Stocklists The
3 November 2014
with
FlooringNews
BRITAIN’S No. 1 FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE FOR THE RETAIL AND CONTRACT MARKET
Stocklists The
FIRST FOR FLOORING NEWS AND DATA
Advertisers
FlooringFactsheets
Monthly ‘Stocklisters’ shown in BOLD Index
Page No 51
ABINGDON ASSOCIATED WEAVERS
18,19
BONDWORTH
20
BRITISH WOOL
66
BROCKWAY
21
CAMPAIGN
CARPETS LTD.
FOR WOOL
Contact No
01274 655662
01422 431100
01562 828200
Feb 2012
01457 861141
—
01274 688 666
BC
COLUMBIA
22
0208 443 3322
◆ EARTHWERKS F.BALL
FLOORING DISPLAY COMPANY
FLOORWISE FURLONG H&V
CARPETS
FLOORS
KINGSMEAD MANX
—
24,25 23
—
—
—
01422 231590
—
01159 506836
— Nov 2010
01924 413 637
—
—
—
01937 588511
—
67
01608 738300
—
67
01282 694565
—
01706 213131
01827 831424
—
01827 831436
—
MERRYFIELD
28
0121 359 2001
NICF
NOVOSTRAT
82 —
0115 958 3077
00353 61 339287 0161 767 2551
—
RACKHAMS RYALUX
29
SFE
—
SMG
41
01924 262525
75
0118 932 3832
30
01207 591176
39
37
BRIGHTON
SOLENT WHOLESALE STAIRRODS
CARPET
STS
TELENZO TRADE
COUNTER CARPETS
VIZIFLOOR WESTON
HAMMER
38,76 —
31 32
78 33
Choosing the right organisation for you
pages 8
Carpet Company Directory Our line-up of the leading players
pages 12-13
Carpet Trouble-shooter
All about stains, spots and shading
pages 10-11
—
MATTY’S
◆ POLYFLOR
Buying Groups
—
01772 696787
26
53
page 4
—
01538 361633
07813 714498
Expertise advice from F Ball
—
0032 5667 4828
—
RUGS
—
01275 335911
01509 673974
Adhesives
—
77 27
LOOMS
MASTERCRAFT
82
47
JOHN LANHAM WATTS
LIVING
07402 746944
—
INTERFLOOR
49
16
FLOORING
HECKMONDWIKE IDEAL
01204 881234
4
FITA THE
FC —
DOMOTEX
—
June 2011
68,69
CORMAR
—
01562 745000
01274 688 666
CARPENTER
FLOORING
Price List Data
Carpet Types
The starter guide for picking a pile
page 5
—
01422 373799
—
—
—
020 85319225
—
01590 677730
—
01243 774623
Nov/Dec 2014
0845 341000
—
0845 604 3055
—
01422 374417
01845 576101 0845 644 9090
—
—
Understanding underlay types and selection
page 9
Wholesaler Distribution Directory National & regional guide to distributors
pages 14-16
—
— —
Classified advertising................................................................................. page 83 carpets/rugs/tiles woods/laminates/smooths fibres underlay accessories/services/organisations wholesalers/distributors adhesives
Underlay
Wool Fibre Page
A checklist of natural fibre characteristics
page 17
Woolsafe: the carpet care guide How to protect and clean wool carpets
pages 6-7
UK manufactured Carpet Cutting Machines
WWW.CARPETCUTTINGMACHINES.CO.UK 2
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
ISSUE 476 : 3 NOVEMBER 2014
Published by Mayville Publishing Co Ltd., 219 West Ella Road,West Ella, Hull HU10 7SD Tel: 01482 659396 Fax: 01482 659397 www.thestocklists.com Sales Director: Diane Martin. diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk Publication Director: David Spragg Founded by Roy Spragg in 1973. ISSN 2046-7338 © Mayville Publishing Co. Ltd. 2014. Every care is taken in compiling this magazine, but the proprietors assume no responsibility in the effects arising therefrom.
FlooringNews starts on page 35
The trade’s biggest and best review of what setting the agenda for the Autumn sales season pages 43 - 65.
“The flooring industry looks like it is finally getting to grips with its future” Confidence replaces optimism Market review and trends - pages 43-44
Heroes of Harrogate Wool brands boost show - page 45
Innovation abound Major new launches - pages 46-65
Victoria is ‘major new force’
Acquisition of Abingdon accelerates growth page 74
Carpet Founda tion
website, hom
Cormar grows service
Distribution expansion to meet demand page 42
Stain stopping
Abingdon’s Aqua Pro-Tec is ‘game changer’ page 56
Onewool Gallery launched
e page
Online showcase for best in wool page 69
Furniture outperforms
High Street success for flooring page 74
Interfloor upgrades Bright ideas for underlay page 38
Interiors online
Rita Bancroft analyses new landscape page 70 THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Innovation invited
Domotex expo anticipates January show page 40
High praise for Wool Week
Campaign for Wool shines at Southwark Cathedral page 68-69 3
Flooring Factsheet Adhesives
Flooring factsheet Carpet types Tip Sheared
Random Sheared
Level Loop
Multi-Level Loop
Tufted With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.
LOOP PILE
Berber – Berber carpets look like and are named after a handmade, bulky wool carpet made by the Berber tribes of North Africa and Asia. The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres to give a cushioned effect underfoot. These carpets are available in an assortment of colours and may be flecked and can be either level loop or multilevel loop.
Level loop – When all the loops are of the same height, a highly flexible and durable carpet is created which has a natural, casual appearance even when (commonly) it is made from synthetic fibres. The tight loop texture tends to hide marks so it’s a good blend between luxury and practicality.
Multi-level loop – The loops vary to two or sometimes three loop heights to create informal, random textures which are very forgiving for marks and stains and therefore very suitable for high traffic areas and busy family rooms.
BONDED Bonded carpets (sometimes called ‘fibre-bonded’ or ‘fusion bonded’) are created by firing fibres into an adhesive material – the fibres are not stitched into the backing in any way. The technique is principally used for commercial carpet tiles.
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
CUT PILE
Freize – Frieze or frisée (pronounced freesay) carpets are similar to saxony, but the yarns are more tightly twisted and should always be heat set. They have a dense, low pile surface which creates a coarse, pebbly texture. Frieze carpets are very durable and hide footprints, dust and dirt, which makes them suitable for heavy traffic areas.
Saxony – Saxony textures are made of twisted yarns, which should be heat set. The tips remain very distinct, rather than blending together to form a very elegant finish. Saxony textures show footprints and vacuum marks so are suitable for more occasional rooms in the home. More textured variations improve the practicality of saxonies. Twist – The popular twist carpet is the cut-pile standard. The yarn is tightly twisted and often heatset to retain this feature and the result is a versatile, textured finish that is ideal for plain colours.
Velvet – Velvet textures (sometimes called ‘velour’ or ‘plush’) all have a level surface pile of approx 5mm to 10mm height, which is then sheared to give a smooth finish. With very little twist in the yarn, the ends blend together which then further enhances the overall finish. These carpets tend to ‘shade’ with heavy use. Footprints show easily and the colour looks different from place to place because fibres lying in different directions reflect the light differently. A luxury for occasional rooms.
CUT AND LOOP When some of the pile is cut and other left as loop, a variety of surface textures and patterns can be created (in a variety of colours). The multi-level surface is excellent for hiding footprints and stains so cut and loop is good for high traffic areas and general purpose rooms in the home.
Shag pile – Shag pile has varied in popularity. The pile is up to 50mm long and the texture is casual and loose but the surface can flatten easily and may lack durability.
Berber
Frieze
Velvet/Plush
Twist
Woven Woven carpet may be in a tiny minority of today’s production but still produces some of the finest carpets which are used for prestigious installations. Axminster The pile of the carpet is inserted into the backing as it is woven and cut to length, creating U-shaped tufts to give a velvety surface. The process locks in the fibre to create a carpet of high durability and performance retention as well as a luxury feel. The process allows for intricate designs and colours to be used – although modern trends mean that the traditional patterned axminster has given way to current fashion trends for plain carpets. Wilton Wilton woven carpets are produced in a similar way to axminsters – the principal difference being that a continuous fibre is woven all the way through. The carpet can be sheared to create a range of cut and loop textured effects. The result is a high quality carpet of unrivalled durability. Flat weave Manufactured in the same way as wilton, flat weave is a loop pile which allows the yarn to be woven across a wider area to created a flatter, more textured effect. 5
The W WoolSafe oolSafe Or Organisation rganisation is the UK’ UK’s ’s le s leading authority for the correct care and maintenance of carpet and offers a range of services empowering retailers to build a reputation for great service and consumers to get the most out of their investment.
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WOOLSAFE approved carpet cleaning products www.prochem.co.uk
The clean carpet you expect... the service you deserve www.servicemasterclean.co.uk
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01943 850817 British Wool makes a better carpet... naturally www.britishwool.org.uk
For the best Woolsafe cleaning and maintenance products www.chemspec-europe.com THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
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www.wowwarranty.com
Great British Cleaning Products
Environmentally aware for superior carpet care www.cleantecinnovation.com THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Drier. Cleaner. Healthier. www.chemdry.co.uk
Vacuum cleaners - the choice of cleaning professionals www.sebo.co.uk
Biodegradable and cruelty-free from a family run business www.astonishcleaners.com 7
Flooring factsheet Buying Groups Pick the right one How to decide whether to join a buying group – and which one…
• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently • Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member
Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk Contact: Jill Coward Tel: 01204 393539 jillcoward@carpet1st.co.uk
of the committee
Why join? Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains. More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing.
• Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view
• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group
• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements,
any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings
While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers.
• Review all the extra benefits and services to see
The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...
flexibility to run your business the way you want
www.smg-group.co.uk Contact: Mike Symonds Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk
what you would actually use
• Check out the product ranges offered including the own-label options and the UK/European mix
• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your
Associated Carpet Group www.smartercarpets.co.uk Contact: Richard Moore Tel: 01942 825520 rjmoore65@googlemail.com rmoore@smartercarpets.com
Key benefits Increase margins • Group purchases to get beneficial rates • Rebates • Exclusive higher-margin products • Special promotions One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers. Access professional services • Business and financial services • IT and internet support • Training and workshops • Professional bodies Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business. Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts. 8
Increase sales • Best of both worlds’ proposition • Wider ranges and exclusive products • POS, displays and merchandising support Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group – this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with pointof-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer. Network with other independents • Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers • Regular meetings and supplier presentations • Regional workshops • Helpline A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.
www.beautifulflooring.co.uk Contact: Paul Phillips Tel: 01892 549050 paul@atbrm.com
www.flooringone.co.uk Contact: Glenn Harding Tel: 0121 683 1426 glenn.harding@flooringone.co.uk
www.greendalecarpets.co.uk Contact: Rob Harding Tel: 01432 852000 Fax: 01432 852005 rharding@greendalecarpets.co.uk THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Flooring factsheet Underlay In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and laminate flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high satisfaction levels with customers.
www.floorwise.co.uk
But 50% of carpet is still sold without new underlay!
Retailers should create an assumption that new underlay is always required, the only decision is which type. It’s also a good target-setter for sales staff. Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results – some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units. www.numa-online.co.uk
Benefits
Types
Good underlay will... • Improve underfoot comfort • Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening • Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear • Improve thermal insulation and warmth • Increase sound insulation • Smooth out sub-floor imperfections • Last the lifetime of the carpet
Sponge rubber The market’s most popular underlay is available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention. PU (polyurethane) foam PU foam is a relative newcomer to the market, typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options and densities – and its light weight helps handling. The product can be re-cycled again after use. Crumb rubber Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall - offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings). Laminate underlay There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-surface. Combination A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt. Underfloor heating underlay Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating up to 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0. Felt This traditional (but environmentally friendly) underlay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets. Pre-tackified underlay A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.
Poor or old underlay will... • Feel hard and unwelcoming • Reduce carpet life • Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots • Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly • Not meet British Standards How thick? A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.
Sponge rubber
Combination
Crumb
PU foam
www.carpenter.limited.uk
www.interfloor.com
www.interfloor.com
www.underlay.com
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
9
Flooring factsheet Carpet trouble-shooter
• shedding • pulled loops
Fading on Wool Carpets made from wool can and do fade in use. The degree of fade can vary depending on the colour chosen and the local conditions to which the carpet is subjected. Fading can be caused by exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight, but is accelerated when sunlight shines directly onto the carpet. This has the effect of lightening or “Bleaching” the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Wool is after all animal hair. Protection should be given to carpets exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other furniture or fabrics. A complaint on fading would be considered justified if it failed to meet the required shade standard when tested to the British Standard BS1006 (1990).
Soiling Soiling is usually the result of some local condition to which the carpet has been subjected to, or maintenance, or lack of maintenance programme. There is nothing we as manufacturers can do to prevent soiling in use. There are several types of soiling which are quite common:
Colour matching Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch. However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial tolerance’. This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience. A greater level of tolerance is required on blended colours (Heathers etc). To ensure perfect colour matching it is advisable that a single width be used in any installation requiring exact colour matching. N.B. Carpets which are laid with the pile travelling in different directions, even though they be from the same batch will appear not to match. For further information please check with the manufacturers recommendations.
Sprouting Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand proud of the rest of the pile. This is probably due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other i.e. J shaped tuft instead of V shaped. Remedial action merely requires that the offending tufts be scissor trimmed level with the rest of the pile. They should never be pulled out. 10
Spillages - Liquids such as soft drinks, cordials or any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, is likely to leave a stain. In such instances, professional help should be sought. Shampoo - if incorrectly applied, can leave sticky soap residues in the fibres which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly. Dust - which is carried on draughts can soil carpets in various ways, apart from the obvious soiled edges, at gaping skirting boards for instance, dark lines appearing on surface might suggest airborne dust vacuum-drawn through poorly fitted floorboards. Sometimes the shape of floorboards can be seen quite clearly. Air borne dust sometimes shows itself as spots on the carpet, this is due to the air carried on a draught under the carpet escaping through minute holes both in the underlay and the carpet, leaving dust deposited on the pile much like a filter action. In such installations, the use of a lining paper is essential as a preventative measure. It is the responsibility of the retailer to advise the consumer when the carpet is measured of any poorly fitting doors, skirtings, or floorboards and the consumers responsibility to ensure any remedial work to seal draughts, is carried out before the carpet is fitted, if a resulting complaint is to be avoided.
Static Carpets do not produce static but like other household fabrics and objects have the capacity to store it. Static is caused by the build up of static electricity upon personnel in a dry environment and is discharged when a person makes contact with an object which can conduct electricity (i.e. door handle or filing cabinets, etc). The static charges will vary in intensity depending upon the individual, air humidity and the contact materials. Static is more usually associated with synthetic materials as they do not retain moisture very well but it can and does occur with wool in very dry room conditions. Preventative measures include the introduction of moisture into the room or in situ carpet treatment.
