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THE FLOORING SHOW IS ALMOST HERE Last year, thousands of flooring retailers, distributors, wholesalers, contractors, designers, architects and facilities managers - pretty much everyone in the industry! - from independent, SME and large scale business’, visited The Flooring Show. This year from the 18th to 20th September, the flooring industry will meet again. Why Visit? The Flooring Show attracts thousands of visitors every year, with industry leaders exhibiting, a packed schedule and plenty of opportunities to network, conduct business and see business partners, old and new. •
Meet over 170 exhibitors, catch up with current suppliers and get to know future ones
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Take advantage of special show-only deals and offers over all three days
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Discover new products and keep up to date with the latest flooring innovations
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A Packed Schedule
to wind down with drinks and canapés and a few surprises while chatting with Each day of the exhibition will be full friends, colleagues and new contacts. The of things for visitors and exhibitors to Network with your peers at the show see - The Show and Trends Hub opens at party takes place in The King Suite, on the and during the Street Party from 9:30am. The Demo Zones will be in action Flooring Street from 17:30 onwards. 17:30 on Sunday 18th September from 10am each day, as will the Seminar Seminar Programme See the latest flooring design trends Theatre that will begin at 10:45am on This years free of charge seminars will be Tuesday 20th, demonstrating to all in in a variety of exciting feature areas taking place at ‘Speakers Corner’ and will the Harrogate International Centre (HIC) Gain insights from industry leaders in new products and techniques within the focus on helping visitors and exhibitors the fascinating Seminar Theatre alike market products and businesses industry. using various methods: how to price Be part of the lively, friendly products, make social media work for On Sunday 18th September, when the atmosphere that The Flooring Show your company, carpet recycling, caring show has closed exhibitors and visitors is so famous for! for wool and trends. alike are invited to the Street Party networking event which will take place If you haven’t yet registered to attend, inside the HIC. Find out more below! visit www.theflooringshow.com and click ‘Register’. The form takes less than You’re Invited to the Street Party! five minutes to complete and when You’re all invited to the Street Party on you have, you’ll be part of the UK’s Sunday 18th September! National Flooring Event! After a hard day at the Flooring & Tiling Show, visitors and exhibitors are invited
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NEWS UPDATE A ROYAL VISIT FOR ULSTER CARPETS Ulster Carpets were delighted to welcome The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall for a tour of their Portadown headquarters in May. The Royal couple stopped off as part of their three day visit to Northern Ireland to learn more about local manufacturing. Company Managing Director, Nick Coburn and Chairman Edward Wilson accompanied their Royal Highnesses around the factory explaining the journey a carpet makes from fleece to floor. During a visit to the company’s Research and Development department, The Prince of Wales was particularly interested to learn about the company’s revolutionary PSYLO™ weaving technology which won the Queens Award for Innovation in 2006. The Prince who regularly champions UK industry saw how technological advancements allowed Ulster to keep manufacturing within the UK, while so many of their competitors have moved abroad. Ulster Carpets were also able to give the Royal visitors a preview of their new Dyehouse and Energy Centre which is currently under construction. The Prince of Wales is a long time advocate of sustainability and has spoken many times about environmental issues and so was pleased to learn about Ulster’s strict
environmental policy. The Prince was also impressed by how the new building will increase the company’s energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. The Duchess of Cornwall, a keen horsewoman was particularly interested to learn how much of the waste materials from manufacturing were recycled for use in the equestrian business.
75 years later we are still in production on the same site and many generations of the same families have worked here. The Royal Highnesses congratulated us on all of our successes and we were very honoured to host this visit”.
Mr Edward Wilson commented “My father started this company in the 1930’s with the aim of providing worthwhile employment to the local area. We are extremely proud that over
NEW REVISED LOGO FOR NBF The National Bed Federation has introduced a revised, single version of its NBF Approved Big Tick logo for its audited members. Since the launch of the NBF’s Code of Practice in 2014 - designed to encourage good practice in the industry - the NBF Approved logo has played an important role in creating and strengthening a uniform brand.
flammability, cleanliness of fillings and trade descriptions. Our logo – and in particular the NBF Approved Big Tick logo – not only reflects the future of the association but is a clear indicator that our members are manufacturing product that is safe, clean and honest.
“The two existing logos will now be replaced with one to simplify things. Jessica Alexander, executive director for There has been some confusion in having the NBF comments “Membership of the two versions and instances where the NBF is now dependent on compliance logo has been used in such a way as to with the Code, and to achieve that imply that, for example, a retailer is an compliance every NBF manufacturer NBF Member or NBF Approved, when this member has been independently audited is clearly not the case. One logo will avoid against the Code’s strict criteria, covering any potential for misunderstanding.”
The new logo for audited members now clearly states ‘Made by An Approved NBF Member’ and can be used on members’ product labels and marketing materials. It can also be supplied to those customers whose members make own label/white label products. For non-audited members (for example Supplier members), there is a complementary version of the logo.
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ALL LOVED UP... WITH THE LOVE STORY COLLECTION! Love is in the air to spice up the intense relationship that the carpet industry is having with softness this season. The latest launch of Abingdon’s Lasting Romance and Deep Feelings has created a lot of love for the products due to both its softness and its practicality! “The response has been phenomenal” according to sales director Martin Peace. “It really is soft but the fibre is more robust than polypropylene, it’s still bleach cleanable and is a much lower cost than nylon. A real win/win scenario! Martin’s confidence is based on lots of roll sales but also a fantastic response to the launch of the new ‘state of the art’ lectern presentation that really does the products justice. The two heavyweight ranges me in 12 superb colour ways and are available in 2.5m, 4m and 5m widths. “There is so much soft about everywhere that people are now looking for something a little bit extra and are prepared to pay for it. Good news indeed for the retailer.” For more information, please contact your local Abingdon representative or the marketing team on 01274 655 671.
