AHF
For more than 150 years, the brands of AHF Products have stood for innovation, creative inspirational new ideas, fine craftsmanship and impeccable quality. Today, the flooring solutions we develop—and the strategies we use to deliver them — continue to meet and exceed our partners’ expectations, bringing our heritage boldly into the future.
From solid and engineered hardwood to luxury vinyl and next-generation flooring solutions, AHF Products’ diversified range of offerings and brands create real value for our partners and their customers.
Commercial, residential, small, large, or enormous — every project demands and receives the same extraordinary craftsmanship, service.
A modern company on the move, AHF Products zigs and zags, our people think fast on their feet in response to customer needs, new opportunities, and the fluctuations of the marketplace and supply chains.
And we keep improving. Through smarter technology, leaner processes, and fast, decisive decision-making, as a company, AHF Products outpaces and out-maneuvers competitors, offering the most flexible, responsive solutions in the industry.
Diversified solutions are what we offer to the marketplace, but our partners are the heart of our business. When they succeed, so do we. That’s why we walk in their shoes every day, working hard to understand just what they need and how we can best deliver—or overdeliver. We always put partners first, and we work with them to provide the best flooring solutions to their customers.
That’s how we build the most important thing of all. And it’s how we move forward with our partners to create the future of flooring — together. ■
A modern company on the move, AHF Products zigs and zags, thinking fast on our feet in response to customer needs, new opportunities, and the fluctuations of the marketplace and supply chains.
With our growing family of leading brands proudly serving the residential and commercial markets for over a century, AHF Products is steeped in hardwood craftsmanship, rigid core, contract sheet vinyl/LVT, and laminate flooring solutions.
We’re proud of our award-winning wood fl ooring designs, innovations, product development, manufacturing and services. We create beautiful flooring to last generations with our quality products and a deep commitment to outstanding customer service.
We’re proud to welcome to our growing family of quality brands.
In the flooring business for more than 30 years, Brian Carson is President and CEO of AHF Products, the company which was born when Armstrong Flooring, Inc. sold its wood division to a private equity firm in 2019. With a portfolio of top name brands such as Bruce®, Hartco®, Robbins®, LM Flooring®and Armstrong Flooring™ and a dedication to bring the right style, value, innovation and marketing to its channel partners, Carson sees tremendous opportunity to help retail partners grow with the company.
AHF Products’ purchase in July 2022 of certain assets of Armstrong Flooring, Inc., follows its acquisition of the LM Flooring® brand in 2019 and the purchase of certain assets of Parterre Flooring Systems in 2021 and Cumberland Products Group/American OEM in 2022. These acquisitions help AHF Products deliver on its strategy of serving customers with sought-after products and providing channel segmentation.
PFR: Why did AHF Products purchase the bulk of Armstrong Flooring, Inc.’s North American assets?
It was a significant diversification move for us from manufacturing only hardwood to manufacturing vinyl sheet, vinyl tile, and vinyl plank products for both the residential and commercial markets.
Armstrong Flooring™ is our 14th brand and it’s a brand that allows us to broaden our customer base. Broadening our customer base permits us to bring more volume to our manufacturing facilities, which not only grows our plants, but ultimately grows business for our customers. The Armstrong Flooring™ brand is vital to our distributors, retailers and flooring contractors and it’s a name consumers know and trust.
PFR: Which brands does AHF Products offer?
AHF Products has 14 incredible brands. Bruce®, Robbins® and Armstrong Flooring™ all go back to the 1800s, when our country was being built, and America was literally built on many of these brands. There’s a proud 150-year legacy here, and a legacy in which we continue to invest. Nobody else in the industry has a stable of brands like this - that’s a real asset for our customers.
PFR: Where is your product produced?
We have 10 plants that manufacture wood and vinyl products, as well as distribution centers, primarily here in the U.S, and a very large facility in Cambodia. We are North American centric and strategically non-China centric
because of the unpredictability. This strategy allows us to create value for our partners; provide better service; make supply chains quicker and more agile and less volatile; and to be innovative.
Plus, our products are phenomenal. We’re constantly expanding our American-made SPC offering, our laminate, and our revolutionary waterproof and densified hardwood products.
