, Measure will allow you to quantify plans more quickly, more accurately, more consistently and more professionally than you are doing now. And that is only one aspect of the software.

Measure can help you drive

sales by getting quotes out more quickly and by providing your salespeople with the interactive tools to work with customers and to provide them with information and control over their installation that your competitors can’t provide.

You can trial Measure free for 30 days at measureflooring.com to see how adopting just this one piece of technology might help you grow your business.

C

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CMY

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42 Flooring Feb/March 2013

T

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Trimtec Underlay is available from your local Roberts Distributor AFS - VIC NSW ACT 2 Dunlopillo Drive, Dandenong, VIC 3175 Tel 1300 737 155 afscustomerservice@qep.com

FLOORS OF TASMANIA 33 Montagu Street, Invermay, TAS 7284 Tel 03 6334 3455 floorsoftasmania@bigpond.com.au

GLENDENE 10 Coglin Street, Brompton, SA 5007 Tel 08 8346 0900 glendene@bigpond.net.au

AUSSIE FLOORCOVERINGS 1/10 Macadam Place, Balcatta, WA 6021 Tel 08 9344 8448 ausmats@iinet.net.au

GEORGE LOW 114-118 Woodlands Drive, Braeside, VIC 3195 Tel 03 9587 4222 sales@georgelow.com.au

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Floating

Generation wood from Haro Wood as a basis for living is more popular than ever for the end consumer. Whether it is in the traditional way as a parquet floor or in form of wood styles for laminate floors, LVT coverings or even tiles – nothing is as widespread as wood and wood styles.

Haro is able to rely on its extensive experience when developing the style of its laminate floors. Moreover, the knowledge from analyses of trend and turnover for parquet is fed directly into its laminate floor range.

Besides the extension of the successful Gran Via format, Haro’s new tactile surface textures and wood styles breathe new life into its range of premium laminate floors.

The range for 2013 strengthens Hamberger’s position as a premium provider.

“We do not compare ourselves with the large laminate floor producers. Our strength is quality instead of quantity," said Uwe Eifert, Marketing and Sales Manager.

And the strategy works.

Besides the format, the subject of acoustics is becoming more and more important. The factorylaminated insulation layer Silent Pro and the indoorsound killer Silent CT are

now available for all series – Tritty 75, Tritty 100 and Tritty 250. The easy and quick installation with Top Connect is also now standard.

With Gran Via, the large-size plank design with bevelled edges on four sides, Hamberger Flooring has created the look of a real parquet plank in the form of a laminate floor. Smaller, but not less impressive: the completely revised Loft range with its elegant slim board design looks particularly good in small rooms. When it comes to wood styles, softwood is showing to be behind the still dominating oak.

With an optimised range of HARO Laminate Floor Tritty 250, the floor class for commercial applications, Hamberger offers a perfect floor to suit any style. The selection of styles, ranging from calm to rustic looks, offers just the variety that design consultants or craftsmen need.

Quick-Step Colonial

Laminate’s popularity continues Laminate flooring continues to grow in popularity and Australians who decide to install laminate flooring in their home are loud and proud of their choice.

Whether it is residential property in a major capital city, a holiday house near the beach or a converted warehouse in the suburbs, Australians have fallen in love with laminate flooring, according to Quick Step flooring.

Once perhaps considered the poor man’s hardwood flooring, laminate flooring has now set a high benchmark when it comes to durability, reliability, longevity and of course, good looks.

So why should we love our laminate flooring?

1. Laminate is the master impersonator of real wood.

Quality laminate has the look, feel and texture of real hardwood, minus the price tag and fragility. A number of quality laminate flooring styles have the bevelled edges with plank cuts that imitate real wood floors and the

44 Flooring Feb/March 2013

attention to detail to mimic real hardwood flooring is uncanny. Quick-Step Colonial, for example, offers a range of extremely realistic Australian hardwood decors, such as blackbutt and spotted gum.

2. Laminate is created to withstand the day-to-day traffic of a home. There is no need for polishing, waxing or varnish with laminate. Its low maintenance routine of a simple mop or sweep will do the trick. Laminate flooring and durability go hand-inhand. Spillages, pets, high traffic… laminate flooring is hard-wearing and robust to endure such use.