WOOLSAFE PACK PINK SUNGLASSES AND WINE FOR HARROGATE After last year’s successful ‘It’s Cool To Buy Wool #Naturally’ campaign, The WoolSafe Organisation finds itself back in Harrogate and back in front of retailers demonstrating just how easy wool is to clean and maintain. WoolSafe will be supporting the Wool Carpet Focus Group’s core messages promoting wool carpet’s amazing bounce-back-ability and clean-ability. Red wine and coffee will be carelessly thrown over wool carpet samples and the team will demonstrate, in front of a live audience of retailers, successful stain removal technique using just a WoolSafe Approved general spotter and paper towels. “If we want retailers to be convinced in the abilities of wool carpets then there
is no better way of getting the message across than live demonstrations” said Steve Bakker, WoolSafe Marketing Manager. “Seeing is believing, so look out for lots of demonstrations showing the many attributes of wool carpet at this year’s show!” “From product certification to education, training and the promotion of professional services, The WoolSafe Organisation endorses the wonder of wool like few others can and we are very much looking forward to playing an integral part in The Flooring Show once again” concludes Steve. For further information please contact The WoolSafe Organisation on 01943 850 817 or email info@woolsafe.org.
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BRINTONS CELEBRATES INSTALLATION OF THE YEAR AWARD Royal Warrant holder, Brintons, has been awarded the prestigious Woven Carpet Design Installation of the Year award for its Art Deco inspired carpets at Quaglino’s.
Woven Carpet Design Installation of the Year award for its 1930s inspired designs that it created for the renowned Mayfair based restaurant and late night venue, Quaglino’s.
Brintons supplied a striking custom carpet featuring geometric designs for the restaurant to compliment the period’s style of its multimillion pound refurbishment project. The carpet was installed throughout the restaurant and Hosted at Stamford Bridge in London, the staircase, featuring a dramatic linear awards included 14 different categories, style to reflect the Art Deco influence some of which were sponsored by of the interiors. leading interiors magazines. Sarah Draper, Commercial Marketing Ranging from Rug Design of the Year Manager for Brintons, comments to the award for Innovation in Yarn “We are really honoured to have Development, Brintons was awarded received such a fantastic award from such a renowned industry figure, Campaign for Wool.” Celebrating quality, style and innovation, Campaign for Wool’s International Wool Carpet and Rug awards was launched for the first time at this year’s Wool Floor Show in London.
She adds “Our range of designers utilise our 230 year old archive to create bespoke creations that truly reflect a commercial interior’s specific identity. Working with Quaglino’s to create such a stunning Art Deco design was a fantastic experience and we are delighted for our work to have been recognised with such a prestigious award.”
Brintons was at the Wool Floor Show showcasing its latest commercial collection, QuickWeave, which offers a shorter turnaround time and is ideal for clients who are working on projects where timing is of the essence, see page 46 for more details. For more information on Brintons and its range of products and services for the commercial sector please visit www.brintons.net or call Brintons directly on 01562 635665.
BED INDUSTRY AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN The National Bed Federation has launched its 2016 Bed Industry Awards, which honour the brightest and best enterprises in the bed market. The awards, which were established in 2010, are open to businesses of all shapes and sizes – welcoming entries from big brands to the small niche players.
“The Bed Industry Awards are an integral part of the Bed Show and we’re delighted to be running them for the sixth year,”
said Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF. “They are a fantastic way of recognising and celebrating the most successful bed manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.” The format of the awards remains the same but this year there has been some changes to the categories. Bed Manufacturer of the Year and Bed Component Supplier of the Year categories will continue but instead of Multiple Bed Retailer and Independent Bed Retailer, there will be Bed Retailer of the Year which will be split into two awards – those with a beds turnover of over £5m and those with a beds turnover of less than £5m. Plus new for this year is the Judges Choice Award.
Led by NBF awards co-ordinator, Lisa Artis, the entries will be judged by an independent panel made up of the editors of the key industry journals; Cabinet Maker, Furniture News, Furnishing Report and Interiors Monthly, along with Bernard Eaton, Managing Director of Greenwood Retail. Winners will be announced at the Bed Show Gala Dinner on Tuesday 20th September which will be hosted by British comedy talent, Marcus Brigstocke. More details on the awards, including how to enter, are available on the Bed Show website www.bedshow.co.uk.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT IN A NEW REGULAR FEATURE RICHARD RENOUF WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES TO HELP MEMBERS STAY UP TO DATE!
