KBAC Flooring celebrates 50th anniversary

Last year marked a milestone year for KBAC Flooring as it celebrated the 50th anniversary of a company that has come a long way since April 1, 1969 – when it started operating as Kevin Bates Flooring from a small shop at 128 Marshall Street in the Johannesburg CBD.

During those early years, the company had to move a few times to cope with rapid growth spurred on by the landing of what were then landmark flooring contracts for massive projects of the era, such as:

• Carlton Centre in Johannesburg – then the tallest building in Africa

• Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters

• Johannesburg General Hospital

• SABC head offices in Auckland Park

• Johannesburg Civic Centre

• JSE in the Johannesburg CBD

• Thousands of houses then built by the late 20th century’s major developers/ contractors, Schachat Cullum and Wimpey Homes.

Now, after 50 years of professionalism, the company’s client portfolio includes dozens of prestigious high-rise buildings in both Gauteng and the Western Cape, as well as exports to parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Much of the company’s success has come from professionalism that incorporates high-quality service, quality workmanship by well-trained sales and installation personnel, and strong relationships with clients. KBAC Flooring has also been a pioneer in training – an aspect historically neglected in the flooring industry – and led the way to the establishment of the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA).

Albert Carpets, the 38-year-old Cape Town arm of the KBAC Flooring Group, has for decades been synonymous with quality flooring in the Western Cape. The Albertfamily-owned Carpetland started as a furniture business and evolved into a carpet contractor and eventually a wholesale flooring business – now a household name in the Cape having supplied and installed flooring at the Mount Nelson Hotel, Woolworths head office and the Fancourt Golf Estate. Through the years, Albert Carpets has always had a strong relationship with KBAC and in 2010, the two respected flooring companies merged to become KBAC Flooring. KBAC’s corporate responsibility covers social commitment in the form of staff skills advancement and study bursaries, the donation of uplifted carpeting to worthy charities, and an ever-increasing quest for sustainability that includes selecting suppliers with a similar passion for the preservation of our planet.

These “green” producers of residential and commercial flooring include:

• Interface: the world’s largest producer of modular flooring and pioneer of carbon neutrality in flooring manufacture

• Bolon: the Swedish flooring producer that turned reclaimed waste into the world’s first woven vinyl flooring

• Ege: a Danish eco award-winning flooring producer also driven by innovation and sustainability

• The Vanguard Collection: an exclusive range of luxury and environmentally friendly flooring ideal for South African homes and offices.

Flooring never stops evolving, and KBAC knows that to remain at the forefront of this challenging industry calls for constant updating of inventories and suppliers to reflect international design preferences. It seems well set for another 50 years of flooring excellence.

www.kbacflooring.co.za