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
• sprouting • shading • static • fading • pile reversal • shedding • flattening • soiling
Flattening
Shedding
Flattening will occur as a result of traffic which eventually flattens the pile particularly in the main areas of use.
All cut pile carpets will lose short fibre, which is created during production when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation. These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile and appear as ‘fluff’.
All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of traffic to which it is subjected and the construction (tuft density/pile fibre/height/weight) of the product concerned.
The effect varies with yarn type and may be removed without detrimental effect upon the carpet by vacuum cleaning. This excess fibre is only a small fraction of the total fibre contained in the carpet.
Shading
Indentations
Shading occurs because the pile of the carpet has become crushed, flattened or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile whilst in situ. This causes light reflection at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the carpet. This will occur on all pile fabrics but can be more noticeable on plainer carpets because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy pattern or design.
When a carpet is subjected to a heavy point load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the carpet not to indent. Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover. In the case of very heavy loads in place for a considerable time, the recovery time can be very considerable.
Pile Reversal Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive.
It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. The underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay. Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc. The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet. The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay.
There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.
Often normal maintenance (vacuum cleaning with a rotating brush machine) will speed up recovery but in the case of serious indentations the use of an iron and damp cloth or a steam iron together with a blunt darning needle to carefully tease up the pile can be beneficial. Care must be take not to over wet the carpet, of course.
Pulling Loops
Samples
Pulled loops occur only in looped pile carpet where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled through the primary backing of the carpet. This is usually due to some local condition, possibly some sharp object which has caught in a loop in situ and has resulted in a pull. Pulled loops are easily dealt with by trimming the offending end level with the rest of the pile. They should not be left as this could result in further loops being pulled and developing into a ladder.
The samples held by individual retailers may not be from the same batch as current production and therefore should be used as a guide and not an exact colour match.
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
The original carpet tile
Installation Telephone National Institute of Carpet Fitters (NICF) for further information – 0115 958 3077.
This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice. 11
The Stocklists Carpet Company Directory Abingdon Flooring Adam Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W Ww Alternative Flooring Associated Weavers Tw Tu Avena Carpets Ltd Tu Ww Axwoven Carpets Ltd Ax Be Axminster Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tw Bajong Carpets NV Tu Tw W Balta Industries Tu Tw W Ww
01274 655694 01562 829966 01264 335111
Bizspoke Custom Carpets Be Tw W
0121 550 5788 01297 32244 +32 56783250
Be Tu Tw W office@brontecarpets.co.uk www.brontecarpets.co.uk
01562 825952
Burmatex Tu Cavalier Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww
Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd Tu Tw W sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk
01422 374 417
01924 262525 Enterprise Weaving Co Be Ww
01562 745030
01254 268000
+32 56 62 2211
020 8800 0740
Christy Carpets Tu
019078 308777
Fells Carpets
Clarendon Carpets Tw
01675 433066
Classis Carpets Tu W Ww
0870 020 1725
Condor Carpets BV Tu
Ww cummings@btinternet.com www.fellscarpets.co.uk Fletco Taepper A/S Tu W
01977 662211
+45 96 60 3000
+31 38 4778911
+31 383 861 060
Flock-living Limited
Cormar Carpets Ltd +32 56 23 54 10
Tu Tw W info@cormarcarpets.co.uk www.cormarcarpets.co.uk
01204 881 234
01924 488882 Couristan Carpets Ax Tu W Ww
800 223 6186
BMK
0113 380 5333
Craigie Carpets Be
01294 558400
Bond Worth Ltd Ax
01562 745000
Creative Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W
0116 284 1455
12
+32 55 335211
01282 862 736
020 7823 3040
Edel Telenzo’s Bakerloo
Domo Floorcovering Pr Tu Tw
Bronte Carpets Ltd
Blenheim Carpets Ax Be Tw W Ww
Brintons Ax Tu Tw W Ww
0844 9151000
01422 330261
Belvedere Carpets
BIC Carpets Be Tw W
01562 828200 www.brockway.co.uk
Dan-Floor UK W
E & WE Carpets W
Belvedere Carpets
Betap Tufting BV Tu Tw W
Tw W sales@brockway.co.uk
01737 830301
01422 431100
Beaulieu International Group Be Pr Tu Tw +32 56 67 66 11
Tu W sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk
Brockway Carpets Ltd
Custom Carpet Company Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww
0800 505055
Creatuft Carpets Tu W
Mohawk’s Cherbourg Check
+32 56 35 4444
Tu Wa info@flock-living.com www.flock-living.com
+44 (0)20 8440 8777
Firth Carpets & Flooring Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww
01484 721529
Furlong Flooring Tw W enquiries@furlongcentral.co.uk www.furlongflooring.co.uk
01772 696 787
Brockway’s Vogue
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk
Every time you see a web or email address in The Stocklists, you can click straight to it from our online edition at www.thestocklists.com
KEY TO CODES: Be: Bespoke • Pr: Printed • Tu: Tufted • Tw: Twist • W: Wool • Ww: Woven Wilton • Wa: Woven Axminster
Gaskell Wool Rich Tu Tw W
01827 831525
Master Weaver W Ww
01562 754 382
Tasibel NV Tw
Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd Ax Tu Tw W
01429 892525
Mayfield Carpets Tu Tw W
01706 639 866
The Grosvenor Wilton Co W Ww
01562 701456
Georgian Carpets Tu Tw W
01827 831430
MID NL Be
The Sultana Carpet Co Ax
01299 822300
The Wilton Carpet Co Ax W Ww
0845 296 8850
Thomas Witter UK Ltd Tu Tw
0870 1128318
Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd Tu Halbmond Teppichwerke Be Pr Tu Heckmondwike FB
0800 526696
+31 38 851 8700
Modulyss Be Tu Tw Pr
+32 52 457211
+49 037 421 420 01924 410544
Timzo Tufting Industry BV Tu
Mohawk Europe
ITC Be Pr Tw Tu
0032 51 424 411
John Lanham Watts Carpets Ax Tw Ww John Evans Ltd Ax Tu Tw W
01937 588511
+32 52 499600
marinagooch@mohawkeurope.com www.mohawkinternational.com
01480 479830 01480 471304
Mr Tomkinson Tw Ww
01827 831 450
Ossfloor UK
01675 433031
+31 38 385 4477
Tisca Tiara Tu Ww
07860 911748
Trendy Tuft Designs Be Tu Tw W
01274 855080
Ulster Carpets Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww
02838 334433
United Carpets & Beds Tw W Ww
01709 732 666
Victoria Carpets Tu Tw W Ww
01562 749300
Vorwerk
08700 104484
Westex Carpets Tu
01274 861334
Weston Hammer W
0845 644 9090
Whitestone Weavers Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww
01429 892555
Wilkies Carpets Tw
0113 307 9955
07850 935301
Joseph Hamilton & Seaton W Kingsmead Carpets Tu Tw W
01827 831400 01827 831 424
Penthouse Carpets Tu Tw W
01706 341231
Phoenox Textiles Pr Tu
01484 863227
Pownall Carpets Tw W
Lano NV Ax Pr Tu Tw W Ww marketing@lano.be www.lano.com
+32 56 65 4300
Roger Vanden Berghe.NV Tu Ww
Le Tissage d'Arcade Ax Ww
+32 05685 4747
Ryalux Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W
Lecaflor Ltd Ax Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww
0800 78 33 712
Sans Frontieres Ltd Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww
Leigh Spinners Ltd Tw
01942 673232
Louis de Poortere W
+32 56 393 386
0845 6528811
+32 56 73 57 11
0845 652 8811
0844 5611977
Shaw Home Foundations Tu
01675 433 501
Signature Carpets Be Tu W
01422 845075
Woodward Grosvenor Ax Tu Tw W Ww
0800 526696
Lusotufo Tu
01388 664101
TAT Carpet
07976 607657
Wool Classics Tu Ww
Manx Carpets Tw W
01827 831 434
Tapibel NV Pr Tu Tw
01623 481 221
Woven Carpets of Kidderminster W 01299 827477
Bronte’s Cream Shagpile
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Cormar’s Sensation Twist
0207 349 1560
Wellington Stripe from Ulster 13
Are you a Wholesaler? If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.
The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory National
MCA Floorwise Ltd Morecambe see Floorwise p16
East
Mercado Leeds 0113 3802900 sales@mercado.co.uk www.mercado.co.uk
Millbrook Carpets Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk
Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk
Midlands
Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk
Fells Carpets Goole 0113 3071900 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk
Birch Distribution Sheffield - see Floorwise p16 Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise p16
North East Fells Carpets Goole
01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Floorwise (North East) Ltd Birtley - see Floorwise p16
Birch Distribution Hull - see Floorwise p16 Cornerstone Flooring Doncaster - see Floorwise p16 DMS Flooring Supplies Northampton 0845 643 5601 dmsnorthampton@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk Floorwise D & J Ltd Southam - see Floorwise p16
North West A&A Carpets Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk D. M. Miller Ltd Manchester 0161 205 9949 dm.miller@btconnect.com www.dmmillerltd.spaces.lives.com Fells Carpets Goole
01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Green Tree Distribution Stone, Staffordshire 01785 818005 kevin@greentreedistribution.co.uk Lee Floorstok Ltd Liverpool - see Floorwise p16 Lee Floorstok Ltd Manchester - see Floorwise p16
14
Green Tree Distribution Stone, Staffordshire 01785 818005 kevin@greentreedistribution.co.uk J J Wholesale & Distribution Ltd Birmingham 0121 765 4994 jjwholesale@gmx.com Mattyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wholesale Carpets Birmingham 0121 359 2001 sales@mattys.co.uk See page 28 for details STS Flooring Distributors Watford 08454 342000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com Trade Counter Carpets Leicester 0845 604 3055 tradecountercarpets@gmail.com Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise p16
Salesmark Ltd St Neots STS Flooring Distributors Cambridge Tel: 01954 781142 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com
South East Acorn Carpet Accessories Bromley, Kent - see Floorwise p16 Ashmount Flooring Supplies Ltd Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooring.co.uk Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com Columbia Flooring Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk See page 22 for details
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Are you a Wholesaler? If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.
The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory DMS Flooring Supplies Hemel Hempstead 0845 643 5344 dmshemel@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk DMS Flooring Supplies Milton Keynes 0845 643 5320 dmslaser@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk Faithfulls Service Centre Kent 01322 285001 Faithfulls Service Centre Walthamstow 0208 498 3040 sales.walthamstow@faithfulls.co.uk Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk Kent Flooring Supplies Ltd Chatham 01634 668668 sales@kentflooring.co.uk www.kentflooring.co.uk Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd Brighton 01273 557211 sales@pwwflooring.com www.pwwflooring.com Rackhams London 020 8531 9225 sales@rackhamsltd.co.uk www.rackhamsltd.co.uk See page 29 for details Salesmark Lancing - see Floorwise p16 Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk See page 30 for details
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
STS Flooring Distributors Orpington/Croydon 0845 434 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com Trade Carpet London Wimbledon 0208 247 3891 sales@tradecarpet.com www.tradecarpet.com
South West BL Flooring Supplies Bristol - see Floorwise p16 BL Flooring Supplies Gloucester - see Floorwise p16
Wales Mattyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wholesale Carpets Birmingham 0121 359 2001 sales@mattys.co.uk See page 28 for details
Ireland Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin - see Floorwise p16 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast - see Floorwise p16 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick - see Floorwise p16
Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth - see Floorwise p16 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abott - see Floorwise p16 Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk See page 30 for details STS Flooring Distributors Thame (Oxford) 01844 213555 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com
Scotland MCD Scotland Uddingston Glasgow 01698 808000 mcdscotland@mcd.co.uk www.mcdscotland.co.uk Neil Smith Ltd Glasgow - see Floorwise p16
15
Flooring factsheet Wool fibre Benefits of Wool Carpet
SAFE
Practical Strong and Resilient – Wool carpet will provide superior performance over many years as it can offer unique resilience and long lasting durability. The natural crimp of wool offers valuable ‘bounce-back’ so that pile compression is resisted and the effects of tracking and shading are reduced – maintaining good appearance over many years.
DURABLE EASYCARE
Easy care – Wool is a natural fibre that has an inbuilt resistance to soiling due to its natural oils and its outer surface of microscopic scales and as a result additional anti-soil treatments are not necessary. Simply vacuuming the carpet will keep it looking good and whilst wool initially repels spills, prompt and complete blotting with white paper towels or an absorbent cloth is advised and will address many household spillages.
Comfort
COMFORT
Soft and Warm – Wool carpet adds luxurious underfoot comfort and warmth to the home and acts as an insulator improving heat retention and energy efficiency. Peace and Quiet – Wool carpet absorbs sound and cushions the home against echo and room to room noise transfer.
Safety
The Best Carpet Wool Wool carpets have a historic reputation for quality because as a fibre it is known to withstand pressure and have excellent appearance retention properties. The best wool for carpet production is ‘strong’ wool and this is grown on sheep breeds found in Britain and New Zealand. Most carpets will contain both British Wool and New Zealand Wool because British Wool is more bulky and resilient and offers texture and unique heathery shades to carpet, whilst New Zealand wool is softer and whiter and particularly good for plain, lighter shaded ranges. Combining the two within a blend for carpet yarn gives manufacturers the perfect qualities for carpet. Wool has yet to be matched by any man-made fibre; it has superior strength and does not need other fibres to improve its performance. However manufacturers choose to use synthetic fibres within the yarn blend for a number of reasons. These include fibre flexibility, dyeing, heat setting, stain resistance, durability and cost. These wool rich compositions offer industry standard carpets which will perform well in the home.
100% wool or 80/20 – 80/10/10 wool rich
britishwool.org.uk campaignforwool.org THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Fire Retardant – Wool is naturally fire resistant, has a slow ignition rate and tests show that it is self extinguishing within seconds. It meets many safety regulations without additional treatments and is favoured in contract locations for this reason. Fall Friendly – Carpet cushions and so provides a softer floor which protects against serious injury in falls by the very young or the elderly.
Internal Environment Indoor Environment – As a natural ‘smart’ fibre with a complex physical and chemical structure, wool helps to create a balanced atmosphere in the home. It breathes and absorbs humidity in the air, releasing it when the atmosphere becomes dry and helps improve air quality by absorbing airborne toxins in indoor air. Anti–allergy – The minute scales on the fibre’s surface will hold fine dust until vacuumed which helps to reduce floating particulate in the atmosphere. Wool does not give off harmful emissions or promote the growth of bacteria and wool is not a food source for dust mites.