A successful sale is the result of teamwork – manufacturer, sales, estimators and fitters working together to ensure the customer gets the product and installation that’s right for them. Of course, the customer has a part to play, too, but it’s our professionalism that should steer them away from wrong choices. When things go wrong there is a natural tendency to focus on blame. Who got it wrong? (of course, it wasn’t me!) and the resulting circles of avoidance and confusion don’t leave the customer with a good impression of our business, especially as their flooring is still waiting for attention. Our first priority when we get a complaint should be to understand what’s gone wrong so we can work out how best to put it right. Let’s illustrate this by thinking for a moment about restretches. A carpet somehow works loose and starts to ripple, then crease. This leads to delamination of the secondary backing on a tufted carpet, so if not dealt with quickly and effectively the carpet can be ruined. My experience is that the typical first response to a rippling carpet is to send the fitter back. Twenty minutes later the carpet has been restretched
five metres long and so should have been power stretched, and so on. Sending out the fitter to assess his or her own work, if he or she has done the job to the best of their skill and understanding, won’t pick up issues like these. It causes frustration for your customers and it deprives the fitters of the chance to learn and improve their skills. In the long run, it’s costly for everyone. and everyone assumes this was ‘just one of those things’. My experience comes from inspecting the jobs that have had to be restretched four, five or even more times because the fitter is not aware of why it’s happening and so isn’t solving the problem which he/she could have avoided by doing the job correctly in the first place. And the carpet has by this time delaminated; it’s all been blamed on the manufacturer. Restretches can become necessary because of a number of factors: the gripper could be too far from the wall/skirting boards (it should be two-thirds of the thickness of the carpet -usually 6-8mm, not the fitter’s finger thickness), door bars have not been ‘dressed down’ to grip the carpet and/or the carpet has been stretched away from the door bar, the carpet may be more than
It is alleged that Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. If your fitters are doing restretches as a matter of routine, it’s worth finding out why. With restretches or any other issue where you can’t identify the cause an independent expert can help to give you the information you need. Once you have correctly identified the what - and put it right – there’s time for feeding back to whoever in the supply chain could have helped to avoid the problem occurring. After the big match it is the fans who talk about blame. The players and the manager don’t point the finger, they talk about their shared responsibility for the result, whether it’s a win or a loss, and the lessons they will take from the experience.
Richard has worked in floorcoverings and furniture retail for more than thirty years. His experience includes independent family businesses and a major national retail chain. In 1992 Richard established the Qualitas Conciliation Service (now the Furniture Ombudsman) to help resolve disputes about furniture and floorcoverings and is now working as an independent consultant and is a consultant member of the Contract Flooring Association. SMG News | Summer 2016 | 17
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NEWS UPDATE SEALY URGES CONSUMERS TO VIEW BED PURCHASE ON A ‘COST-PER-SLEEP’ BASIS UK bed manufacturer, Sealy is calling for consumers to re-evaluate how they view the cost of their bed, and has launched an online resource to help consumers put the price of this purchase into context. Sealy’s stats show that even a high-end bed can end up far cheaper than many day-to-day purchases, if viewed on a cost-per-sleep basis. According to Mintel stats*, 13% of consumers spend in excess of £750 on a bed. With the industry recommending consumers keep their beds for no more than eight years, this would equate to a cost-per-sleep of just 25 pence! Given the crucial importance of a comfortable, supportive bed, Sealy is hoping the information will put this cost into perspective and encourage more consumers to avoid scrimping when it comes to this essential purchase and buy the best bed they can afford.
• To give this new cost-per-sleep metric context, Sealy has researched the average daily cost of many other non-essential consumer purchases, including; •
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£7 per day on shop bought lunches; UK workers spend on average £1,840 a year buying their lunch instead of making it themselves.
Neil Robinson, Marketing and Sales Director at Sealy comments “While you can’t really put a cost on being a deeper £5.70 spent each day on eating out. sleeper, and waking up refreshed and The average Brit eats out 1.5 times a revitalised, we have attempted to do so, week, spending up to £53 per meal. and it’s much cheaper than many people That equates to roughly £4,166 spent will think!” dining out each year, or 25% of their “Hanging on to an existing bed far longer average annual income. £2.15 per day on booze – Brits spend than is appropriate – or safe – to do so on average nearly £50,000 on alcohol can result in aches and pains. However, we hope that by viewing this on a during their lifetime, with each cost-per-sleep basis against other person spending around £787, with men spending £934.44 per year, and purchases, this is put into context.” women spending £678.60.
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£1 per day spent on coffee – caffeine fans spend £397 per year spend on takeaway coffee, equating to around £1 per day (in fact, by sleeping better, consumers might not even need coffee to stay awake in the day!)
£1.26 per day on lottery tickets and scratch cards; Britons spend an average of £416 a year on the lottery.
You can find the complete online resource on the Sealy UK website. Sources *Mintel – Bedrooms and Bedroom Furniture. OrSaveIt, Macmillan Cancer Support, VoucherCloud, VoucherCodesPro, OpenTable.
AXMINSTER SCOOPS TOP AWARD AT PRESTIGIOUS CARPET AWARDS Royal Warrant holders Axminster Carpets scooped Best Residential Woven Carpet and were finalists in the Homes and Gardens Award with their Royal Borough Collection at the International Wool Carpets and Rugs Awards in London. Their Simply Natural Collection was also a finalist in the innovation in Yarn Technology category. Designed and woven in Axminster, the Royal Borough Collection combines the natural beauty of undyed wool with contemporary colours and unique weaves to create a carpet that is not only practical but also soft to the touch. The stunning design and craftsmanship in the collection was recognised by the judges when they made the award. Simply Natural uses a unique cabled yarn to produce an incredibly soft, yet hardwearing wool carpet. Developed by Axminster’s own development team the yarn takes single threads of wool and cables them into one strand to make a beautiful soft texture. Gary Bridge, Design Director collected the award at the ceremony held at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge Football Ground. “We are naturally delighted with the awards especially as the entries were all of a high standard. We are passionate not only about great design but also making high-performing carpet. We are particularly proud of this award because we worked closely with the weavers to create the knitted weave effect.
The Royal Borough team and Design Director Gary Bridge with the Award Winning Royal Borough Carpet.
This is a great example of design, technology and weaving expertise all working together in developing new products to create beautiful pattern, a true team effort.” Gary is committed to Wool and continues “Wool has a number of benefits for flooring. It is not just fully sustainable and the environmental choice but also has wider benefits of soundproofing and insulating your home while actively managing a healthier climate in your home and acting as a natural flame retardant barrier to your floor.”