3. Flooring installers love laminate as well for the ease of installation. The Uniclic joining system, which is the world best and most versatile joining system, was invented

by Quick Step and allows for easy and quick installation, even in the most different angles.

4. Affordability always hits the mark with laminate. Laminate delivers a sensational value for your money option for any household.

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SurfacesToday

New range from SPE

New automatic flooring welder

For 2013, the SPE Group is launching a new range of products along side its existing range of diamond grinders, scarifiers, and shot blasters.

Starting with the new floor saw CS 450S, this will be followed by the new single phase planetary grinder to be launched later this year and a new slide on diamond tooling system.

The CS450S has cutting depth control with monitoring gauge and cutting depth lock, adjustable foldaway handles for easy shipping and movement and anti-vibration heavy duty sealed assembly bearing support for the blade shaft.

Plastics and print systems supplier, Techspan Group, has introduce the new Techspan SolOn flooring welder.

Manufactured in Switzerland and Austria by BAK-AG, the SolOn flooring welder is ideal for welding thermoplastics and linoleum floorcoverings. Its innovative design and precision engineering provides trouble free plastic welding.

Due to the high air flow, the SolOn floor welder

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46 Flooring Feb/March 2013

provides a very strong welding capacity. It features infinite adjustment of welding speed, air flow, and welding temperatures.

The SolOn also has an automatic drive start system and an optial wall switch, to stop the machine at the wall.

It features an integrated rod de-reeler system for mounting the welding rod spool.

Texture, tone and effect Texture and tone will play a pivotal role in emerging tile trends throughout 2013, where a preference to exciting translations of natural materials, unique textures, and airy shades are expected to be seen.

Products that successfully mimic the visual appeal of natural materials such as wood, stone, concrete, and marble will continue to dominate the market, proving more popular than the glass tile which has dominated the market in previous years.

Beaumont Tiles’ Christie Wood said: “Advancements in technology over the past year are incredible, and for the first time products encapsulate a flawless translation of the materials they have been designed to imitate.

“Glass tiles have not lost their appeal, however, proving to be the perfect choice for those wanting a vintage feel, or who wish to create a head-

turning design feature.

“Glass tiles are being reinvented with new formats like faceted jewels and geometric shapes making them a stand out choice for making a statement. A combination of glass tiles with ceramic glazed tiles is a perfect way to create the eclectic mix of old and new that so many desire in their homes,” said Christie.

“Tile selection has become about much more than just material selection with tile texture, depth and size becoming equally as important.

“We are also expecting to see lighter shades, especially grey and cream used prominently throughout all facets of bathroom design. However, there are always tiles that surprise with oversized floral prints or feature strips in a bright hue or rich chocolate brown,” said Christie.

MJS Floorcoverings and Manag Floorcoverings & Accessories, work with InterfaceFLOR to support installation accessories for modular carpet tiles.

CARPET TILE TRIMS CODE DESCRIPTION COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN MX01 Heavy Duty Carpe t Tile Ramp MILL 3.66m 36.6m

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COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN CODE DESCRIPTION MX02 Carpet Tile Vertical Finisher MILL 3.66m 36.6m

COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN CODE DESCRIPTION 36.6m MX55 Commercial Carpet Tile Nosing SILVER 3.66m

CODE DESCRIPTION MX03 Carpet Tile Edge

COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN MILL 3.66m 36.6m

CODE DESCRIPTION COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN MX59 Carpet Tile Diminishing Strip MILL 3.66m 36.6m

CODE DESCRIPTION COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN MX04 Carpet Tile to Vinyl Edge MILL 3.66m 36.6m

CODE DESCRIPTION COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN MX68 Carpet Tile Diminishing Strip MILL 3.66m 36.6m

CODE DESCRIPTION MX07 HD Carpet Tile Nosing

CODE DESCRIPTION COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN FCTN Flexible Carpet Tile Nosing BLACK 3.66m 36.6m

The last decade has seen significant and accelerating growth in the demand for modular carpet tiles in commercial, retail and healthcare flooring installations.

Modern flooring trends call for floors to be more than just a surface that needs covering, they must be durable, and enhance the aesthetic presentation of the areas.