Eco/Environmental Natural and Sustainable – Grown on sheep, which graze freely, wool is both 100% natural and fully sustainable. As shearing is a necessary part of animal husbandry this means that every year there is a fresh supply of wool available for the carpet manufacturing industry. Energy Efficient – Wool is energy efficient in the home and also in carpet production. Biodegradable – Wool fibre is biodegradable in soil and will produce nitrogen, sulphur, carbon dioxide and water which are all plant nutrients. Environmentally Assessed – Wool is an environmentally responsible fibre that has been measured in terms of its ecological impact. A Life Cycle Analysis study carried out by Leeds University to ISO 14040 standard for British Wool concludes that it compares favourably when measured against man-made fibres. 17
Look for the Buttery
Distinction –
The complete package Distinction means you can pass the test with the consumer with flying colours as this brand new range offers the first chance to sample an exciting new colour palette that will be at the centre of future ranges. Building on the success of Everest Twist and Santorini, Distinction offers a heavier weight luxury Saxony with a smart 50oz, 2-ply polypropylene carpet in four and five metre widths and with top performance backed up
by a 20-year StainAway guarantee and a 20-year wear warranty. Distinction along with Everest and Santorini gives you the ultimate Good, Better, Best choice. Seven of the fourteen colours are brand new to the collection and make Distinction distinctively different in its choice and consumer appeal. Be one of the first to make your mark with Distinction – ask your Associated Weavers representative for samples today.
New house builds on the increase
Associated Weavers Sales: 01422 431100 Email: salesuk@awe.be
Increased activity in the property market always gives our industry a boost and with accelerating house sales and increased new build expected for 2014/15, this should stimulate sales. Associated Weavers has products to suit all types of new build developments from the versatile Tuftex Twist to the luxurious ultra-soft opulence of Sophistication – each offering the right combination of performance, competitiveness and consumer appeal.
Associated Weavers at the Telford Show
For the first time Associated Weavers exhibited at the Furniture Show, Telford, in conjunction with the SMG buying group. Pride of place was our new iSense collection which received further positive reactions from new and existing customers. Three months after launch, the iSense collection is going from strength to strength so please contact your Associated Weavers sales representative if you have not yet had the opportunity to see this unique collection.
Distinction
â&#x20AC;&#x153;
Luxury and colour brought together
â&#x20AC;?
Distinction alongside Everest Twist and Santorini gives you the ultimate Good,
Better, Best selection. Another winner from Associated Weavers.
Steve Kaye Sales Manager Associated Weavers
FOR ALL YOUR BESPOKE CONTRACT ENQUIRIES CONTACT BARRY CARRIGAN ON 07778 498 451 Bespoke Axminster, Axminster, for more information please visit our website, www.bondworth.co.uk Townshend Works, Puxton Lane, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 5DF T+44(0)1562 745000 F+44(0)1562 732827
20
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
YEARS BROCKWAY is celebrating 50 glorious years of designing and producing beautiful carpets. We’re immensely proud of our heritage of British craftsmanship, manufacturing premium quality carpets in our own factory in the traditional carpet town of Kidderminster. Since 1964, we’ve evolved to become the success story that Brockway is today. It’s what makes us proud to put our name to our products and what continues to inspire us. Our dedicated workforce harnesses the skills of generations of carpet makers passed down through the years. 8LI VIWYPX MW PSZMRKP] LERH ½RMWLIH GEVTIXW GVIEXIH [MXL XLI PEXIWX IRZMVSRQIRXEPP] E[EVI XIGLRSPSK] ERH XLI ½RIWX VE[ QEXIVMEPW 3YV ZEPYIW SJ UYEPMX] MRRSZEXMSR ERH GYWXSQIV WIVZMGI QIER [I´VI RS[ ½VQP] focused on the future, with exciting developments underway. We’d like to thank you for being part of our journey and supporting us through the decades.
BROCKWAY.CO.UK @brockwaycarpets
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
/brockwaycarpets 21
Columbia
Flooring plc
The Leading Country Wide Carpet & Flooring Suppliers We can supply you with virtually any make of carpet and flooring at GUARANTEED makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list price....... Delivered direct to business premises FREE OF CHARGE. For a Speedy and Efficient Service
Call US NOW!!! 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooringplc.co.uk Opening Times: Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am to 12 noon Tel: 0208 443 3322 Fax: 0208 805 2346 TRAFALGAR TRADING ESTATE, JEFFREYS ROAD, ENFIELD , MIDDLESEX, EN3 7TY.
22
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
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Belgium D[äXZ D[äXZ J Peeters 0032 475 71 08 69 003 32 51 320 543
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Suffolk, Norfolk Suffolk, Norfolk Cambridg Cambridgeshire, eshire, Be dfor df ordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire Richard Cooper 07860 525245
RANGE NAME ALLIANZ BURSA EMPIRE TWIST FORTE FLORENCE GARDA GARDA SUPREME GARDA STRIPE ISTANBUL IZMIR LUXURY DELUXE MEXICO MILANO MONZA TORINO TORINO NEW FARO NAPELS TELSTAR SYMPHONY WEMBLEY SAN SIRO NOU CAMP PALERMO TOSCA VENICE WINDERMERE
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Ireland Nor Northern Ir eland Shane O’Neill 00353 0876 491 119
Berkshire, London, Berkshir e, Essex, Hertfordshire Hertf tfor ordshire Essex, Andrew Goldsmith 07432 119220
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East Midlands Charlotte Jarvis 074460 875070 07
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Yorkshire, Y orkshire, North England gland Nor th East En Steve Allitt 07971 952873
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Scotland James Hall 07787 140136
South West, West, South Wales Wales Wales Adam Nicol
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North West, North West, Midlands, Ireland Southern Ireland Paul Hugo (Field Sales Manager) 07813 714498
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COMPOSITION 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp 100 % pp
23
The people who care about your business NORTH WEST
SCOTLAND ALAN CAIRNIE EAST SCOTLAND
ALAN CHEETHAM GREATER MANCHESTER
RAY ANDREW EAST LANCS, W.YORKS
M: 07966 263571
M: 07976 311434
M: 07973 719801
alan.cheetham@furlongflooring.co.uk
alan.cairnie@furlongflooring.co.uk
ray.andrew@furlongflooring.co.uk
COLIN RICHFORD WEST SCOTLAND
MARK DOWSON MERSEYSIDE, WIRRAL & N. WALES M: 07980 786264 m.dowson@furlongflooring.co.uk
CRAIG MELLING CUMBRIA, CHESHIRE & FYLDE COAST
M: 07970 163372 colin.richford@furlongflooring.co.uk
WALES & SOUTH WEST
M: 07970 269730 craig.melling@furlongflooring.co.uk
TIM BAILEY S.E. WALES & HEREFORDSHIRE
M: 07794 048414 tbailey@furlongflooring.com
JASON BRIMBLE AVON & GLOUCESTERSHIRE M: 07794 041266 jbrimble@furlongflooring.com
BEN THOMAS MID & WEST WALES
M: 07794 048809 bthomas@furlongflooring.com
STEWART WAITHMAN DEVON & CORNWALL M: 07794 048413 swaithman@furlongflooring.com
Preston Sales tel: 01772 696787 fax: 01772 311921
Newport Sales tel: 01633 283959 fax: 01633 275454
London Sales tel: 01322 628707 fax: 01322 698733 enquiries@furlongflooring.co.uk 24
YORKSHIRE & NORTH EAST
DES BEST NORTH EAST, EAST COAST
M: 07968 828516 des.best@furlongflooring.co.uk
REG SYKES SOUTH YORKSHIRE
M: 07973 403450 reg.sykes@furlongflooring.co.uk
SOUTH EAST TONY CONWAY BEDS, NORTHANTS, OXON & BUCKS
MIDLANDS CHRIS ALLCOC NOTTS, DERBYSHIRE & LINCS M: 07872 964685 chris.allcock@furlongflooring.co.uk
WESLEY GRAHAM LEICESTER, WARWICKSHIRE M: 07968 324598 wesley.graham@furlongflooring.co.uk
MIKE SHUTT BIRMINGHAM/ STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE M: 07970 158594 mike.shutt@furlongflooring.co.uk
LONDON JOHN AKIEN S.W LONDON, SURREY (INS. M25)
M: 07791 891025
M: 07791 891024
tonyconway@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
johnakien@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
PETER FLETCHER HAMPSHIRE, DORSET & SURREY (OUTSIDE M25)
SIMON BROWN MIDDLESEX, W. LONDON, BERKSHIRE
M: 07816 217561
M: 07816 217550
peterfletcher@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
simonbrown@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
PAUL LOVELL NORFOLK, SUFFOLK & CAMBS
RAYMOND SMITH ESSEX
M: 07816 217549
M: 07816 217565
paullovell@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
raymondsmith@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
IAN ROBERTSON EAST & WEST SUSSEX
DARREN SPENDIFF KENT
M: 07816 217563
M: 07791 890861
ianrobertson@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
darrenspendiff@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
DAREN STEDMAN N, N W & E LONDON, HERTFORDSHIRE M: 07816 217548 darenstedman@furlongflooringltd.co.uk
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Setting industry standards for service What’s new at Furlong... The opening of our Stonehouse distribution centre could not have been timed better to cope with the Autumn sales season. We will not be beaten on service from stock and the extra investments we’re making in warehousing capacity and logistics systems means we can deliver what you want, when you want it. So as Christmas gets closer, we’ll be ensuring that you can trade as late as possible into the sales season and keep all your promises to customers.
Furlong Flooring ticks all the boxes.... Competitive pricing Quality options
The home of affordable, best-selling carpet ranges
Style and choice Fast Service
Quality wood floors
Performance cushion floor
4m and 5m Felt Back and Action Back Cut lengths and rolls POS support Carpets Cushion floor
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THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
25
An R-Griffith Company
John Lanham Watts Carpets Ltd Wool Loft House, Sandbeck Way, Wetherby. LS22 7DN Email: sales@jlwcarpets.com Web: www.jlwcarpets.com Tel: 01937 588511 Fax: 01937 588557
John Lanham Watts Current Ranges Castle Howard Richmond Court Kirkham Abbey Bayton House Bedale Duchy Duncombe Park Raby Park Moortown Harrogate Velvet Wool Loft Velvet Wool Loft Weave Wool Loft Designer
4m 4m 4m 4m 4m 4m 3.66m 3.66m 3.66m 4m 4m & 5m 4m & 5m 4m & 5m
10 Row Axminster 10 Row Axminster 9 Row Axminster 9 Row Axminster 8 Row Axminster 8 Row Axminster 9 Row Axminster 7 Row Axminster 8 Row Axminster Velvet 100+ Colours Chunky Wool Loop Quality 80/20 Twist
Goodacre Current Ranges Lakeland Tones Lakeland Charm Lakeland Heathers Naturally Herdwick Royal Coniston Royal Cumberland
3.66m 3.66m 3.66m 3.66m 3.66m 3.66m
8.5 Row Axminster 8.5 Row Axminster 8.5 Row Axminster 9 Row Axminster 7 Row Axminster 8 Row Axminster
BESPOKE CARPETS
John Lanham Watts carpets would be happy to submit a price for any bespoke carpet project. We can provide a completely bespoke Axminster in terms of any design and any colour from as little as 100 sqm. We are also happy to price for any hand tufted requirement. We can help you with design work and can prepare Kibby trials for your consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consideration. We also have stock of Moortown Contract Rated Axminster (pictured above) where timing and budgets are constrained. Available in rolls and cuts.
Please contact us at sales@jlwcarpets.com
QUALITY AGENTS REQUIRED Please note we are looking for quality agents in: Cleveland, Durham Tyne & Wear, Northumberland & Cumbria Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire & Northamptonshire Please get in touch if you believe you can sell quality products & services.
Representation Yorkshire, Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Stephen Fletcher 07831 818989
Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire & North Wales Mike Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien 07881 451682
West Midlands, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Powys Paul Brewer 07798 745181
Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire Mr J Hart 07889 264466
Cleveland, Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland & Cumbria Agent Required
Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire & Northamptonshire Agent Required
South Wales, Avon & Gloucestershire Phil Thomas 07850 934849
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire Tony Owen 01791 362087 Scotland Alan McGowan 077755 17684
Northern Ireland Robert Moore 028 94432005
Republic of Ireland Mr A M Dunne 00 353 872593060
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Kingsmead Carpets Relay Park, Relay Drive Tamworth, B77 5PR. UK
Incorporating
Tel: +44 1827 831424 Fax: +44 1827 831425 info@kingsmead-sales.co.uk www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk
SALES EXECUTIVES AND CONTACT DETAILS Clint Carver - 07970 888 916 (Northern Sales Manager) clint.carver@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Adrian Garner - 07947 524 633 (DE NG LE CV ST) adrian.garner@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Bill Robertson - 07980 737 278 (KW IV PH PA AB DD KY FK G ML KA) bill.robertson@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Joe Bradley - 07773 046 384 (HU YO HG TS DN DH LN) joe.bradley@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Paul McMaster - 07968 563 016 (DL EH CA DG SR NE TD) Paul.mcmaster@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Craig Crossland - 07980 737 283 (BL M SK OL S HD HX BD LS WF) craig.crossland@kingsmead-sales.co.uk
Grandeur leads the way in innovation A fabulous 3-ply Polypropylene product consisting of three mono colours blended together to create a contrast effect. Feel the softness underfoot with our latest product from the Everlon Clean Easy range.
SALES EXECUTIVES AND CONTACT DETAILS Ian Shopland - 07971 914 418 (Southern Sales Manager) ian.shopland@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Craig Brooks - 07971 916 719 (SY TF WS WV DY B WR) craig.brooks@kingsmead-sales.co.uk David Barton - 07977 112 095 (CT TN BN RH BR CR SM KT) david.barton@kingsmead-sales.co.uk David Guscott - 07773 048 574 (ME DA RM SS IG EN N E SE) david.guscott@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Glenn Baker - 07791 890 441 (TR PL TQ EX TA DT BA BS) glenn.baker@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Lee Card - 07538 836 273 (SA LD NP CF HR GL) lee.card@kingsmead-sales.co.uk
Mick Garner - 07796 993 913 (OX HP WD AL SG LU MK NN PE19 PE26-29) mick.garner@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Peter Thomas - 07779 017 950 (LL CH CW WA L WN PR FY BB LA) peter.thomas@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Colin Arber - 07976 749552 (CM CO CB IP NR PE1-18 PE30-38) colin.arber@kingsmead-sales.co.uk
DISCONTINUED RANGES Georgian Berbers Georgian Heathers Georgian Plains Beau Twist Cathedral Cardinal Stripe
Classic Hathaway Hathaway Naturals Kestrel Splendour Tresco Velvet Elite
Neal Ford - 07968 015 578 (SL HA UB TW W NW SW) neal.ford@kingsmead-sales.co.uk Steve Bates - 07971 968 517 (PO SO BH SP RG SN GU) steve.bates@kingsmead-sales.co.uk David Posnett - 07836 650 655 (Northern Ireland)
Ayrshire (felt back only) Freemantle
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Lothian Sirrocco Zephyr 27
W holesale Fl Contact Information Robert Weale
07976 249 443
Atherstone, Coalville, Coventry, Daventry, Hinckley, Leamington Spa, Leicester, Lichfield, Loughborough, Nuneaton, Redditch, Rugby, Tamworth, Warwick
Kris Alford
07976 423035
Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cheltenham, Dudley, Gloucester, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield. Telford, Walsall, Wolverhampton
Kieron Moore
07775 502404
Bedford, Corby, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Kettering, Letchworth Garden City, Luton, Market Harborough, Milton Keynes, Northampton, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford
Paul O’Mahoney 07967 650456 Burton On Trent, Cannock, Derby, Melton Mowbray, Nottingham, Stafford, Swadlincote
Johnnie Taite
07715 205178
South Wales
Now Stocking Products from…
28
ng i r oo
Birmingham Trade Counter & Showroom Open 6 Days A-Week. Strictly Trade Only!