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NEWS UPDATE CARPET RECYCLING UK: HOW RETAILERS BENEFIT BY RECYCLING CARPET Retailers can gain practical advice and tips on how to recycle carpets that can generate significant savings on disposal costs in two seminar sessions hosted by Carpet Recycling UK at the Harrogate Flooring Show on the 18th and the 20th September 2016. CRUK, the industry’s association for recycling and reusing carpet, will also be exhibiting at stand M35 during the three-day event. Both seminar sessions will begin with a talk from Jane Gardner of CRUK and will provide an overview of the latest developments in carpet recycling and updates on its progress towards its 60% landfill diversion target by 2020. Landfill diversion of carpets has increased from 2% to 31% over the past eight years.
Commenting on the achievements of Carpet Recycling UK, Director Laurance Bird said: “Thanks to ongoing support from our core funders who are leading the way for sustainability within the carpet value chain, the reuse and recycling of waste carpet across the UK continues to rise year on year.”
The first seminar at 3pm on Sunday will incorporate a talk from Simon Wells of Kenburn Waste Management, a CRUK member, who will explain how compacting waste can help to bulk up “This is very encouraging, yet there is still much that we can do. carpet volumes for onward transport to recyclers and ultimately Our seminar was the best-attended in 2015, so we’re delighted save money on waste disposal costs. to have been allocated two seminar slots at this year’s show.” On Tuesday at 10:45am following Jane’s update, Peter Steel of Linney Cooper, another CRUK member, will unveil ‘The Secret of Carpet Recycling’ and outline the thought processes and steps retailers should consider to make recycling work for them.
Carpet Recycling UK welcomes enquiries from all types of organisations interested in finding new outlets for their waste carpet. For information please call Marie Rhodes on 0161 440 8325, email marie@carpetrecyclinguk.com or visit www.carpetrecyclinguk.com.
3 OUT OF 4 CAUSING A SPOT OF BOTHER… Most of us realise that when it comes to garnering information or seeking advice on the internet there are some dubious sources out there and we shouldn’t believe everything we see and read. So how do we decide who to trust? For the news we might look for a recognised broadcaster like the BBC or national broadsheets and tabloid newspapers. For consumers looking for help in making purchasing decisions Which? is one of the most popular sources of advice. Which? recently tested several carpet spot removal products and graded them on price, ease of use and how well they removed spills. Which? also looked at home remedies and, in their wisdom, recommended using washing up liquid to remove spills from carpet. It was this very poor advice that caught our eye and WoolSafe began to dig a bit deeper. The reason why Which? can recommend washing up liquid is because they don’t
test the rate of soiling after application. What is the point of cleaning up a spill only for all the dirt to stick to the washing up liquid residue left behind? You just end up with a dirty great big stain.
• 25% will adversely affect the colour fastness of the carpet! Of the three highest rated ‘Best Buys’ the top product failed WoolSafe testing on both colour fastness and rapid soiling... So if you can’t trust 3 out of 4 spotters not to damage your carpet and you can’t trust Which? Best Buy advice, then how can you be sure you are choosing a safe and effective product?
WoolSafe also found, under controlled testing, that some of the spotters recommended by Which? caused rapid soiling, bleaching, colour run and one was even highly combustible - so decided to broaden the testing to even more The answer is really simple! Look for the products on the High Street and this is respected WoolSafe Certification Mark on the alarming discovery: the bottle or packaging. WoolSafe have been identifying the very best cleaning • 75% - that’s 3 out of 4! - of the random and maintenance products for over 25 selection of spot removers FAILED years. the WoolSafe standard tests (and are therefore not suitable for use on all carpet For FREE and professional advice fibres, including wool) watch the WoolSafe spot removal videos and download the award • Over half of the products will cause winning Carpet Stain Cleaning Guide rapid soiling, leaving your carpet in a worse state than if you had done nothing! app at www.woolsafe.org. • Half the products are not even effective spot removers!
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MOTORING INSIGHT EACH ISSUE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOMBARD VEHICLE SOLUTIONS, WE’LL OFFER ADVICE ON YOUR BUSINESS MOTORING.
‘Road risk management’ and ‘duty of care’ are terms that will crop up for any small business considering company vehicles, especially as the requirements to manage driver safety increase. Yet although tackling road risk management can seem like a daunting task, it’s worth looking at how your business can actually benefit from a few simple actions to address driver safety.
Consider looking at vehicle crash ratings too. The Euro NCAP crash test ratings are regularly updated with results for new vehicles and it has been estimated that a vehicle with the full five-star rating has a 36% lower fatality risk than a vehicle that meets the minimum crash test regulations set out by the UN. Happily enough such vehicles are likely to bring lower insurance premiums too.
Unfortunately accidents amongst fleet drivers are all too common on the UK’s roads. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that every week more than 20 people are killed and 250 are seriously injured in at-work road crashes. Not only can such crashes bring utter devastation to your drivers and their families but the human and financial penalties to your business and the wider community are also significant.
Finally, you should look at the issue of employees using their own vehicles for work. As the employer, your duty of care also extends to such vehicles, therefore you are well advised to make checks on everything from driver licences as well as vehicle insurance, MOTs and general roadworthiness.
