STRENGTH IN SUSTAINABLE FLOORING Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the manufacture of ceiling systems and floor coverings for commercial and residential applications. Philip Yorke talked to Charles Irving-Swift the company’s CEO for floor products Europe, about its recent award-winning innovations and move into new, ‘sustainable product’ market sectors.
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rmstrong World Industries, Inc., headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, is a global leader in the manufacture of ceiling systems and flooring products, with sales in 2011 of $2.9 billion, generated at 32 manufacturing plants in eight countries. The worldwide flooring products business, with sales of $1.5 billion, produces a wide range of resilient and textile floor coverings, including linoleum, vinyl, designer tiles and fibre-bonded floorings for commercial and domestic applica-
tions. The European operations trace their origins back to 1882, when they were founded in Bremen in Germany. Today Armstrong Europe specialises in modern flooring solutions for healthcare, education and retail environments as well as for office buildings. Armstrong has been actively investing in improving the sustainability of its products and works closely with the relevant certification bodies in the industry to provide guaranteed sustainability ratings for all its DLW floor coverings.
Armstrong works closely with architects and designers to produce products that reflect the latest trends, styles and specifications that are shaping the future of the industry. The company’s resilient range of floorings is factory finished with the ‘PUR Eco-System’, a surface coating technology that guarantees quick and easy cleaning, in addition to offering low maintenance costs and a reduced environmental impact. This advanced system also makes