CALL 0121 359 2001
For Orders, Collections & Enquiries Monday-Friday 8.15am – 5.30pm Saturday 8am- 12am
Over 100 Popular Carpet & Vinyl ranges. ✔ From stock!
✔ Independent Wholesaler ✔ Competitive Prices HUGE stockists of affordable Roll Only ✔ Specials Carpet & Vinyl ✔ Genuine Cuts at Roll offers ✔ Extensive Trade Counter ✔ Showroom in the Heart of the Country ✔ Established over 30 years ✔ Delivering the goods Daily Carpets Vinyls Underlay Grass Accessories Tools Adhesives Door Bars Treads Stairnosings
15 Cato Street, Nechells, Birmingham B7 4TS
t. 0121 359 2001 f. 0121 359 8001 sales@mattys.co.uk
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Don’t be a sheep! Maintain your independence! For a traditional service, a familiar face and products you can trust, flock to Rackhams! NATURAL EFFECT
TWISTS - STAIN RESIST
VINYL / SMOOTH FLOORING
Ancona Cashmere 4&5M Gold Fields Hopscotch 2012 Houndstooth Tweed 4&5M Ivory Coast 2012 Lavenham 4&5M London Life 4&5M Long Melford 4&5M Moods New Sahara 4&5M Promenade Rocca Sloane Square 4&5m Vogue
Atmosphere Clyde + Stripes Dalton Dublin Heather Dublin Twist 2011 Echo Twist 4&5M Fairfield Supreme 4&5M Fascination 4&5M Grandeur 40 Heathertwist Design Heathertwist Supreme 40 4&5M Heathertwist Elite 50 4&5M Hoxton Heathers Peerless Twist Peerless Plain Pembridge 2013 4&5M Portman Sensit Supreme 4&5M Salisbury Twist Sumptuous Style 4&5M Stainbeater Select Stainfree Rugged Twist 4&5M Stainsafe Heritage Heathers Luxury Stainsafe Moorland Twist/Stripes Startwist Edition 30 4&5M Startwist Supreme 40 4&5M Startwist Elite 50 4&5M Super Peerless Twist
Black Jack XL Casino Royale Champion Eclipse 2012 - Part I Eclipse 2012 - Part II Mambo No.1 Mojo 2012 Starlight Supergrip II Thunderball Valu Grip+
SAXONY / SHAG PILE American Trend Grand Slam Peerless Peerless Heathers Salt n’ Pepper 2014 4&5M Saxon King Silken Saxony Somerset 4&5M Super Peerless Super Peerless Heathers Sweet Seduction 4&5M
CORD, NEEDLEPUNCH & ENTRANCE MATTING Bedford Gel Big Hit Canterbury Gel Hippo Mat Gala 2013 Gala Stripes Grand Square Linea Magnum Mat Magnus Mat Scorpio 2013 Supacord
REVOLUTIONARY LVT FLOORING FROM EARTHWERKS® & CAVALIO Conceptline Jupiter Tempo Tempo Classic (Stock) Tempo Clic Projectline (Stock)
CARPET TILES Bedford Cord Capital City Capital Plus Heuga 727
rac k h a m s ION INTO ACT ‘SPRING’ GUIDE 2014 ce! PRICE er noti
Indepen dent
tors Flooring Distribu
l furth Vali d unti
NCE LE TOUR DE FRAMS!! VISITS RACKHA
TWISTS - WOOL Discovery 4&5M Eden Twist 40/50 4&5M Iconic Twist 40/50 4&5M Inspire Twist 30/40 Palace Twist 50/60 4&5M Paramount 30/40 4&5M The Berber Twist Collection 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Textures 4&5M Ultimate Berber Twist 4&5M Ultimate Twist 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Luxury 4&5M
GRAPHICS / CONTRACT GELS Arena Endurance Marathon
H
RACKHAMS
The Summer lives on... watch this space for our winter price guide.
THE
CHAMPIONS CHOICE!
SEE BACK COVER FOR THE REAL BARGAINS!
Sales Hotline
020 8531 9225 Email
sltd.com sales@rackham Website
ltd.com www.rackhams
Account Number:
We also stock a complete selection of underlays, accessories and entrance matting. We offer a Special Order Service on products from virtually every flooring manufacturer in existence! Express delivery service on Balterio and Krono laminate ranges.
The hottest news this month throughout the industry is the launch of ‘OAKEN OPTIONS’ a collection of engineered Rustic oaks stocked in depth at our London Headquarters. We have both narrow and wide board available in click and T&G, and naturally we offer Lacquered or Brushed & Oiled finishes. Area Sales Executives Michael Younger London North 07881-502506
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Peter Lawrence London SW Postals, Surrey (West of A24), Beds, Berks, Bucks, Herts (West of A1) 07881-502508
Paul Henson Essex (Outside M25) Cambs, Suffolk, Herts (East of A1) 07837-295379
Phil Wheeler London SE Postals, Kent, Surrey (East of A24) & Sussex 07881-502507
Anthony Stapleton Sales Director 07881-502505 / 020-8498-2845
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Solent Wholesale Carpet Company Ltd CARPET, FLOORCOVERING & ACCESSORY WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Telephone: 01243 774623 Fax: 01243 533636 E-mail: sales@solentwholesale.co.uk Website: www.solentwholesale.com Zola Park, Barnfield Drive, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6UX.
CHECK STOCK, PLACE ORDERS AND MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT 24/7 ALL THROUGH OUR WEBSITE
Oxford, Berks, Bucks, Beds, Hants, Middlesex & Herts. . . . . Ian Cardrick, i.cardrick@solentwholesale.co.uk, Sussex E & W, Surrey, South London & Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . John Robson, j.robson@solentwholesale.co.uk, Hants, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucs, & I.O.W. . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Ayling, a.ayling@solentwholesale.co.uk, Accessary Sales and IT Specialist (All Areas) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke Crooks, luke@solentwholesale.co.uk, VICTORIA Colonial EasiCare - Full Collection EasiCare Morton EasiCare Heartland Imperial Velvet Natural Companions (Sisal Weave) Natural Style Collection Options 288 Royal Victoria Rustic Jewels Shimmer Strathmore Collection LANO Campus X-treme Forum Grandeur Heather Twist Elite Heather Twist Supreme Heather Twist Elite Pembridge Twist Portman Star Twist Collection 30/40/50 BALTA Atlas Big Hit Casablanca Desert Twist Deluxe Luxury Heritage Heather Highland Tweed Gala Cord-all options in stock Gala Edition Marrakesh Melrose Moorland Twist More Noble Riva Twist Saxon King Sensit Saxony Shepherd Twist - 2013 Colours Stainsafe Fantasy Super Wiltax Techno LUSOTUFO Celtic Horizon Mandaly Safi Sahara Sintra Boucle Superb Twist Tangier Titan & Tital Diagonal Twist Berber Unique Valencia Venus Saxony Wool Dream Wool Heaven
CORMAR Apollo Apollo Plus Berwick 40/50 Home Counties 42/50 Home Counties Heathers Home Counties Plains Living Naturals Malabar Oaklands 32 Oaklands 42 Oaklands 50 Primo Choice Super/Elite Primo Excellence Primo Plus Sensation Sensation Feeling Sensation Heathers Sensation Twist BROCKWAY Amore Stripe Collection Avanti Cavendish Cresta 40/Cresta 50 Jubilee Collection Orion/Orion Major Portland DOMO Playground Scorpio IVC Atlas - New colours Classic Limestone Comfylux Extra Expressions Fusion Isafe Apex Isafe One Isafe First Master Grip Planet Presto Rooms Supercomforts Tile Styles Titanium Ultimate Design Ultimate Oak Ultimate Minerals Ultimate Timber Victoria
mobile: 07973 406329 mobile: 07973 898453 mobile: 07973 406799 mobile: 07966 664379
IDEAL carpets Dublin Dublin Heathers Endurance Fashion/Gallery Grass Collection Mars Motor Car Pronto Sweet Homes vinyls Celtic Stone - New Colours Chess Comfort Grip Flexifloor Grandioso Jazz Magnum Sherwood Oak Studio entrance matting Alicante Heavy Tread Orotex - Ceylon Orotex - Matrix MOHAWK CARPETS Century Collection - Century - Half Century Freedom Gel Limited Presidential Collection - Independence - Liberty - Freedom (4&5M) - Splendour Super Freedom MISCELLANEOUS BAJONG Silken Rugs Khartoum BEST WOOL CARPETS Globe CAVALIER Celebrations Country Collection Hamlet Parish and Village CLASSIS CARPETS Toros Exclusive LEIGH SPINNERS Atlas Velour THOMAS WITTER Innovations 50oz & 60oz PARAGON Toccarre Carpet Tiles
We carry other products not listed above, and can also provide a swift special order service on non stock lines. Our reps and sales office would be pleased to answer all enquiries. Our last Price List is dated November/December 2014. 30
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Tel: 01422 374417 or 01422 371226 Fax: 01422 377452 Email: sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Unit B7 Warhurst Road, Lowfields Business Park, Elland, W. Yorkshire HX5 9DF Harrow
Harrogate: a big thank you! “Having had time to reflect on the recent Flooring Show and follow up on the various leads and opportunities that arose, we are left with a definite feeling that this was certainly time ‘well spent’. Three days, more than 80 solid customer meetings, plus fruitful time with colleagues and many positive actions to follow up, as well as orders to expedite! It was hugely encouraging to see our retail customers, as in the past, in great numbers and to further have very positive and productive meetings, in what all feel are improving market conditions. So thanks again, for all concerned, for your input on the new ranges and continued support on existing. Our absolute commitment to the independent retail sector remains, as does our focus on producing distinctive, high quality products,” says Phil Hartley, CEO Edel Telenzo UK.
Sneak view: polyamide As part of the Dutch Edel Group, Edel Telenzo have at their disposal a large collection of high quality polyamide 6.6 products. Polyamide 6.6 carpets are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and therefore, some of the bestsellers are now also available to their customers. Carpets made from polyamide 6.6 are soft and luxurious, exceptionally hardwearing and highly durable. Compared to polypropylene, it has better resistance to crushing and greater recovery after compression. It has a tighter and smoother molecular structure which reduces soil adherence and eases cleaning and it is also less flammable due to a higher melting point. The different polyamide 6.6 carpets now available are the soft & shiny Wild Romance, the luxurious Amore, the subtle stripe of Casablanca and Pamina with the world’s softest touch. The carpets are all available in a range of beautiful neutrals and several contemporary bright colours, which are also very suitable as a rug. So watch this space, because there is more to follow in 2015!
Pamina
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
For more information about the polyamide collection, please contact your Edel Telenzo agent.
OUR SALES TEAM Greater London, Surrey, Kent, Middlesex, East & West Sussex John A Constable T: 01622 685397 M: 07836 734322 E: john@jcagencies.co.uk Yorkshire & North Lincs John Alsop T: 01904 762471 M: 07860 572220 E: alsopagencies@yahoo.co.uk Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset Brendan Hart M: 07850 130221 E: a.b.hart@btinternet.com Lincs, Leics, Northants, Notts, Derbyshire, North East Jim Osborne M: 07738 642934 E: j.osborne@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire Niall Martin M: 07866 735772 E: niall.martin@me.com South Wales, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire Andrew Jefferies M: 07831 457102 E: adj.agencies@btinternet.com Lancashire, Cumbria & Isle of Man, Gtr Manchester, Cheshire, North Wales John Rostron M: 07973 733208 E: johnrostron@aol.com East Anglia, Bedfordshire, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Suffolk Jonathan Hart T: 01621 817992 M: 07889 264466 E: jonathanhart66@hotmail.co.uk West Midlands Paul Brewer T: 0121 4277117 M: 07798 745181 E: paulbrewer21@hotmail.com Scotland James Hall M: 07787 140136 F: 0131 343 3353 E: jameshall195@btinternet.com Channel Islands, Isle of Wight contact sales office T: 01422 374 417 Northern Ireland, Ulster & Leinster Gary O’Boyle M: 07831 220675 E: goboyle@ntlworld.com Republic of Ireland, Munster & Connaught Larry White M: 00353862594126 E: thelarwhite@hotmail.com
YOUR HEAD OFFICE TEAM CONTACTS Chief Executive Phil Hartley M: 07711 407820 E: p.hartley@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Office Administrator Julie Watson T: 01422 374 417 E: j.watson@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk 31
ÂŁ TTrade rade Coun Counter ter Carpets Carpets
30 0845 604 30 55 Years Trading
TradeCounterCarpets@gmail.com Tra deCounterCarpets@gmail.com
Your Y our ne new w source source of trade trade price ccarpets. arpets.
LLOWEST OWEST PRICESS PRICE FFASTEST FA ASTEST DELIVERY DELIVER D ELIVERY Ring us now for the lowest prices. We stock 4000 rolls & deliver direct. Weekdays: 8 - 6pm Weekdays: Fri: 08:00 - 19: 19:00 00 Sat: Sa t: 09:00 - 17:00 SSun: un: 10:00 - 16:00
32
0845 604 30 55
Give Giv e us a ccall! all!
Whatt have Wha have you you got got to to lose?
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Tel: +44 0845 644 9090 local call rate
Fax:+44 0845 644 9191 info@westonhammer.com www.hammercarpets.com
NATURAL WEAVE We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest 100% Wool range; NATURAL WEAVE. This high quality woven flatweave is available in 6 co-ordinating stripe and plain options in 5.00m wide. Please contact our sales office or your local Sales Agent if you would like to order samples.
Jacs Designer tonal loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths. Natural Lines Super luxurious 100% Wool loop pile available in 4m and
Supreme Boucle Our best selling level loop 100% Wool product available in
5m widths.
Las Vegas A chunky luxurious loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m
Natural Weave A unique 5m wide wool flatweave in a subtle herringbone
widths.
12 up to the minute colours in both 4m and 5m widths.
design with a stripe option.
Sisal Boucle and Sisal Berber Natural fibre textured loop pile ranges in
Denver A stylish heavy domestic tonal loop pile in 100% Wool, available in
two styles.
4m and 5m widths.
The Stone Fibre Collection Our unique flat woven quality in many
Oklahoma A heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.
Orlando A chunky loop quality with a thick latex backing for a luxurious feel.
fashion styles and colours available in 4m and 5m widths.
Supreme Stripe A heavy domestic tonal stripe in 100% Wool loop pile.