The good news is that there are tools available that can quickly identify which of your drivers fall into the ‘high risk’ category for accidents. Online risk assessments, from providers such as Lombard Vehicle Solutions (LVS), will identify which of your drivers fall into this category. You can then address any bad habits with on-road training, without the need for all employees to take time out. A growing number of small and medium businesses are also turning to telematics
technology, such as the ProFleet2 system offered by LVS, to help with driver safety. Such technology gives you a comprehensive insight into driving behaviour and alerts you to any issues, such as frequent speeding, that need to be addressed through training. Taking action in this way means that you should not only see benefits including reduced accident rates and lower insurance costs but also a saving in other vehicle-related costs such as maintenance and general wear and tear. It can also help slash your fuel bill which is always an emotive issue. Another possible area to look at is vehicle choice. This includes making sure that employees are driving appropriate vehicles, for example not providing a sporty car to a young member of staff who has just passed their test, but also to see if there are more cost effective vehicle choices for your business.
Working with a third-party provider such as LVS can eliminate the administration involved in this but other alternatives to consider include running pool vehicles, using daily hire or even looking at other ways of staff working, such as video-conferencing – yet more examples of how companies can save costs and improve productivity whilst also addressing safety. If you would like to find out more about Lombard Vehicle Solutions and what they could do for you, or would like to learn about their vehicle special offers, please contact 0117 908 6490 and quote LVS 2404.
If you’re looking for a reliable and trusted partner to offer you competitive pricing across a wide range of cars and light commercial vehicles, Lombard Vehicle Solutions can help. They understand that as well as cost effective solutions, you also need vehicle advice and support services you can rely on – leaving you free to get on with achieving your business goals. Created to meet the needs of today’s businesses Lombard Vehicle Solutions is one of the UK’s leading fleet service providers. SMG News | Summer 2016 | 25
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Question time DARWYN KER SALES DIRECTOR AT KENTON FLOORS
This issue we thought it would be interesting to focus on a smooth flooring supplier. With ambitious plans for 2016 and beyond who better to put in the spotlight than Darwyn Ker of Kenton Floors. Being a family business Darwyn started his career early in life being keen to continue the legacy and pull his weight in taking the company from good to great. He started in production, working with the product hands on – grading, profiling, milling and moved on into an operations role before venturing into the great world of sales where he is today. Darwyn is certainly passionate about his role, he comments “This is a great industry to be in. Our product is beautiful and we are fortunate to be able to produce a dream for the homeowner, a lasting character which colours and enhances their living space.” We asked the usual questions to Darwyn and here are the results... HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE VALUES THAT HAVE MADE KENTON FLOORS SUCCESSFUL?
“Since 1979 when the family entered the timber industry, we have been striving to lead as innovators in wood floor manufacturing. Three generations and a great many adventures later, Woodpecker floors are regarded as some of the finest in the industry. The company has moved on leaps and bounds since we began with our facilities extending to thirteen countries around
felled, logged, transported, seasoned, sawn, air dried, graded, kiln dried, machined, graded, finished, packed and transported to their final home, many things have changed. Unlike today’s speeding environment, nature cannot be rushed but rather has to be respected, worked with and nourished to produce a product we can be proud of for generations. With extensive lumber reserves and years of experience we strive to deliver all of this as soon as one of our retailer partners makes a sale.” York Grey Washed
the world. We now utilise technology that minimises our carbon footprint and maximises our resources, partnering with certified organisations such as FSC and PEFC to look after tomorrow’s timber as well as today’s. At the core of our success is a history and enduring passion for wood flooring that rings true in our organisation culture and relationships. We hold ourselves to and stand for; a team spirit culture, an enduring passion for wood flooring, ethical attitudes to business, a dynamic culture that encourages personal development and the enthusiasm to innovate.” WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE CURRENTLY FACING AS A MANUFACTURER?
“Managing the long production cycle of beautiful wood floors in the quickly changing global environment that we live in today. By the time the trees are
INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ARE ALSO FACING CHALLENGES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER THEM?
“To stay calm and look for opportunities. Also to maximise on experiences and the values each of us bring to consumers and each other as well as being prepared to change and move on with the times. Retailing has never been so insightful with all the digital aids available to understand what consumers want and will ask for – there are incredible opportunities to deliver outstanding customer service and build loyalty with customers.” IF YOU COULD ASK RETAILERS TO CHANGE ONE THING WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“Not to be afraid of change. As human beings we sometimes fear change and in some cases, rightly so. However, change brings us opportunities to become better businesses with better products and services.” ...continued
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Celebrating 25 Years Of Fine Worcester Twist In May 1991 Adam Carpets launched a brand new Twist range in twenty colours called ‘Fine Worcester’. Little did Adam Carpets know then, that this carpet would still be in production 25 years later, with more colours than ever and more popular than ever. David Adam, then Managing Director and Owner and Jim Bennett, Sales Director, were the original inspirations behind this iconic range: Jim Bennett remembers “David and I decided that we wanted to make what we thought, in our opinion, would be the best wool twist carpet available. The idea for Fine Worcester Twist was born.” David Adam comments “Jim and I were in agreement that the new range had to be, in our view, better than any other twist on the market. The first thing was to decide on the construction of the carpet. Most twist ranges then, and now, use one staggered needle bar. This has just one feed going into it. This can mean that less yarn is going into the back needles in the bar than the front. The pile is therefore a little lower at the back than at the front of the bar. Whilst the difference is then sheared off to make it level, we didn’t like that. We didn’t want the machine telling us what we could do, we wanted to tell the machine what to do.” Jim Bennett adds “David and I visited five different spinners in Yorkshire. In the end we opted for Walter Walker. We were very insistent that the yarn ‘had to be right’. The carpet we would be making was going to be fifty ounces a square yard with a low pile height. The weight would
Left: Tony Hardwick, Jim Bennett and David Adam. Right: Tony Hardwick, Hilary Terry and Jim Bennett.