Modular carpet tiles are an obvious choice, having a number of inherent advantages over traditional broadloom carpet installations, such as: 1. Design flexibility and creativity, carpet tiles can appear as one large carpeted area, or through a blending of patterns, colours, and designs become design features and highlights.

2. Ease and speed of installation, no need to clear vast areas to stretch conventionally installed broadloom

63

allow fast and easy access to sub-surface power and communication needs. Modular carpet tiles

51.5

35

30.85

productivity.

R5

56.0

carpets. Less disruption to business 3. Durable and versatile, in that they

COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN SILVER 3.66m 36.6m

5.0

7

COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN SILVER 3.66m 36.6m

CODE DESCRIPTION MX20 50mm HD Coverstrip

do not shrink, nor require stretching, for longer periods.

4mm

ensuring appearance is maintained

COLOUR LENGTH L/m – CTN CODE DESCRIPTION CVS Carpet/Vinyl Stop Transition BLACK* Roll 36.6m

Usage: Designed to ramp-up 2mm vinyl to meet either direct stick carpet or carpet tiles making a smooth transition between both products.

50 mm

4. Modular carpet tiles have benefits in logistics, being handled and shipped in boxes rather than large

Floorcoverings

bulky broadloom rolls.

MJS Floorcoverings and Manag Floorcoverings & Accessories have the complete range of specialist accessories to make modular carpet tile installation a fast and easy process, being national distributors for InterfaceFLOR recommended carpet tile adhesives and installation trims, stocked in all capital cities around Australia.

QLD Brisbane Telephone: (07) 3347 7300 Facsimile: (07) 3343 9792

NSW Sydney Telephone: (02) 9725 5519 Facsimile: (02) 9725 5552

VIC Melbourne Telephone: (03) 9314 2872 Facsimile: (03) 9314 6971

ACT Canberra Telephone: (02) 6239 1000 Facsimile: (02) 6228 1430

TAS Hobart Telephone: (03) 6228 1032 Facsimile: (03) 6228 1035

NT Darwin Telephone: (08) 8947 6917 Facsimile: (08) 8947 1528

WA Perth Telephone: (08) 6240 1000 Facsimile: (08) 9445 1332

SA Adelaide Telephone: (08) 8234 8933 Facsimile: (08) 8234 8955

SurfacesToday

New wide board overlay flooring Boral Timber has expanded its range of timber flooring solutions with the release of a 130mm wide board overlay solid strip flooring product.

The 14mm thick Boral overlay is solid hardwood tongue and groove strip flooring, designed to be laid directly over a level, flat solid structural surface.

The overlay can be installed using a direct stick method, eliminating the need for top nail fixing to leave a smooth, even finish. With no underside glue grooves, installers can achieve greater surface area contact between the timber and the subfloor, which results in better adhesion.

With an equivalent wear layer to the Boral solid strip flooring 13mm profile boards, Boral 14mm overlay solid strip flooring can be sanded several times during the lifespan of the timber.

The overlay is available in a 130mm width, in a wide range of species including blackbutt, spotted gum, Sydney blue gum, Aussie beech and forest reds. It is offered in natural grade and standard and better grade, which combines classic and Australiana featured boards.

Boral Timber has achieved Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) Chain of Custody certification for its timber products.

Simply register to receive email alerts, telling you when the latest FREE edition of Flooring Magazine is available online.

Flooring Magazine delivers to you the latest in design trends and innovative products PLUS valuable insights into how to give your business the edge.

Just in case you haven’t heard, Flooring Magazine now has an electronic version (in addition to the printed edition) and is available for you to download or read online at your convenience.

Plus, you can add your staff and colleagues to be “Registered Readers” at absolutely no cost, which means everyone can have their own copy.

Register NOW Simply go to www.flooringmagazine.com.au and click on the “Free Registration” tab.

48 Flooring Feb/March 2013

Resilient underlay that is thicker and stronger In response to industry feedback one of the leading Australian manufacturers of resilient flooring underlay has launched a product that is thicker and stronger.

Borg Manufacturing’s latest product, a 5.5mm high performance HDF E0 underlay, is designed for use over particleboard, strip timber, plywood and concrete sub-floors to provide an ultra smooth indent resistant base for resilient floorcoverings.