OUR UK SALES TEAM Ron Fewery Tel: 07976 244892 London, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Anglia, Northamptonshire.
Steve Korobejko Tel: 07702 292558 Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Tyneside.
Steve Acton Tel: 07957 836207 Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset.
Lee Palmer Tel: 07774 101640 Channel Islands.
Derek Boyd Tel: 07940 320708 Scotland.
Mark Garbett Tel: 07840 664757 Bristol & the West Country.
THE STOCKLISTS November 2014
Keith Stevens Tel: 07710 160166 Midlands & South Wales.
Please visit our website at www.hammercarpets.com for online cutting requests and more information on our products, or telephone 0845 644 9090 (local rate) to speak to one of our telephone sales team
33
Everything you want is exactly what we do
Introducing the New Specialist Wood Flooring Range from Sika and Everbuild - Quality Products For All Aspects Of Laying Wood Flooring. All of these products are featured in a new high quality catalogue which includes the leading brands SikaBond®, Lumberjack and SikaFloor® plus great ancillary products such as Wonder Wipes, Roll & Stroll and Wood Fillers. The catalogue also features brand new specialist products not previously seen in our catalogues, such as Sikafloor® Level-01 Acrylic Primer, used as a primer coat prior to application of SikaLevel® products and the SikaBond® Dispensers, high quality applicators for use with 1800ml foil packs. To request a copy of the new Specialist Wood Flooring Catalogue contact Everbuild – A Sika Company today.
Specialist Wood Flooring Products 2014 - 2015
Everbuild Building Products Ltd - A Sika Company Site 41, Knowsthorpe Way, Cross Green Industrial Estate, Leeds LS9 0SW Telephone: 0113 240 3456 Fax: 0113 240 0024 e-mail: info@everbuild.co.uk website: www.everbuild.co.uk 34 November 2014
FlooringNews
3 November 2014
FlooringNews Leather lux
The luxury of leather and practicality of cork are married in perfect harmony with Corium leather flooring from Granorte.
With a sound absorption layer made from cork, a core constructed from HDF for stability and a built-in cork underlay for better comfort; all beneath a beautiful recycled leather top, this is a floor for those that demand the most luxurious of looks with no practical trade-off. In fact, Corium is even finished with a durable AQUA2K+ waterborne protective coat to preserve the leather while still remaining incredibly supple to the touch. The acoustic, comfort and thermal benefits of cork turn leather flooring into a practical and sensible flooring choice and with 15 different looks, Corium is sure to turn heads. From classic looks to mock-croc and snakeskin, the collection comes in plank, tile and slab formats and features Uniclic for fast and easy installation. “Cork is an incredibly versatile material that is ideal for use in flooring, either as the main component and aesthetic, or playing a practical supporting role to other materials,” comments Paulo Rocha, Product, Technology and R&D, Granorte. “As Corium proves, cork is really one of nature’s wonder materials and it can take a difficult proposition such as leather and turn it into a practical, durable, stable and easy to fit flooring choice.”
Tredaire for top hotel
The largest hotel in the Middle East has chosen Tredaire underlay. The recently opened Anjum Hotel – Makkah has installed 47,000 square metres of underlay from Interfloor, including Tredaire Technics 6, plus adhesives. Interfloor supplied the carpet manufacturer, Al Sorayai Carpet Factory, Jeddah, with all the underlays during 2013/14.
Granorte is the world’s foremost cork innovation company and it has been researching alternative uses for the material outside of wine bottle stopper production, since 1972. The result is a collection of cork-based floor and wall coverings that are heightening interest in the material among interior designers and architects looking for more sustainable surface materials. T 01785 711131 www.granorte.co.uk
The Anjum Hotel – Makkah in Saudi Arabia has 1,743 rooms that can accommodate about 3,500 guests. Situated in an ideal location the hotel provides breathtaking views of the Grand Mosque and combines world class accommodation, outstanding service and genuine Hijazi hospitality.
The hotel also offers 3,000 square metres of lounges, restaurants and public spaces, and a beautifully landscaped piazza. The hotel’s opening marks the launch of the first phase of the Jaba Al-Kaaba real estate project. The Saudi government is expecting over 13 million pilgrims to visit the kingdom by 2019. T 01706 238 810
www.interfloor.com
from The Stocklists
November 2014 35
News
Pergo pro for UK
Pergo, a leading manufacturer of design flooring, has announced it will focus its UK operations on the professional segment, offering its vast and innovative range of durable and easy-to-install flooring solutions as the partner of choice for demanding architects and contractors.
Ever since Pergo invented laminate flooring back in 1977, it has never stopped perfecting it. Over the years, innovative thinking has significantly broadened its portfolio of laminate and, more recently, wood parquet and vinyl flooring solutions. Since joining forces with the Unilin group in 2012, its product offering has become one of the most comprehensive on the market. In commercial spaces, hotels, healthcare applications, etc – Pergo products are designed to meet the exceptional demands put on flooring. All laminate flooring types within their offering are available in resistance classes 32, 33 and 34 and all vinyl flooring types are available in classes 32 and 33 - that’s the unique advantage Pergo offers architects. This ‘box concept’ allows architects or contractors to choose from different versions of the same laminate or vinyl flooring design, to match the requirements that go with a specific room or area. In the lobby of a hotel, for instance, the highly-resistant class 34 is recommended. Then again, in hotel rooms, a less expensive class 32 can be used, while maintaining the same design. Colm McGarry, Sales Manager Pergo UK, comments: “We combine a unique focus on design, innovation, quality and service with world-class manufacturing technology, ensuring contractors can rely on our products to deliver an unrivalled flooring experience. T +44 (0)77 70 857825
www.pergo.co.uk
Royal Victoria
Royal Victoria is the velvet with impeccable credentials and a sophisticated choice of colours.
This elegant range from Victoria Carpets has a palette of eighteen sophisticated shades, from the subtle almond hints of Clarence and the warm smooth gold of St James, to the pizazz of Westminster, a rich red, through to the elegant shades of grey with brown undertones in Kensington and Chelsea. Available in two exceptional qualities Premium and Platinum, this luxurious tufted velvet blends the durability of man-made fibres with the resilience, beauty and comfort of wool. T 01562 749 300 www.victoriacarpets.com
Dense sense
With improved Heavy Density Plus performance, floorwise has announced improvements to its popular Solo, Spirit and Lush recycled foam underlays. Now providing even better value pound for pound, these underlays are the perfect choice for homeowners wanting great comfort underfoot and a longer life from their carpet. For those looking for that extra feeling of luxury, the 12mm thick Luxury Use rated Lush will bring exceptional comfort underfoot along with great durability, the 10mm Spirit delivers superb comfort both being classified with a luxury use rating. The best value 8mm Solo also delivers good comfort with great durability and is suitable for General Domestic Use. Along with a more durable density, all underlays also feature a new and improved doublesided non-woven backing for much improved stability.
“Solo, Spirit and Lush sit at the heart of our recycled foam underlay collection and so are the ideal choice for many homeowners,” says Richard Bailey, managing director, floorwise. “With that in mind, we’ve improved the density so they deliver even better value, while the new backing will give the underlays extra stability, ensuring ease of installation and a quality finish to keep carpets looking better for longer”. Offering great underfoot comfort, sound absorption, thermal insulation and now improved longevity, these underlays exceed BS standards and are available from floorwise distributors across the UK. The floorwise recycled foam underlay collection can now be found in a striking presenter cataloguing every step in the path to the ultimate SHD+ Supreme, providing retailers with the ideal tool to begin the consumer’s journey through choosing the right underlay for the home. Each underlay is also available as a large swatch featuring revised branding in-line with the new floorwise look. The floorwise underlay collection includes recycled foam, felt and rubber and rubber crumb underlays as well as specialist acoustic and UFH underlays for use beneath wood and laminate flooring. T 01509 673974, www.floorwise.co.uk
36 November 2014
FlooringNews
News
Glory, faded
Louis de Poortere reaffirmed its standing as one of the most design-focused carpet and rug suppliers in Europe at this year’s 100%design exhibition, exhibiting its Fading World and Vintage rug collections, along with its stunning broadloom carpet series.
Bright ideas for underlay
Interfloor is upgrading its top selling range of Tredaire Seventh Heaven PU underlays, free of charge.
The Seventh Heaven range is Tredaire’s flagship collection of six PU products: Sensation, Dreamwalk, Softwalk, Cosywalk, Ambience and Revive. The facing film colours have been strengthened with more pigmentation so that the finish is more striking and vibrant than before. Tredaire’s PU underlays can be differentiated by their colour and improved colouring will aid the selling process to the customer.
With the New Vintage collection and the worn look of Fading World drawing designers to its stand, the Belgian manufacturer took the opportunity to reveal itself to a new audience not yet familiar with the power of one of the most highly respected carpet manufacturers in the world. “100% design is considered the UK’s leading show for interior designers and so it provided us with the ideal opportunity to reveal Louis de Poortere to an audience receptive to our design-led quality approach to carpet and rugs,” explains Alan Russell, sales manager UK. “Our portfolio is designed to be different, to stand out from the crowd and give a fresh and unique take on textile flooring; just the ticket for designers wanting their projects to stand out,” he said. Along with its New Vintage, Fading World and Cameo rug collections, Louis de Poortere has one of the most striking broadloom portfolios currently available. Now presented in a stunning Suitcase, this series includes variations such as the velvet-like Richelieu Velours and textural Super Hermes, chunky loops, stripes and basket weave look of Willow. T +32 56 393 386
38 November 2014
www.louisdepoortere.com
The high performance TextronR paper backing has been strengthened significantly which will both improve its stability and the overall comfort level of the products. The traditional brown paper has been replaced by a brilliant white with the Tredaire branding in red. This will also support the premium positioning of Tredaire and provide a strong reminder of the brand when the carpet is uplifted in the future. Interfloor is well known for the quality of its POS, particularly the A3 hanging samples. Interfloor has re-designed the Seventh Heaven covers so that they contain key underlay benefits statements for the store salesperson to use. There is also useful technical information including product density and tog and decibel ratings. QR codes have also been introduced for retailers and consumers to access more information via their smart phones. The Seventh Heaven range has new packaging with thicker, stronger films that will make the product easier to move. The packaging design has also changed with a new two colour print on a white background which supports the premium positioning and enables the products to be differentiated easily. Steve Woodhead, Interfloor marketing director, says, “The Seventh Heaven range is our biggest selling Tredaire collection. Although it has been very successful we felt now was a good time to move the range forward. This upgrade has been designed to produce a better performing product that looks better and is easier for retailers to sell. We’ve invested significantly in the range without changing our prices. The initial feedback from customers at the Flooring Show in Harrogate was extremely positive and we hope that retailers like what we’ve done and are successful with it.” T 01706 238810 www.interfloor.com
FlooringNews
NEW
DESIGN & FUNCTION. LOCKED IN Drawing from our many years of vinyl flooring experience, the Camaro Loc collection of interlocking planks and tiles in a range of authentically reproduced designs, eliminates the need for adhesion to reduce installation time. Order your free samples today, plus a copy of our new exquisite 48 page brochure online at www.polyflor.com. POLYFLOR LTD. PO BOX 3 RADCLIFFE NEW RD WHITEFIELD MANCHESTER M45 7NR TEL: 0161 767 1122 FAX: 0161 767 1128 E-MAIL: INFO@POLYFLOR.COM WWW.POLYFLOR.COM 0161 767 2551
News
Innovation invited
The market is smiling on Domotex. The 2015 show has gathered impressive exhibitor support for its opening in Hannover between January 17 to 20.
“After this year’s highly successful show, the world’s carpet and flooring providers are seizing on the opportunity to get their new season’s products and collections in front of an international trade audience at Domotex 2015,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, the Managing Board member at Deutsche Messe. “The positive exhibitor feedback on the new Innovations@Domotex showcase and the excellent exhibitor registration response are strong indicators of a great Domotex in the making for 2015.” Domotex, the world’s leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings, will again enjoy strong international participation, with more than 1,300 exhibitors expected from around 60 nations. Spread across 12 exhibition halls, they will showcase their excellence, innovative flair and creativity in a product landscape that will encompass everything from textile and resilient floor coverings to parquet and laminate flooring to carpets in an array of materials, colors and designs. Innovations@Domotex premiered successfully at Domotex 2014 and will be back again this coming January. “The Innovations@Domotex showcase was extremely well received by the carpets and flooring industry. It gave exhibitors a series of display zones of distinctive architecture where they could stage their innovations in textile and resilient floor coverings, parquet and laminate flooring and modern hand-made carpets to maximum effect. The added exposure generated by this was a boon to subsequent talks with promising leads at the exhibitors’ main stands,” Köckler said. The exhibits for Innovations@Domotex were selected by an expert jury and published in a special guide in the run-up to the fair. This enabled visitors to carefully research the innovations of interest to them and plan their visit more effectively. In 2015, the Innovations@Domotex showcase will be extended to include an additional product category: application, installation and cleaning technology. Köckler: “This is yet another example of Domotex’s pivotal role as the trendsetter of the carpet and flooring industry. Domotex is rolling out this special platform to exhibitors of application tools, care solutions, and laying materials and equipment so that they too can generate added exposure for their product innovations.” This year, Innovations@Domotex was very effective at helping visitors navigate Domotex. It also boosted the visitor turnout at participating exhibitors’ main stands, resulting in a marked increase in quality B2B contacts. This pleasing result was due in part to the allure of the high-profile Innovations@Domotex Talks, and in part to the format’s Guided Tours, in which architecture experts led visitors from the special display zones directly to the display stands of the participating exhibitors. www.domotex.de
Fast-trac tack
F. Ball, a leading manufacturer of flooring adhesives and subfloor preparation products has launched Styccobond F5 fast-track vinyl floorcovering adhesive. Fast drying and solvent free, Styccobond F5 has been specifically designed to allow for maximum flexibility when installing a wide range of tile and sheet vinyl floorcoverings in fast-track applications.
The fibre-reinforced formulation of Styccobond F5 has excellent initial grab and fast drying properties that allow for early placement of floorcoverings. Vinyl tiles can be placed immediately, but it is advisable to allow it to dry for just five minutes, which will significantly reduce the risk of tiles sliding. The highly versatile adhesive also offers an extended open time of up to 90 minutes. Fast-track Styccobond F5 is suitable for use over structurally sound, smooth, dry, absorbent subfloors of concrete and sand/cement screeds, plywood, hardboard and Stopgap smoothing underlayments. Once a floorcovering has been installed with Styccobond F5, the area can receive foot traffic immediately, minimising the downtime of the area, which is ideal for fast-track projects. Part of F. Ball's ultimate Fast-Track Solutions system, Styccobond F5 is recommended for use in conjunction with fast-drying Stopgap F78 waterproof surface membrane and Stopgap Fast-Track 30 smoothing underlayment. Comprising the fastest system on the marketplace, these products, combined, will allow a subfloor to be prepared and a floorcovering to be laid in as little as three hours. Styccobond F5 comes packaged in a 10-litre bucket, with a coverage rate of approximately 5.5m2 per litre with a Styccobond A2 'V' notched trowel, depending on the condition and absorbency of the subfloor. T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk 40 November 2014
FlooringNews
! Where is the Best Business in the UK? London and the South East Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an hour from Central London and half an hour from Gatwick? Brighton
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News
Brockway builds team Brockway Carpets’ Steve Glover has been promoted to national sales manager as part of the company’s continuing expansion plans.