come from the number of tufts per square inch we could put in. We wanted that to be more than anyone else could do on a twist carpet.” Fine Worcester Twist originally had twenty colours. Those colours were extremely popular. In 1995, Tony Hardwick joined Adam Carpets to work alongside Jim Bennett and along with designer, Hilary Terry, decided that the colourbank should be expanded to separate it from other twist ranges. Tony Hardwick comments “I knew the reputation that Fine Worcester had developed for its quality. I came from Georgian where we had an awful lot of colours that we made to order. Given that Adam Carpets also had their own dye house, Jim and I felt that more colours
was the obvious way to go. We introduced four in 1997 and it snowballed from there.” By 1998, the range had doubled from its original size, by the millennium the range had grown to 47 and peaked at its current 65 in 2002. Tony adds “The drum size was now so big, it was impractical for it to go any bigger. By now though the colourbank was so good, it really didn’t need any more additions in terms of numbers.” Indeed, the colourbank was now as much a part of the Fine Worcester story as the legendary quality and finish. Hilary Terry comments “From 1997 the range grew so quickly. With regard to new colours, initially it would be Jim and I and then latterly Tony also played a major role. I remember samples, trials, colours right across the showroom. We rejected far more than we ever put in.” Fine Worcester has had 126 colours pass through its colourbank over the 25 years it has been running. Of those 11 remain from the original 20 which pays tribute to the longevity of those colours.
The original yarn order dated 21st February 1991 and hand drawn design for original label. 40
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“Fine Worcester was so easy to colour because of the quality of the yarn, it just takes any colour so well. It’s brilliant that it has been around for 25 years and I am certain it will continue to be popular and go on for a lot longer yet” Hilary Terry
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The changing face of Fine Worcester. All of the 126 colours are represented here through a collection of folders.
The biggest single installation of Fine Worcester was in 2006, when it was selected by the Swedish Parliament to be installed in their main debating chamber - in total 2,996 square metres was used.
“I think its strength, other than colour, is that it doesn’t look like a twist. The yarn is so fine it has an almost velvet finish. For that reason alone it stands out from the crowd” Tony Hardwick In February 2015, the latest 10 colours were introduced with a new marketing campaign ‘Hugo & Ella’. This campaign was original within the trade for focusing on lifestyle choices of individuals rather than performance of carpet. The campaign caught the imagination of the wider media, as well as the retailer. The colours were split into masculine Blues alongside feminine Pinks.
Installation at the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm.
Ten months later, renowned trend and colour experts Pantone, announced their ‘colours of the year 2016’. It was the first time they had ever announced two colours; they were a pale Blue and pale Pink, highlighting gender equality and equilibrium. Fine Worcester with ‘Hugo & Ella’ had beaten them to it by 10 months, proving that when it comes to colour Fine Worcester is the benchmark! In May 2016, to celebrate the 25 years of Fine Worcester, Adam Carpets released a new ‘FW25’ logo at the Buying Groups’ National Floor Show. Adam Carpets also created a carpet in the logo along with the name ‘Fine Worcester’ being stencilled into a Fine Worcester carpet using 36 of the current colours. The effect was outstanding reflecting the 25 years that this range has been around. If you would like more details, please contact your local representative or Adam Carpets on 01562 822247.
The installation at the Buying Groups Show.
“I loved being involved with Fine Worcester Twist and in my opinion it is one of the finest, if not the finest, twist pile carpet available on the market” Jim Bennett
Pantone colours of the year... ‘Hugo and Ella’ anyone?
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New QuickWeave from Brintons Brintons have launched an exciting new collection targeted to installers and hospitality clients who are working on assignments with tight deadlines. The QuickWeave series is a woven 80/20 axminster range offering a short turnaround time of just 6 weeks, whilst still delivering all of the quality, expertise and passion you would expect from Brintons. A huge range of designs are available in a selection of colourways and once you have selected one you then have a choice of five quality specifications from 7 to 11 row. The Brintons design team have created a variety of styles to reflect today’s trends with contemporary patterns complementing transitional styles such as plaids, stripes, geometric, abstract and layered design themes. Andrew Wilcock, Group Marketing Manager, comments “The interiors industry can often be a fast paced environment as many of our clients are working on large scale projects under tight timeframes. That’s why QuickWeave was a natural step for Brintons as it
allows for the creation of the high quality carpets that we are renowned but within a fraction of the time associated with custom projects.” For more information visit www.brintons.net/quickweave Consumer Promotion Offer Creating a home that looks good is important, but home is also about feel, about relaxing, welcoming family and friends and being cosy and comfortable. Throughout the summer Brintons has been distributing £100 off vouchers with consumer sample and brochure requests made via their website at www.brintons.co.uk. If a customer presents one of these to you when buying a Brintons carpet, simply quote the unique voucher code when placing your order via Brintons hotline. Terms and conditions apply, please contact Brintons for full details.
For more information about Brintons and their latest products and offers simply call the hotline on 01562 748000 or visit www.brintons.co.uk.
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Flair takes shaggy style to new levels with Athena The latest addition to an inspiring Flair portfolio is the Athena collection. Much like Flair’s other shaggy success stories, Wisp, Nordic and Sumptuous, Athena is plentiful to the touch as well as the eye, creating a calming ambiance in trendy luxe schemes. This is in large part achieved through a generous 5cm pile height, offering a denser, more luxurious end effect than many of its polypropylene rivals. Available in seven colourways, from on-trend Silver and Charcoal to the bolder Teal and Red, there’s also room for a beautiful finish as Athena stuns this design season. Gareth Davies, UK Sales and Marketing Director of Flair Rugs, explains “We are delighted to present Athena to our
customers with its extra dense pile and can’t wait to see the effect these rugs will have on interiors of both a modern and traditional nature. Like much of the Flair range, Athena also offers easy-clean and stain resistant credentials, making it a purchase where style and practicality go hand in hand.” Athena ticks a host of boxes for a lot of people; its suitability for the hectic family home, although this takes nothing away from its cushioning beauty. Boasting softness to compete with the best in wool or polyester, Athena is heavyweight polypropylene that plays as much on its dense pile as its varying hues.