This versatile product is double sided, easy to score and snap, and has minimum face reaction to staples, resulting in less sanding and preparation work.

“By listening to our industry we have developed a thicker, stronger product that is easy to work with, requires less preparation time and is also a cost effective solution," said Andrew Smith, sales manager for Underlay, Borg Manufacturing.

Like all Borg products the 5.5 E0 underlay is Australian made and environmentally friendly, manufactured from renewable forest products and

Tramex, the moisture meter specialists, are proud to announce the release of the new concrete moisture meter

with

is Chain of Custody Certified to the Australian Forestry Standard. The product is manufactured using leading edge technology and world-class machinery at Borg's Oberon site.

New lithium-ion battery with Cool Pack Australian tradesmen will be amongst the first in the world to experience the power of Bosch Blue’s new 4.0Ah lithium-ion battery with Cool Pack technology.

Professional tradesmen need tools that are not only powerful, but can also go the distance – durable and robust batteries are essential to effective and efficient work, which is why Bosch has developed the pioneering 4.0Ah battery.

Bosch Blue’s 4.0Ah battery is built to last and boasts up to 65% more run time than standard 3.0Ah batteries and up to 100% longer life span compared to batteries without Cool Pack technology. It’s also tough enough to survive a two metre drop.

The innovative Cool Pack technology, housed on the battery pack, works by reducing heat build up

The Best Just Got Better!

during use to ensure optimum battery performance.

Bosch’s new 4.0Ah battery is compatible with all Bosch 18V professional cordless tools. It is available now as a stand-alone battery and will be sold in standard kits later in 2013..

Pictured in Kit Form

Perform testing to the latest ASTM F2170 & ASTM F2659 as well as ASTM F2420: The complete moisture and humidity testing kit for concrete and wood, incorporating the Tramex instant moisture test and the new Hygro-i in-situ probe working together to provide a new standard in speed & accuracy which can be used again & again...

Don’t waste time and money waiting up to 72 hours for a moisture test when the slab is not ready! Check it first with a Tramex CMEXpert II.

For more information contact Tel: 02 9418 1002 Fax: 02 9498 8576 Email: sales@cornell.com.au

www.cornell.com.au

flooring 1-2

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Advertisers Index

Exhibitioncalendar

2013 Exhibitions

Airstep Australia

MARCH 2013

20-25 High Point Market Spring Ed. 2013

Spring International Furnishings Industry Trade Show

High Point, United States www.highpointmarket.org

6-9 Xiamen International Stone Fair

Xiamen, China www.stonefair.org.cn 9-12

IFFS/ASEAN Furniture Show co-located with The Decor Show 2013 and Hospitality Show 2013 Singapore www.iffs.com.sg 19-21 European Coatings Show 2013

Exhibition for the international coating and paint industry

Nürnberg, Germany www.european-coatings-show.de 26-28 DomotexAsia/ChinaFloor

Shanghai, China www.domotexasiachinafloor.com/en

22-25 Mobtex 2013

Furniture, Furniture Sub-Industry, Wood Working, Home Textile and Carpeting Fair Tripoli, Libya www.mobtextripoli.com

MAY 2013 6-10

Ligna 2013 World Trade Fair for the Forestry and Wood industries Hannover, Germany www.ligna.de 13-16 Interzum 2013

Materials and supplier parts for the production of cupboards, kitchen and upholstered furniture, mattresses, parquet, laminate

Cologne, Germany www.interzum.com

28-31 Ideal Home 2013

Istanbul, Turkey www.idealhomefuari.com

APRIL 2013 9-14

Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013 Milan International Furniture Show Milan, Italy www.cosmit.it/en

30 May-1 Jun

designEX 2013

Melbourne, Australia www.designex.info

*** For more information on the fairs or to confirm dates, please check the individual websites.

incorporating

FLOORS Australia and New Zealand

The only specialist business publication for the flooring and floorcoverings industry. Totally pertinent to the floorcovering retailer, manufacturer, distributor, specifier and interior designer. flooring incorporating PIC (Preparation, Installation, Care) services the Domestic Commercial & Industrial Flooring markets.

I wish to subscribe to Flooring Magazine HOW TO ORDER

PUBLISHING Co PTY LTD

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Ian Jones Insurance Brokers

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