Servicing growth at Cormar
Cormar Carpets has opened its second cross-dock distribution centre in Bristol following the success of its Northampton operation, opened last year, to further support growth in retail sales and meet forecasted order demand.
The operation sits alongside existing outbase depots, providing additional support to current facilities within the loading bay and cut-lengths department at Cormar’s Brookhouse Mill in Greenmount Bury, which have seen increasing volumes over the last 18 months.
He moves up from his previous role as commercial manager, having joined Kidderminster based Brockway in 2003 after working in the carpet industry much of his working life. In his new role, Steve will manage the firm’s 10strong national salesforce with responsibility for expanding its extensive UK-wide network of the best independent retailers. He said: “I am delighted to accept this new challenge. These are exciting times for the Brockway brand with a major product development programme underway and it is great to be part of our success.”
Customer orders are loaded in bulk on 44ft trailers in Bury to then trunk to Bristol overnight, unload and finally reload onto individual local delivery routes.
Sales director Shaun Lewis added: ”This is a very important position as we move forward, and having Steve’s calibre and experience is a huge asset to our team.
Craig Marshall, head of order channels and logistics at Cormar Carpets, said: “Our logistics partners will run the operation out of our existing outbase site in Portbury, near Bristol. It will be capable of handling 15% of our current volume through a night loading team and eight delivery vehicles, with drivers operating from the site.
“Over the coming months his role will grow under plans to further consolidate our market position as a brand leader in manufacturing beautiful, premium quality carpets.”
“Going forward we are looking at opening two more outbase facilities as well as three additional next day collections points for our retail customers,” he said.
Brockway has been designing and producing high quality carpets in Kidderminster since 1964.
All Cormar ranges are produced in the UK on site at its Lancashire mills and distributed throughout Britain and Ireland via its own delivery fleet.
As a family-run business, Brockway’s 100-strong skilled workforce combines real craftsmanship with the latest environmentally-aware technology and the finest raw materials to create innovative, luxurious carpets for domestic and commercial markets in the UK and overseas.
T 01204 881234
T 01562 828200 www.brockway.co.uk
www.cormarcarpets.co.uk
Unilin invests in success
Unilin has announced the expansion of its production capacity for engineered wood floors in response to an increasing demand. The state-of-theart production site in Vyškov in the Czech Republic represents a multimillion-euro investment for the company which markets innovative wood flooring products in the UK under the Quick-Step and Pergo brands.
Until now, Unilin’s wood products were mainly manufactured in Malaysia. To sustain the growth of engineered wood flooring, and because the bulk of this demand comes from European markets, Unilin decided to expand its production and invest in Europe. Besides having a central location – fostering shorter lead times and an improved level of customer service – the new site also needed to offer sufficient possibilities for future expansion. The revamped production facility is now fully ready to reap the benefits of Unilin technology. Carl Plyson, General Manager Wood at Unilin: “Several production lines were upgraded and modernised, increasing the plant’s overall efficiency and production capacity. From now on, the site will be capable of producing flooring products with Unilin’s trademark Uniclic Multifit click technology. With the addition of surface brushing and the ability to produce lacquered bevels, the Vyškov plant can count on the latest in flooring surface technologies.” By expanding the production volume in the Czech Republic, Unilin will be able to offer shorter European supply lines. The available site capacity in Malaysia will be used to further grow mainly in Asia, US, Latin America and Australia. In addition, this expansion will also yield a 75% reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. Mr Plyson added: “Sustainability has always been at the heart of our mission and vision, with all wood flooring products being made of 100% natural, PEFC certified wood. By opening a wood production in Europe, our home market, we will significantly reduce carbon emissions.” Unilin employs 5,400 people at 21 production sites worldwide and had a turnover of 1.4 billion euros in 2013. It is part of the internationally listed group Mohawk Industries, Inc. T +32 5667 5211 42 November 2014
www.unilin.com
FlooringNews
Report 2014
Harrogate
Confidence replaces cautious optimism Harrogate is always a good time for a health check on the state of UK flooring.The recovery has been slow and the trade has had a longer recession than most sectors but now the vital signs are strong. A lot was happening in Harrogate. Confidence has replaced cautious optimism. The flooring industry looks like it’s finally getting to grips with its future. And that future looks a little different from the past – evidenced by significant structural changes in the marketplace and its participants. Most noticeably, everybody wants to do everything and they want to do it well. Look at Furlong, rolling out a new national offer that adds smart new brands in cushionfloor and wood to its highly successful carpet ranges – hot on the heels of the opening of a major new investment in warehousing and distribition.
Last month we reported on the huge success that was Harrogate this year, a well-deserved triumph for the organisers of The Flooring Show. This month we focus on the market, trends and presentations at the event. Review by David Spragg
Then there was the Flooring Show’s best kept secret, the acquisition of Abingdon by Victoria which was announced just a few days after the event and marks another major consolidation of wool and polpropylene. That trend is reflected in leaders like Cormar and Kingsmead who continue to build their synthetic business to parity (at least) with wool to secure their market share – meticulously covering all the price points across their portfolios. And while the top wool/synthetic carpet companies get stronger, the wool sector gets smarter. After almost a decade in the doldrums, fighting volatile fibre pricing and recession-hit consumers, wool has its fleecy tail up! While there is a sense that a piece of the wool business has gone forever, lost to better quality polypropylene and the consequent confidence of retailers to sell it, there is growing demand for quality to offset that loss. And wool houses have risen to that challenge with flair and imagination. There’s nothing tentative about Brintons bold Timourous Beasties designs, or the bright colours of Victoria and Bronte. The closer link with the interiors industry is seen more strongly than ever before in this approach and is especially conspicuous in the offers from Adam, with its sexy mood boards; Axminster, building on the successful launch of Royal Borough; and Ulster, who are extending their reach to new markets with the fashion-led designs in their new BoHo collection.
“There’s a much stronger feeling of optimism in the market than there was a year ago.” Andrew Broughton, Bronte.
And there are innovators like Brockway and Cavalier who are developing intelligent new products such as Minerals and Gemini respectively to attract consumers with subtle new patterns and finishes. continued overleaf...
Product reviews start on page 45-65. Read our reviews of what’s hot at Harrogate with full details of the trends, launches and innovations that made the show unmissable.
from The Stocklists
November 2014 43
HarrogateReport 2014 “Everyone has been hoping that the market will improve and now finally it is getting better.” Jeremy Wilson, Ulster.
Confidence replaces cautious optimism continued At last there is a lot going on in the wool sector. The launch of the WOW wool cleanability campaign earllier this year by several leading brands and backed by WoolSafe plus the considerable efforts of the Campaign for Wool [see separate panel] have breathed new life into the business. For trend spotters, Harrogate confirmed that the trade is in bondage to ‘shades of grey’! Every carpet re-colouration for the last 18 months has the requisitie range of grey tones – noticeably more grey than ‘greige’ now – but the trend has become pervasive across LVT, laminates and woods also and very attractively so. Even mainstream wood and wood décor buyers have been weaned away a little from the midcolour oaks that dominate and in tiles there is increasingly strong demand for both dark and light slate effects and even cement colours. Lighter shades are also increasing popular with near-white options in textile and smooth floorcovering leading the fashion. But bright colour and pattern is also more in evidence – a sure sign of growing consumer confidence. The designers have been working hard to deliver a pattern for everyone from some of the striking wool designs I mentioned before to smaller, more subte herringbone and houndstooth and the sophisticated ‘texture patterns’ like the velvet/twist offers from Cavalier and Brockway and the wood grain design from Brintons. And ‘plaid is the new stripe’ is oft quoted these days and certainly the tartan army is on the march. Already a major staple seller for wool houses like Ulster, Adam, Axminster, Master Weavers and Hugh Mackay, expect to see the range increase including more modern designs and on-trend colourways. So, overall, business is looking better for UK flooring – and the market is a more interesting place than for many years. But the size of the market is growing more slowly than the key companies require to sustain their momentum. And savvy new entrants from outside such as, for example F&X and H&V Carpets, want a piece of it too. So the competition is intense, consumers are still pathologically price concious and people like SCS are giving carpet away free with every sofa worth over £399 – an issue mentioned and muttered about at Harrogate many times. But then no-one ever said it was going to be easy….
Measuring success
The organisers end-of-show analysis has confirmed the success we reported in The Stocklists last month.Visitor numbers were up 15% overall on 2013 – with 2,650 attendees from 28 countries.
It was interesting that the event increaased its national appeal with a 20% increase in visitors from the southern half of England and 24% increase from Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland. The show was a sell-out in terms of exhibitors with over 150 companies (120 in 2013) covering 17% more floor space. Wendy Adams, Event Director, said: “The show team pulled out all the stops this year to put on an exciting, feature-rich event that had something for everyone, and which looked good as well. We feel sure this contributed to the lively and friendly atmosphere that so many visitors commented on.” Last month we reported comments from leading industry figures – “a giant leap forward” said Martin West of Kingsmead; “a smarter show” said Richard Moore of ACG. Show director Paul Stott commented: “We’re extremely grateful to the core of loyal exhibitors who have stayed with us through the past few tough years – without them the show simply couldn’t have survived. Exhibitor rebooking rates for next year have far exceeded expectations, and the whole Flooring Show team will do its utmost to ensure that the 2015 show is bigger and better still.”
“We have seen a much higher level of confidence in the marketplace .”
The 2015 event will be held from September 20-22.
Richard Moore, Associated Carpet Group.
44 November 2014
FlooringNews
Review 2014
Heroes of Harrogate
The Wool Trends Hub at the heart of the Harrogate show created a focus of how natural fibre can lead interiors fashion.
The Campaign for Wool
Wool brought a showbiz buzz to Harrogate and for many it was central to the successful rejuvenation of this flagship national flooring event. Wool was centre stage at the Flooring Show with a superb display of Wool Trends roomsets stylishly designed by Homes & Gardens magazine. Four themes were presented using products from leading wool houses. This presentation played a key role as a hub around which the leading wool carpet companies, most of them absent for many years from Harrogate, were able to gather. The great and the good were there Brintons, Axminster, Adam, Bronte, Edel Telenzo, Cavalier, Ulster and Brockway. The impresario of the event was Bridgette Kelly of Campaign for Wool. “I wanted to bring the wool industry together and show we can do really good things if we work together,” said Bridgette. “There was an appetite for something special and we wanted to put wool at the heart of the show and inspire people. “I think we have pulled it off – this has really shifted the mood,” she said. “We are delighted that the wool people have provided such a good focus for the show, they have done a great job,” said Chris Moffat of buying group SMG. “The wool people have really delivered a great attraction for the event,” said Jeremy Wilson of Ulster Carpets. As well as Campaign for Wool and the British Wool Marketing Board making the most of the occasion, the Curtis Wool Direct team were equally impressive with a stunning installation by designer Angela Wright of two huge hanks of wool hanging from the rafters of Hall C as the centrepiece of a ‘fleece-to-floor’ story. Visitors to the show knew what to expect before they even entered the building as a flock of Dalesbred and Roughfell sheep were rounded up in an enclosure outside the main entrance at Hall M for the two main days.
“I wanted to bring the wool industry together and show we can do really good things if we work together,”
T 01274 688666 www.britishwool.org.uk
Bridgette Kelly, Campaign for Wool
from The Stocklists
November 2014 45
Review 2014
Supplier of choice Furlong
Furlong is positioning to be a ‘supplier of choice’ across the full range of flooring having launched a comprehensive national offer of carpet, vinyl and woods – all presented in an eye-catching new style. One of the best-dressed stands at the show, Furlong showed a confidence in their competitiveness with separate zones and creatively different displays for their Regency and Carefree carpets, Natural Solutions wood and Design Elements cushionfloor. “We are increasing our reach ,” said Furlong MD Malcolm Gibson who said the major new distribution centre at Stonehouse just opened had allowed them to roll out on all fronts with confidence in the service. “This extra capacity has given us the capability to focus on top level service alongside the price and quality values we are known for.” “The new POS presentation has had a fantastic reaction from retailers,” said Furlong’s Neil Valentine. “We look like we mean business and we do. More business for the retailer at a price and quality where he can improve his profits.” T 01772 696787
www.furlongflooring.co.uk
Colour rocks Earthwerks
The vibrant LVT company Earthwerks has made a big impact since they launched their new striking range of decors at Domotex in January, and their launch at Harrogate was unmissable. Strong primary colours with a hand-painted effect on wood decors are eye-catching and exciting. “A lot has happened since our launch and I think we have really caught people’s imagination with this product,” says Ton Van de Ven of Earthwerks. The company is building a gallery of installation designs to show just how dynamic these different decors are and to inspire creativity. On the floor of their Harrogate stand was the latest innovation – the use of insets in two or four centimetre width strips between the planks introducing a striking contrast style. The mix of colours cut into each was also shown to great effect. T 0800 689 1657 www.earthwerks.co.uk
Going for goal F Ball
England football legend Gordon Banks (pictured far left) was given the goal to promote F Ball at Harrogate and the 1966 world cup winner was happy to chat to fans among the flooring crowd and sign autographs. But the event didn’t go into extra time as F Ball were pitching their new Fast-Track Solution concept ‘when time matters’. “The pressure is on for speed,” says F Ball’s Richard Harris. “If the contractor can get the job done quicker, he can improve his profit and move on to the next job.” The company have developed a set of systems to accelerate installation performance and for the Flooring Show the latest F5 adhesive for LVT was the centrepiece. F5 offers almost instant grab to set an installation line for tiles but still remains open for working for 90 minutes. Combined with high speed DPM and underlayment technologies, the system offers considerable time savings. T 01538 361633 www.f-ball.co.uk
46 November 2014
FlooringNews
Reassuringly resilient and famous for being the hardest-wearing, Duralay underlays are engineered to be tough in every flooring situation. The Duralay range features our renowned recycled crumb rubber plus specialist solutions for wood, laminate, underfloor heating and contract applications so every floor can be protected by Duralay.