For further information please contact Flair Rugs on 01457 850660 or email sales@flairrugs.com.
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The best wool loops in town or country Alongside colour updates that reflect this year’s hottest interior looks, Edel Telenzo is delighted to announce that its Liberty collection has been declared the Winner of the ‘Residential Tufted’ category at the inaugural International Carpet & Rug Awards. Run by the The Campaign for Wool and announced at the Wool Floor Show London in March, the awards attracted over 100 entries from across the carpet sector and were judged by industry experts and editors of leading consumer magazines including Homes & Gardens and Country Homes & Interiors. With a unique loop pile construction from a high-quality three-ply 100% wool yarn and in three exciting striped colourways, it’s easy to see why Liberty proved popular among the judges. In other news, Edel Telenzo is making sure its wool loops are bang on-trend by releasing colour updates to Barbican, London Bridge and and the popular King’s Cross ranges.
Four fresh multi-colour stripes have been introduced to the 100% wool Barbican, bringing the style right up-to-date for 2016 and beyond. Vibrant organic greens in Elderflower, tropic tones in Candy Cane, slates and earthy neutrals in Stonehenge, and coastal blues and sand hues in St Ives capture key interior colour trends. Coordinating with existing plain styles in the range. These new stripes are sure to delight homeowners wanting the latest looks.
from the same refreshed palette, each carpet available in six shades. In an exquisite high quality three-ply yarn, these 100% wool loops allow homeowners to create a sophisticated interior, contrasting textures from room to room. For more information on Edel Telenzo or if you are interested in opening an account please contact 01422 374417.
In the gorgeous textured loop of London Bridge, Edel Telenzo has introduced two colours that respond to a more sophisticated and richer feel to natural hues. With its high/low loop pile, sister-product King’s Cross also benefits
London Bridge
Barbican - Candy Cane
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An update from Kingstown In a time when the British public seem unsure of the future and news headlines change day by day, it is reassuring for the retail trade to know that Kingstown Furniture see a positive time ahead. Kingstown prides itself on its 40 year heritage where Mike Sharp, current Chairman, began building furniture in his garage before leading the company in 2016 to a £30million turnover. Kingstown’s vision has always been to innovate and be one step ahead of the design curve, a role that the designers take seriously while travelling the world researching new trends. The Kingstown workforce is highly skilled in the design and manufacturing of their furniture and are continuing to invest in people, premises and technology. As a successful British manufacturer Kingstown can offer stability in a presently uncertain marketplace as all furniture is made in Britain, something the British public see as a positive. This stability comes on price and production and they can ensure to stay competitive on price, as they always have. Offering a wide choice of ready assembled furniture Kingstown has the flexibility in product design and changes to delivery schedules. A dedicated DHD Team ensure consumers receive the furniture in a timely and efficient manner. Offering quality and expertise Kingstown currently capitalise on Britain’s reputation for excellence. As all furniture is made to order they have the flexibility to respond to customer requirements. This is supported by a dedicated team of Territory Managers who cover the whole of the country. Offering support in business development, customer service and
Burke Rotation Press
marketing they ensure all customer needs are met and work towards building strong and continuous relationships. Kingstown encourage customers to come and visit their 11 acre factory based in Hull, the 2017 City of Culture. Here they can witness a modern streamlined factory where the skilled workforce manages the equipment using tablets. All in all it is a positive outlook for Kingstown who know what they are good at and also know they will evolve with the changing market place. A proud British manufacturer that can celebrate 40 years in the industry and who also has the systems in place to continue and provide an excellent service for the next 40 years. New Prototype Shop As part of a large scale factory expansion and to meet the needs of their customers, Kingstown has invested heavily in a new Prototype Shop. It seemed the obvious thing to do with customer orders increasing and the business organically growing. To cater for a quicker new product turnaround it was felt that the new Prototype Shop with its new equipment will ensure faster, more accurate and high quality samples. Kingstown want to see the benefits before the manufacturing takes place and Dave Frampton, Design Director comments “This new shop will save time and reduce overall cost in the product development process. The new machinery in the Prototype shop along with the skilled workforce with 40 years’ experience makes the design idea reality. The prototype is always the focal point for discussion with the design and engineering team.” Factory Managers and the Design Manager travelled across the country looking at modern machinery and equipment. An increased workspace was also created for the prototype team to enable them to be at the forefront of
New Prototype Shop
prototype production. Richard Sharp, Kingstown Managing Director comments “The state of the art prototype shop ensures that all products meet and indeed exceed our customer expectations as a computer generated plan is developed into a real product.” Burkle Rotation Press Kingstown have also invested in a new Rotation Vinyl Press used for wrapping a thermoplastic sheet such as PVC around a three dimensional component to provide an aesthetically pleasing finished component. Richard Sharp, adds “We need this new investment as the volume is high in the factory and we require a large amount of definition for our laminated components. We always have the customer in mind when purchasing new equipment and this investment supports our vision in terms of being innovative, highly automated and cost effective, meaning we can deal with high volume production requirements.” There are many benefits to membrane pressing that include fire retardant compliance, impact resistant, versatile and durable. The press will enable Kingstown to have a quick set up with small batch sizes and give them an ability to press high gloss foils, which are being used for the new KT Collections this year. SMG News | Summer 2016 | 55