PFR: What’s your #1 priority?
I’m a big believer that if you’re not moving forward to create more value for your customers, then you’re moving backwards. As a company, we analyze fast, we move fast, and act with clarity and certainty and continually adapt and adjust as we learn more.
Everyone in the flooring industry has been experiencing demand and product shifts over the last year. We’re bringing out new products to allow our distributors and retailers to improve their business by taking advantage of these shifts. We are providing the tools to help channel partners win in this changing market.
Despite the near-term uncertainties we’re seeing, we’re bullish on the long-term outlook. We’re all about rolling up our sleeves and getting down in the trenches to help our channel partners make money and provide solutions to their customers. That’s not only distributors, but retailers as well. We want them to feel the same level of optimism and excitement that we do and our commitment to help them reach their goals. ■
I’m a big believer that if you’re not moving forward to create more value for your customers, then you’re moving backwards. As a company, we analyze fast, we move fast, and act with clarity and certainty and continually adapt and adjust as we learn more.
Premier Flooring Retailer | AHF |
The new Parterre® Connectivity™ line, a 2.5mm 20 mil LVT flooring collection, includes iridescent on-trend metallic looks, as well as natural stones and wood looks. What makes this collection unique is the addition of alloy metal finishes, the first of Parterre’s LVT flooring products to do so. This commercial LVT is designed to meet the unique demands of a wide variety of applications and offers a broad selection of designs crafted to enhance the aesthetic experience of any Main Street or commercial space. Like all of Parterre branded luxury vinyl products, these products feature an ultra-clear, high-performance wear layer that is easy to maintain and has a resistance to staining and scuffing. The result is a beautiful surface that is both long lasting and durable.
Densified Wood™ technology, developed by AHF Products, has been a real gamechanger for the hardwood flooring buyer, especially for those who have pets or kids. Densified Wood™ technology delivers scratch and dent-resistant protection against everyday wear, pet nails and accidents. Made in the USA in Somerset, Kentucky, this is 100% real wood — not a laminate surface. Real wood beauty, character, colors, textures, and finishes, now better than ever.
● 100% real hardwood
● More than two times harder than traditional wood floors
● Scratch and dent resistant
● Gouge-resistant
● Mold and mildew resistant (Cleantivity® technology protects against odor, damage and discoloration that may be caused by mold or mildew)
● Water-resistant (so it helps protects the wood from pet accidents)
● Manufactured in the USA
Artfully designed with unequaled durability, this assortment of on-trend designs and colors feature the fine detail found in authentic hardwood. Tough 10 mm planks feature a durable wear layer that is tough enough for light commercial environments or high-traffic residential applications and a 2 mm attached pad for superior sound control. It is waterproof — top-down moisture protection for up to 24 hours! TimberTru™ floors install on any level, even basements and bathrooms with quick and easy locking installation. Made in the USA with U.S. and Global Components.
New LUTEA™, being introduced under the Armstrong Flooring® brand, encapsulates both beauty and performance. The highly durable planks handle high temperatures, require no acclimation before installation and are impervious to water. A strong core provides greater impact resistance and allows for a precision milled lock. Made in the USA, it is manufactured with global and domestic content.
Big Sky Collection
captures the natural beauty of the European White Oak Species, with subtle stains and tints inspired by nature. Its color inspiration comes from vast natural landscapes of shoreline, deserts and mountains. The planks are 9/16" thick × 9" ultra-wide planks, in lengths up to 86” with a dry sawn European white oak veneer.
A Millennial brand in terms of marketing and position, tmbr.™ brand hardwood and resilient floor products are designed for a generation that seeks a natural, outdoorsy look in a product that also offers the décor, performance, and social responsibility they desire. The Yosemite collection features 12 naturally inspired colors and textures with wide widths and long planks, in a matte, low gloss finish. Exclusive Clearwater™ technology means that this product is 100% waterproof and durable enough to take on life’s daily spills and accidents. Made in the USA with 85% material sourced in the U.S., it uses 20% recycled content and is Green Guard Certified.
The Solano Collection features dry-sawn White Oak in a fresh, contemporary visual. Each plank frames the long beautiful grain with only occasional hints of character. The clean lines of the tree are lightly brushed for subtle that exudes sophistication. This natural color palette is sure to bring the best of nature into any home.