01706 238 810 from The Stocklists
interfloor.com
@interfloor1 November 2014 47
Review 2014
Quality shines through Green Tree Distribution
Green Tree were putting a gloss on it at Harrogate with the launch of the shiny new Elesco range that looks distinctively different. The high gloss collection comes in 12 wood decors and five tiles. “This range has really been noticed as something new and interesting,” said Andrew Wallace. “It has distinctive appeal both in residential installations and for contract work, especially in hospitality.” The German made range includes wood effects with round grooves and the heavy gloss laquer effect gives the decors exceptional depth as well as resilient performance. Showing the versatility of the system, Green Tree displayed alternating black and while decors on the wall of the stand to stop people in the aisles. T 01785 818005 www.greentreedistribution.co.uk
Pattern with a passion Brintons Carpets
“Pattern is coming back”, says Sarah Draper at Brintons and she backed up the claim with a superbly bold presentation of designs from the reknowned Scottish designers Timourous Beasties. On the stand floor and wall was the stunning Ruskin Butterfly design from the Timourous Beasties collection, with a large sweeping pattern and the distinctive colourful butterfly detail. The collection has been introduced for residential and commercial use.“We have been very pleased by the response. It is really taking off,” says Sarah. A little less bold but no less dramatic is the subtlety of the Damask design and the Woodgrain (‘grain du bois’) which sounds a little unlikely as a carpet design but makes a highly attractive decorative texture.
Mood, not bored
T 0800 505055 www.brintons.co.uk
Adam Carpets
Adam Carpets is earning increasing respect for its thoughtful approach to the market with sophisticated design and commitment to quality. “We have the potential to excite retailers and consumers about what we are doing,” says Eamonn Prescott. A selection of mood boards on their stand summed up the approach, showing the design inspiration behind the latest ranges and colourways. Getting a lot of the attention is the new Close Companions collection, an elegant range in 12 colours and chevron and houndstooth designs which was launched in John Lewis in August to an “unbelievably positive reaction,” says Eamonn. Adam’s flagship Fine Worcester range continues to set a standard for a finely finished twist and the company is planning to add to the 65-colour range with up to 8 new colours to reflect the latest trends. Colour poms of several new candidate tones were gathering feedback from Harrogate visitors so expect an update soon. T 01562 822247 www.adamcarpets.com
48 November 2014
FlooringNews
Style Service Availability Innovation Quality Design
sales@earth sales@earthwerks.co.uk werks.co.uk from The Stocklists
fr free-phone: ee-phone: 0800 68 689 9 165 1657 7
w www.earthwerks.co.uk ww.earthwerks. co.uk November 2014 49
Review 2014
Meister-ful flooring Interfloor
For a market leading company best known for their leading underlay brands Tredaire and Duralay, a departure into a new product sector needs to be equally impressive. Interfloor have chosen to introduce laminates into the UK market and they have chosen well. The offer is based on a smart selection from the range of top quality German manufacturer Meister. “This is something new, different and exciting for the UK market,” says Steve Woodhead. “A lot of laminates are ubiquitous which means retailers find it difficult to compete. This range is designed for premium retailers only and offers the highest standards of German quality.” Interfloor have selected over 40 colours in six collections with a mix of shorter, narrow planks and longer, broad options in wood and tile decors. Everything is made by Meister itself in Germany and Interfloor has set up extensive UK stockholding including accessories and trims. At the top end is the remarkable Nadura range – a novel technology that uses a wood powder for a deeper, harder wearing surface. Nadura was laid in the Meister goods depot for 3 months and after 1,250 trucks movements carrying 375,000 tonnes it was lifted still looking smart! Interfloor has exciting plans for the future in developing this sector with the latest innovations from one of Europe’s leaing laminate manufacturers.
“A lot of laminates are ubiquitous which means retailers find it difficult to compete. This range is designed for premium retailers only and offers the highest standards of German quality.” Steve Woodhead, Interfloor
Interfloor’s underlay doesn’t want to be left in the shade! The company’s top PU brand Tredaire has been given a colourful overhaul. The Tredaire Seventh Heaven range now comes in a set of bolder colours with a new smart white backing that is stronger with clear branding. “We have improved the presentation and the product,” says Steve Woodhead. “The product looks and feels better and we believe it will sell better.” This is a free upgrade, so there’s no increase in current pricing. New packaging makes the underlay easier to sample and to handle and the POS presentation is more focussed on benefits to help retailers communicate to their customers why they should add underlay to their carpet purchase. T 01706 213131 www.interfloor.com
50 November 2014
FlooringNews
Simply soak up with a paper towel!
Gives you more time to clean up those everyday mishaps! The Stainfree Classic Collection 20 new fashion colours to give your customer choice, multi-widths to save them money and a 3 weight ‘good, better, best’ offering guaranteed to enrich any room in their home.
Easy on the eye and easy on the pocket, Classic Décor is the perfect starting point for any home.
Without doubt this is the most popular ever quality Stainfree Twist.
An ultra-heavyweight Stainfree that is guaranteed to keep it’s good looks for longer!
www.abingdonflooring.co.uk
Review 2014
Anything goes Bronté Carpets
Bronté is known for its any colour, any size offer for luxurious wool carpets – and of course, there are also 21 pile weights on offer - but it ‘s really the ‘any shape’ possibilities of their customised service that offers potential to retailers. At their mill in Colne, Lancashire, the company can make a carpet to plan – without joins and without waste. “The savings can be significant, especially for L-shaped and T-shaped sections,” says Andrew Broughton. “We have seen plans where we can save 50% of the waste which suddenly makes top quality carpet affordable for a lot more people.” Not only does the cost come down, a custom made carpet can be significantly easier to install, reducing fitting time and making handling much easier. T 01282 871141 www.brontecarpets.co.uk
A twist, naturally Manx Carpets
Manx Carpets have taken a clever route to capitalise on the huge success of their Natural Shades low level loop – make a matching twist. “We haven’t done this before but suddenly it seemed so logical,” said Graham Harris (pictured). Natural Shades is a 3-ply 50/50 tufted loop which has five colour co-ordinating pinstripe options. Three extra colours, Hessian, Italian Marble and Macchiato have been added to the plains to complement the range of ‘earth ‘ tones in the collection. And now the same yarn is used to create a cut pile - Natural Plain Twist. The two collections are available on smart new displays. “Retailers have reacted very positively as it gives them so many options for different rooms in the house and uses a tried and tested range of colours,” said Graham. T 01827 831436 www.manxcarpets.co.uk
Go on, get a sale Cybergold
The scope for impulse buying in flooring retailers is less obvious than the stacks of sweets by the till at Tesco. But anti-slip specialists Cybergold reckon they can help you out to get at least a small sale from much of your footfall. Cybergold’s Rug Control comes in rolls, packs and sprays and retails for around £12 at 100% margin and Nick Burger at the company commented: “Whether or not a store visitor has bought a floor from you, the simple question – ‘Do you have any trouble with rugs slipping at home? – can achieve a sale in up to 50% of cases!” The product performance is one of the most reliable in the market and sales growth for Cybergold has been driven by high levels of repeat purchases in recent years. T 01494 761814 www.cybergolduk.com
52 November 2014
FlooringNews
Thank you to all who visited our stand at the Flooring Show in Harrogate
Overwhelming response at the show for our products has resulted in vacancies for skilled engineers at our Elland branch. Please call on 01422 373799 from The Stocklists
November 2014 53
Review 2014
Sparkling success Ball & Young
Cloud 9 Caviar & Champagne, as featured on the TV programme “60 Minute Makeover”, is the new underlay range from Ball & Young and with several hundred visitors to the stand, they had a superb response. Visitors to Ball & Young remarked on the pure luxury feel to the carpet on the stand which of course was supported by the 11mm Caviar & Champagne, the star of the show as the champagne flowed. The launch of WoodTec, an underlay for wood and laminate flooring – 4mm thick on a 140 density core, was also very well received and orders placed. “A combination of optimism and a fabulous setting – a recipe for a very successful show. The best for years.” said Ann Shaw. T 01536 200502 www.underlay.com
Designs on difference Ulster Carpets
“People have seen the difference,” says Jeremy Wilson of Ulster Carpets. And he’s right. Ulster is looking sharp, sophisticated and modern, this is reflected in its displays and point-of-sale - and in the style of the new website which was the starting point for this design makeover. “We’ve built on the traditions and gone beyond them. We’re still good at what we’re good at but we are really evolving now and have some super young designers at Ulster to help us do it,” said Jeremy. The business is brimming with new ideas already with the stylish BoHo collection launched in May as a platform for development including new super selling plaids. Meanwhile Ulster favourite York Wilton has added six new colorways to make 44 in total with greys and taupes to the fore. Further new colourways are also in the pipeline for Grange Wilton and Heritage Twist. T 02838 334433 www.ulstercarpets.com
Freshly made Lano Carpets
Lano Carpets lit up the halls of Harrogate with one of the busiest stands of the show, as it brought retailers up to date with the latest developments and carpets to take them into 2015 and beyond. Revealing a colour update to its hugely successful Fairfield Creations collection of coordinated stripes and plain carpet in its Easy Care fibre, as well as the brand new and luxurious Divine Twist 75oz quality, Lano Carpets was once again a star attraction of the UK’s premier residential flooring show. Along with the care-sector focused impervious 30oz Forum SB and Xtra Twist collections, Lano showcased the stunning Venice Wilton patterned carpet collection, with the plaid design taking the centre stage as the carpet on the stand. “The Flooring Show is always eagerly anticipated and we use it as a showcase for our freshest launches ensuring that retailers are making a worthwhile trip,” says Tom Mathys, sales manager UK and Ireland. “This year proved no different and we were delighted with the response we had to our new introductions and updates.” Brand new imagery was also revealed for the SmartStrand collection of renewable content residential carpet, as well as one of the first opportunities to see the new Rugs & Runners collection in the UK. T 00800 5266 5266 www.lano.com
54 November 2014
FlooringNews
Postive impact The Academy for Excellence in Flooring
The Academy for Excellence in Flooring powered up the Flooring Show as it revealed its new identity and courses tuned to commercial and residential installers alike. More than just a new name and logo, the changes at the Academy revealed at the show underline the training and development centre’s ambition to become the premier learning facility in the flooring industry, with the Quick-Step Master Installer and Pergo Master Pro Installer badges taking pride of place. The Pergo Master Pro Installer course focuses on honing the skills of installers working in the commercial sector with Quick-Step Master Installer content aimed squarely at those installing wood, laminate and LVT floors in residential locations. Both courses provide a suite of benefits, including fully supported workmanship warrantees and access to technical advice. “The Flooring Show allowed us to show just how much positive impact the Academy can have on the day-to-day business of installing floors in commercial and residential environments,” explained Lee Thompson, procurement and technical manager for the Academy. “The Quick-Step Master Installer badge is one worn with great pride by a growing number of installers within the UK and now with courses tailored specifically at commercial environments, we are sure that the same will also be true for the Pergo Master Pro Installer badge in the very near future.” Exclũsiv www.quick-step-academy.co.uk
In the pink Kersaint Cobb
The Flooring Show saw Kersaint Cobb stand out from the crowd again this year with their vibrant brand shades of pink and green and the launch of fantastic new collections. The introduction of latest high quality wood collection, Fjør and Fjør Exclũsiv, was particularly popular with stand visitors. The long and 180mm wide European oak planks are available in eight contemporary styles, from pale shades to warm natural tones, and feature a click system which makes installation extremely easy. Fjør Exclũsiv offers two ‘Prime-Grade’ options for more discerning customers. Perfect for any room, the Scandinavian inspired collection works wonderfully to create authentically rustic looking flooring. New carpet collection ‘Silk Touch’ attracted lots of attention, blended from sumptuous bamboo fibres and incredibly soft to the touch. T 01675 430 430 www.kersaintcobb.co.uk
Spring in the step Axminster Carpets
“There is a move back to design and colour in our new 2015 ranges. We are looking at product development with fresh, new approaches to continue our growth,” says Josh Dutfield of Axminster (pictured). That sentiment shows through in the new wovens the company has developed for launch next Spring and which were previewed to great acclaim at Harrogate. Four designs in herringbone, diamond stripe, chenille stripe and suede combine with contemporary colours including some bright, light shade to deliver 20 options which will be available in three widths. Meanwhile, Axminster’s unique Simply Natural collection of textured carpets made with cabled yarn has been widely extended with 13 new options including a clever highlight stipple in their rib design; while the flagship Devonia Plain range has added five new colours to cater for fashion including the latest greys. T 01297 32244 www.axminster-carpets.co.uk
from The Stocklists
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Review 2014
Innovative anniversary Abingdon Carpets
Most polypropylene carpet manufacturers focus on the ease of getting stains out. Abingdon’s new Aqua Pro-Tec technology is different – it doesn’t let the stain in! The launch of Aqua Pro-Tec was undoubtedly a show highlight for many visitors as the company’s compelling live demonstrations of the product’s performance was something that will communicate quickly to consumers. Pour on the water, or coke, or red wine, and it just sits on the surface like liquid mercury just waiting to be blotted off. Without a whiff of bleach! “This is really, really exciting,” says Martin Peace, “a true game-changer. We have had a fantastic reaction and people can see instantly just how well it works. The next challenge is to get it in front of consumers.” Abingdon is rising to that challenging with a point-of-sale ‘Demo Board’ which retailers can use to show how the stains just run off the carpet surface and other demonstration units are planned. The breakthrough – after nine months development - is a fitting achievement in this, Abingdon’s 25th anniversary as this was the company that introduced polypropylene and the stainfree concept to the UK but has since seen many competitors crowd into the market. Their lead in Aqua Pro-tec will be secured to some extent by their manufacturing capability. Abingdon produce their own polypropylene yarn in South Wales which gives it a distinct advantage in developing new technology. Abingdon launched the concept at Harrogate with three best-selling twists – Classic Décor, Classic Twist and Supreme – giving options in 3 weights, 20 re-vamped colours and all in multi-width. Existing ranges will be converted to the new yarn soon. T 01274 655662 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk
“This is really, really exciting,” says Martin Peace, “a true game-changer. We have had a fantastic reaction and people can see instantly just how well it works. The next challenge is to get it in front of consumers.” Martin Peace, Abingdon – pictured left
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FlooringNews
Easy Cleans up Cormar Carpets
While wool is as big as ever in the Cormar portfolio – and the re-colouring of Home Counties in both Plains and Heathers boosted the business earlier this year – it’s the new easy clean ranges in polypropylene, Sensation, Primo and Apollo Plus that were front of house at Harrogate. The ground breaking range Sensation took the sector by surprise when it was launched two years ago with both the soft feel and the colours proving extremely popular. So to capitalise on it’s success Cormar have introduced 6 more colours including two trendy greys and a bright white called Icing Sugar, to sit alongside the existing, popular shade, Polar White. Cormar’s core Easy Clean Primo collection has been established for 10 years now and at Harrogate Cormar have upped their game with the introduction of Primo Excellence, a fine tenth-gauge twist pile carpet with a matt, more wool like finish and a superb soft touch – available in two weights and 15 colours. This, together with the launch of Apollo Plus, the entry level Cormar easy clean range, launched during the summer, made Cormar’s stand a busy one this September. T 01204 881234 www.cormarcarpets.co.uk
Having the edge Packexe
Packexe just can’t stop innovating and every show brings a new idea for their floor protection film which you wish you’d thought of yourself! The latest idea has the edge – that is, it’s called The Edge because it’s a machine that applies narrow strips of film right up to the skirting board. Used with the standard Packexe films for all flooring types, The Edge ensures flooring can be protected across its full width – ideal for decorators. The extend pole applicator and perforated film means no bending to apply the strips. “More and more people are specifying Packexe as part of the installation package and it suits everyone to work with an easy, reliable system,” says company owner Andrew Orchard. T 01392 438191 www.packexe.co.uk
Sonic boon Novostrat
Novostrat stands accused of misrepresenting products in their advertising! It turns out they have been underclaiming the performance of the Sonic Gold acoustic underlay for wood and laminate. “We have been upgrading our testing and quality systems at Novostrat and as a result we discovered that the Sonic Gold product is a full decibel quieter than we were claiming in our promotional material,” says sales director Toni Taibi (pictured right). “I’m not normally guilty of keeping quiet about our underlays but this time I’m happy to quote an improved performance for the same price!,” he said. T 00353 61 339287 www.novostrat.com
from The Stocklists
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Review 2014
Velvet with a twist Brockway Carpets
Brockway were busy with all their stylish wool ranges but pride of place was given to the innovation of Minerals, a luxurious 50 oz 80/20 with twist and velvet pile combined. The two pile finishes have been crafted into two designs, Diamond and Strata (a linear construction) each of which is available in 10 calm colours. “This is a nice range to site alongside our wool loops,” said Brockway’s new Sales Director Shaun Lewis (pictured). “It’s not really a pattern or a texture. It’s a tone-on-tone and the subtlety of that design is very appealing.” T 01562 828200 www.brockway.co.uk
Cutting a dash Merryfield Engineering
Merryfield have become the engineers of choice for many UK flooring companies and their five-metre Eco-Wasp cutting machine is becoming increasing popular to meet demand for the wider widths. Although it’s a tight squeeze in an exhibition hall, the five-metre machine displayed it’s flexibility and compact construction maintaining its reputation for speed and reliability. The Merryfield machines are manufactured in the UK at Elland, West Yorkshire and with their continued quest for maintaining engineering skills, this year’s exhibition machine was constructed by Carl Holden (pictured), a third year apprentice with the company. T 01422 373799 www.carpetcuttingmachines.co.uk
Intrigue and innovation Edel Telenzo
How do you follow the stunning success of the Tube collection? Edel Telenzo knows how but they are not telling! There has been some intense and inspired product development at the company in recent months in preparation for a major launch to kick off 2015. The Stocklists has been privileged to have a sneak preview of what’s going on and can confirm that fans of Telenzo’s flair and style will not be disappointed. Meanwhile, visitors were able to see the latest in luxury from Edel Telenzo – the 100% wool textured loop of Bloomsbury and it’s tip sheared coordinate Harrow with its subtle stripe in six colours as well as Circle Line, Docklands and CP. Edel Telenzo have also extended its offer with a roll only 90/10 wool blend in two designs, Tamar and Ribble, which offer a competitively priced textured pattern in 4m width. T 01422 374417 www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk
58 November 2014
FlooringNews
Cleaneasy from Kingsmead Cleaneasy is unmissable in the market with its distinctive black and green livery. “This brand is so strong and confident. It’s a real attention-getter,” says Martin. Kingsmead has re-organised the presentation across a set of 12 POS units which are now organised around three classes of fibre – the core Everlon polypropylene, Everlon SuperSoft and Woltec Gen 2. There were key launches at Harrogate for Cleaneasy which will set the sales agenda for the Autumn. Super saxony Grandeur has been well received, delivering a lot of 3-ply carpet for the competitive price. The range currently has six very on-trend colours and more will follow. In the SuperSoft category, Dignity made its debut a 10-colour range with a cosy feel which comes in 4 and 5m widths. Kingsmead’s impressive Wolltec fibre has been further refined for 2014 to enhance its wool-like touch and the ‘Gen2’ version is launched in a major new ‘fit everywhere’ range called Distinction which offers 24 options in plains, heathers and berbers in 4 and 5m.