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Carpet Recycling UK celebrates resource ‘champions’ Carpet Recycling UK’s recent eighth Annual Conference and Awards Event celebrated the successes and achievements of its resource recovery ‘champions’ at the home of Premier League winners Leicester City Football Club. The packed programme at this ‘inspirational’ venue showcased the achievements and important contributions by members who have helped to drive forward greater sustainability in the sector. Innovative schemes included carpet tile reuse supporting disadvantaged people, recycled fibres turned into horticultural growing mats and collecting waste carpet from retailers for energy recovery. Around 400,000 tonnes of waste carpet arises annually in the UK of which 31% (125,000 tonnes) was diverted from landfill via reuse, recycling and energy recovery in 2015. CRUK’s target is 60% diversion from landfill by 2020 While energy recovery, the equestrian and automotive/leisure sectors offer opportunities for future growth in the UK, CRUK Director Laurance Bird emphasised that segregating carpet waste for reuse and recycling remains a key challenge, particularly for retailers, with whom they’ve been working to develop new solutions. Thanking CRUK’s core funders Cormar Carpets, Lifestyle Floors/Headlam, Desso, ege, Milliken, Balsan and Marlings for their ongoing support, Laurance said “In taking a voluntary producer responsibility positioning within the market place, they are recognised as leaders for sustainability within the carpet value chain.” Looking ahead, CRUK will continue to promote design for easier resource recovery, identify new recycling technologies for carpet materials and to develop further recycling outlets and markets in line with Circular Economy principles. In his keynote speech, guest host celebrity architect and designer Oliver Heath, who presented the Awards for Good Practice, outlined drivers for sustainable design and how reuse/ recycling concepts can be incorporated within inspirational interior design.
CRUK Awards celebrate members’ carpet reuse and recycling successes Carpet Recycling UK’s third annual awards ceremony celebrated the achievements of members who have demonstrated innovation, commitment and best practice in the sector. Three special awards, introduced for the first time this year, reward winners based on their company’s activity as a CRUK member. Graham Kempton of Designer Contracts Ltd was named Recycling Champion for his commitment to making carpet recycling work by reorganising delivery routes and increasing the capacity to collect more waste. Tony Winder of Winder Carpets Ltd and Neil Green of Made by U Ltd were Highly Commended. Designer Contracts Ltd also won the Take Back Partner of the Year award for the second year running for working ‘tirelessly to make recycling happen’ and working closely with their recycling partners. Linney Cooper and Branagan Flooring Services were Highly Commended. Carpet Tile Recycling was named Reuse Member of the Year for recognising the need to accept all carpet tiles for reuse and its development of new innovative outlets for those tiles that cannot be reused. Midland Carpet Tile Recycling and M25 Made by U Ltd were Highly Commended.
Recycler of the Year went to Desso UK (a Tarkett Company) for its innovative approach to moving carpets up the waste hierarchy and design of a product that can be more easily recycled in the future. Xtraction Ltd and Waste to Energy b.v. were Highly Commended. CRUK Special Awards recognise recycling excellence Doncaster-based reuse and recycling social enterprise Made By U Ltd won the Best Newcomer award, having made a significant impact since recently joining CRUK. As well as benefiting the community through carpet tile reuse, they are diverting large volumes of carpet waste in Yorkshire from landfill into the highest possible value outlets. The 2016 Outstanding Achievement award went to Anglo Recycling Technology for their innovative efforts to achieve high quality carpet fibres for reuse in textiles, including a closed-loop system that reprocesses retailers’ carpet off-cuts back into underlay. A core funder since 2009, Cormar Carpets’ strong commitment to carpet recycling and sustainability, both within their own and customers’ businesses, was recognised with the Longstanding Support award. For more information please contact 0161 440 8325 or visit their website www.carpetrecyclinguk.com.
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MEMBER FOCUS EACH ISSUE SMG PUTS A MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS AND THEIR VIEWS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. For the Summer Issue of SMG News it seemed appropriate to head for the coast to visit long-standing SMG Member Mike Trew-Fay at JQ Carpets in Gosport. Mike has been a member of SMG for 25 years this very year after he took over his store, JQ Carpets, in 1991. Originally working for MFI as a salesman, friends and colleagues encouraged him to start to work for himself. He began to look for retail premises and found a local carpet retailer was looking to retire on the 27th March 1991, Mike bought the business and moved in. Starting in the midst of a major recession was tough, but Mike’s determination and dedication built the successful business he has today. The main reason for joining SMG in the beginning was to gain access to manufacturers that he couldn’t alone, however the advantageous pricing and rebates plus the business support soon made the package a major advantage. Mike’s wife Sonia joined him in running the business six years ago and together they have continued to build on Mike’s success and excellent reputation in the local area. JQ Carpets is a lovely store, situated on a main through road offering
high footfall as well of course, as all his loyal returning customers. The store is well laid out, light and airy and everyone is assured of a warm welcome. Mike and Sonia believe in going above and beyond the expected with their service,
as they feel it’s so important to ensure that their customers enjoy the whole experience of shopping with them and keep coming back. We put the usual questions to Mike and Sonia and here are the results... WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE INDEPENDENT’S STRENGTH? “The main strengths are knowledge, service and flexibility. The first meeting is so important in gaining the customer’s trust and the close communication between me and the fitting team is crucial to ensuring great customer service which is often not the case with large multiple stores. Building a good relationship with the customer is key. In short giving the customer a service which is second to none is the strength of independent retailers, which is something the multiples struggle to do.”
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