Hartco® DogwoodPro™ Densified Wood™ technology, developed by AHF Products, has been a real gamechanger for the hardwood flooring buyer, especially for those who have pets or kids. Densified Wood™ technology delivers scratch and dent-resistant protection against everyday wear, pet nails and accidents. Made in the USA in Somerset, Kentucky, this is 100% real wood — not a laminate surface. Real wood beauty, character, colors, textures, and finishes, now better than ever.
Hearthwood Tall Timbers Collection. Combined with warm hickory tones, the balance of bright white walls and trim absolutely pop for a bold style statement. Each plank features WetWorx™ Splatter and Spill Guard, which makes this floor 250% more moisture-resistant than untreated hardwood floors — perfect for easy kitchen clean-up.
Bruce® Rooted in Tradition is a sliced-face engineered hardwood from Somerset, KY — USA Made. The wire brushing is created with brass brushes to create a beautiful
grain visual on the Red & White Oak wood. Cleantivity™ antimicrobial technology inhibits the growth of bacteria on the floor surface, giving homeowners an added degree of confidence that bacteria will not survive on their hardwood floors.
Armstrong Flooring® Stratamax™ Pro — Residential Sheet Where toughness meets lasting beauty. The best combination of RTG (Rip, Tear, Gouge) & and residual indent resistance on the market. Built tough for demanding environments, the “Bounce Back” core means that heavier, yet common household objects won’t cause the product to permanently indent. (Think tables, couches, recliners, dressers, desks, beds etc.) Unlike other resilient sheet products that sacrifice one attribute for another. Stratamax™ Pro was constructed to optimize product toughness without sacrificing lasting beauty. Available in a variety of beautiful visuals to meet a wide variety of design aesthetics. ■
While building a bold and agile organization, part of the challenge is finding strong partnerships that drive value for one another. These partnerships need to not only grow fast but also lay a foundation for future growth.
Contract
Furnishings Mart (CFM) saw sales and product growth point to rapid success with the Robbins® Brand product line, an iconic all-American brand that was founded in 1886 and reintroduced to the flooring industry by AHF Products in 2020.
Mindful of the customer and how best to serve them, AHF Products has created differentiation among its stellar brand portfolio for different channels. “We will reach the customer where they are,” said Brian Carson, president, and CEO. “While Robbins goes direct to retail, other brands will go through the company’s valued partner network.”
“The beauty of offering Robbins direct is that we are providing market exclusivity to participating retailers, so that the product mix is different from the store a mile down the road,” said Sales Director Steve Staikos.
“The Robbins® brand product line is one of our fastest growing partnerships to date,” says CFM Marketing Director Garrett Anderson. “It’s incredible to see such rapid growth over the past few years -- from zero sales to a leader company-wide.”
“Robbins offers retailers market exclusivity and protection,” said Anderson. “Since the line is offered with exclusivity to participating retailers, it creates a unique selling advantage that brings leads to us and allows us to specify the line with confidence knowing it cannot be shopped.”
The Robbins®/AHF Products relationship with CFM was valuable from the jump, with the product categories growing 226% from 2020 to 2021. The Robbins® brand has been positioned to sell directly to retailers, allowing the brand to work closely with retailers and understand how it can fit into their flooring needs.
This partnership has been so successful because of four key points: market exclusivity and protection, quality construction and visuals, representation, and manufacturer support. “Put those at competitive prices and it’s an easy conversation for our teams to have with customers,” said Anderson.
“CFM sent a dozen salespeople to Somerset, KY, for a plant tour, enabling both sides to walk in each other’s shoes — something we do for our partners every day,” Staikos said. “We work hard to find out just what our partners need and how we can best deliver.”
“In today’s competitive flooring market, retailers are looking for ways to increase sales while maintaining a focus on stylish, high-quality product offerings, said Staikos. “We have a terrific opportunity with Robbins to provide retailers with a unique selling proposition.” ■
Left to right: Ryan Bechtold — Owner, Richard Middaugh — AHF Products, Matt Bechtold — Owner, Garrett Anderson — Director of Marketing