Reliable results Kingsmead Carpets
Kingsmead has one of the most comprehensive carpet offers in the business so the challenge is to make sure every range is earning its keep as a potential best-seller on the High Street. It’s a challenge that Martin West is always ready to rise to. “We keep a very close eye on every aspect of the offer and we have been refreshing the portfolio to make it work as hard as possible for retailers,” says Martin. “People know they can rely on Kingsmead to deliver results for them.” The business has three key areas of focus – wool twist, wool loop and the Cleaneasy polypropylene brand (see panel). Wool is a growth business for Kingsmead and they’re good at it. This year’s innovation in wool loop is the ‘Book of Stripes’ which combines options from various ranges into one collection to help consumers decide. And now Kingsmead has taken six colour combinations from the most versatile stripes and created the Mineral range of two textured plains in 4 and 5m as a level loop and hobnail texture – the stripes are bound into the same pattern book for reference. All backed up by the WOW warranty for consumer confidence. For wool twist, a very smart new launch is Haddington Heather and Plains with 12 colours in each range, two pile weights and a choice of 4 and 5m widths – the subtley of the heathered option is especially attractive. And look out for glory with Kingsmead’s flagship Glen Shee made from Highland Fleece yarn – launched to great appreciation at last year’s show but now finalist for two prestigious design awards. T 01827 831424 www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk
Listen and evolve SMG
The SMG buying group uses its time at Harrogate as an opportunity to take the temperature of the flooring industry and develop the services it offers members accordingly. “This has been a great show and a good chance to meet our members. We have had a number of very positive conversations,” says Mike Symonds of SMG. “But we like to listen more than talk on these occasions so that we can understand needs and trends among retailers, and evolve accordingly. “We have been working very hard on the package we offer our membership and we’re are getting a good response from members who are increasingly confident about the business prospects ahead.” Pictured (l to r) are Ben Young, Mike Symonds and Chris Moffat. T 0118 932 3822 www.smg-group.co.uk
from The Stocklists
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Review 2014
Building better business ACG
Click is new fit QA Flooring Solutions
The Associated Carpet Group is one of the sector’s strongest growing buying groups – an achievement earned by their professional approach, marketing flair and close attention to detail. “After a good period of growth, there is a lot of momentum in the group now and we can build on this strength when we are working with suppliers to get the very best offer for our retail members,” says ACG’s Richard Moore. The Group’s distinctive ‘SmartChoice’ branding has had an impact. “We are seeing a very strong interest in our own label package for retailers and we are developing those ranges and the point-of-sale to respond to this interest,” says Richard. “We listen to what our members want and we are making our sales tools as effective as possible to deliver better business for them.” T 01942 825520
QA has carefully planned for success with the launch at Harrogate of its new Luvanto Click range based on the best sellers from its popular Luvanto range of LVT. “Click is a new product for us and our launch recognises the demand we have had for a well-defined offer in this sector, especially for retailers to sell as a DIY fit,” says Garry Atmore of QA. The full Luvanto range has 30 colours, but QA have carefully selected six wood decors and three in stone to create a company range of solid sellers in Click – including the latest in grey oaks which are proving increasingly popular. The stone options also include light slate which is currently very fashionable. The product is high spec with a 0.5mm wear layer which makes it suitable for heavy domestic and light commercial installations and has been priced competitively to offer retailers great value for money. T 0151 495 3434
www.qaflooringsolutions.com
www.smartercarpets.com
Taking the tablet Masterpiece Systems
The intelligent estimating systems from MasterPiece are on the move increasingly as retailers and estimators take their computer tablets into consumers homes to measure, plan and estimate. The acclaimed desktop systems from MasterPiece are equally at home on a tablet PC and can be used as part of a seamless sales process from the first customer contact to the final fitting. Tablets can be used as a stand-alone system, without having to rely on 3G or negotiate with your customer’s home wi-fi settings! “We are seeing a growing number of licences purchased for tablets,” says Charles Pearson of MasterPiece “and many of these are from existing users who have seen the benefits of the system on the desktop PC in their store. “ MasterPiece has pioneered ease of use in estimating software and offers a series of modules to tailor the system to the needs of each flooring business, both retail and commercial. T 01737 355831 www.masterpiece-system.com
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FlooringNews
Making a splash Victoria Carpets
Victoria haven’t been at Harrogate for 10 years so when they came back they were determined to make a splash with one of the show’s most colourful stand carpets. To be precise, ‘Splash’ is a new set of 21 strong colours which have been added to the company’s Options 288 offer – a highly successful collection of 80/20 twist pile carpets in 36 colours, 3 weights and 4 and 5m widths. Splash is limited to one weight but makes a real statement that colour is coming back. But another small splash of colour is set to make even more difference to the company’s presentation. Victoria’s point-of-sale has been overhauled to make it more friendly and effective. Orange detailing has brought alive the smart grey display units and graphics; sampling has been placed at a lower level and with easier turning to help female consumers and there is a greater use of swatches so that side-by-side comparisons can be made more easily. “We take great care to get this right for retailers,” says Victoria’s marketing man Rob Byrne. “There are a lot of new elements here which together can re-energise the retail environment and make the sales process easier.” T 01562 749300 www.victoriacarpets.com
Shining examples Stairrods
Easywedges
The fitter’s friends at Stairrods have been working overtime recently to make life a little easier for the ground troops who lay down all those carpets on show at Harrogate – especially as the fashion for deeper underlay has added to the challenge. This year’s launch of Easychocks and Easywedges by Stairrods has been incredibly well received as a real problem-solver which saves time and temper when you need to raise trims and profiles for thick underlay. The new 15mm Easyshim, which works hand in hand with the Easychock, is added to the 3 other sizes 6mm, 9mm and 12mm.
Easychocks
But the shining success on the Stairrods stand remains their Premier Trims, polished door bars and carpet trims with matching accessories that are available in chrome, polished nickel and pewter as well as more conventional brassy finishes. The products are a rare example where consumers are quick to pay more for obvious quality and the added value to the whole installation is enormous T 01207 591176 www.stairrods.co.uk
Savvy selection H&V Carpets
H&V Carpets is steadily growing its reputation in the UK as a highly competitive, reliable roll supplier to flooring retailers and their confidence is reflected in the increasingly professional presentation at Harrogate with a major stand in Hall M. A leading Belgium manufacturer, H&V makes a savvy selection of over 20 of its polypropylene carpets for the UK to cover the range of styles and price points that appeal to the market here. New launches at the show included Izmir, a budget Saxony in five colours on an 4m roll and Palermo, H&V’s super Saxony which weighs in at 88oz/m in six colours to deliver a lot of carpet for not a lot of money. T 07813 714498
from The Stocklists
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Review 2014
WOW for wool The Woolsafe Organisation
Bringing details of WOW (Wool Owners Warranty) to the halls of Harrogate, The WoolSafe Organisation encouraged retailers to take part in the free after-care programme that offers homeowners a confidence inspiring way to protect their new investment. Backed by leading manufacturers, British Wool and Wools of New Zealand the warranty offers a free consultation from WoolSafe Approved Service Providers, as well as a free bottle of spot remover and free professional stain removal treatment where the carpet owner is unsuccessful in their attempt. Providing the carpet is cleaned once a year by an Approved Service Provider, the warranty can be extended for the life of the carpet, free-of-charge. The organisation also revealed details of its brand new green initiative and a cleaning product testing programme, CleanSeal. To satisfy increasing demand for carpet care products that are both effective and safe for the environment, WoolSafe has teamed up with Enco Global Testing Services (EGTS) to develop an environmental evaluation and certification standard for carpet and upholstery cleaning products. With the powerful combination of WoolSafe’s in-house testing and EGTS’s dedicated environmental analysis and evaluation, the initiative aims to boost availability and use of green carpet care products suitable for use on all types of carpet fibre. T 01943 850817 www.woolsafe.org
Examples of excellence MasterWeavers
The UK’s newest carpet manufacturer, Master Weaver, are doing some fine work in Kidderminster on their range of modern and traditional axminsters and wiltons in British wool and they brought three excellent examples of their latest ranges to the Harrogate show. Their new 80/20 46oz Velvet Wilton has a superbly clean finish and comes in 14 colours which are right on trend – there’s an especially appealing denim blue – and this range meets the increasing appetite for quality velvets in the market. The latest wool loop also looks like a winner. Fulham Loop is 100% wool and has been launched in six plain colours and three stripes to match but Master Weaver will be developing the range next year. The third introduction at the show was Traditional Turkey, woven in 3-ply in six vibrant colourways reflecting authentic oriental designs. T 01562 754382 www.masterweaver.co.uk
On a hiding to everything Barnscroft
Sheep have already offered a lot to the carpet industry – but Barnscroft has pushed their contribution to new and exciting limits! Sure, they sell conventional sheepskins which are soft and beautiful but the wow factor is delivered with acid-dyed, embossed, foiled and patchwork hides which are diffcult to describe but amazing to see and touch. Barnscroft is the brainchild of ex-Axminster boss Steve Upperton who has channelled his considerable energy into doing something different in business with his wife Joanna – and every rug they sell is different. “These are unique, niche products which are amazing to work with,” says Steve. “We went around the world to find the most interesting designers and suppliers and the hard work since we started nine months ago has paid off with a great response from the industry and consumers.” T 01404 851152 www.barnscroft.com
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FlooringNews
Andrew Westwell has joined Cavalier as their new rep in Yorkshire, North East and East Midlands.
Gemini in the ascendant Cavalier Carpets
Passion and persistence are the twins that created Gemini, a fascinating new launch from Cavalier that is set to start a new fashion with a clever velvet and twist combination that creates a subtle pattern. “We went through 16 trials to get this right,” says Hans Lowe of Cavalier, “but now we have a unique product that we can produce to a consistent high quality using innovative production techniques designed at Cavalier. Everybody who has seen the result has been highly complimentary.”
Cavalier brought 15 sample colours of the 80/20 carpet to the show to take soundings so that they can release the best 12 colours. Then Gemini will join Cavalier’s superb Envy velvet in the company’s posh ‘Couture Collection’ for the most discerning buyers. T 01254 268000 www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk
Cleaning up in retail Sebo
Sebo’s success in launching the Carpet Retailer Scheme has been confirmed since its debut at Harrogate last year. “The response has been beyond our expectations – the concept is just growing and growing,” says Kevin Hockney. Under the scheme, retailers buy one or two demonstration models from Sebo’s highly acclaimed range of vacuum cleaners and then Sebo themselves fulfil those customer orders direct, rebating retailers as they go along – an add-on sale without any hassle.“Increasingly we are also being approached by manufacturers who recommend our machines to retailers and consumers as they recognise that after sales issues can be reduced with efficient cleaning,” says Kevin. Latest EU legislation reducing the power consumption of appliances means that new technology in the latest models is offering the same performance for less power demand and, therefore, running costs. T 01494 465 533 www.seco.co.uk
Winning with the F&X factor F&X Carpets
F&X Carpets have become a major presence in the UK market as their growing Himalaya branded range of wool and polypropylene and polyester carpets has hit the price points that retailers like to work with to make a healthy margin. “We have seen strong demand and we are confident we are offering exactly what people want to sell to UK consumers. We expect to continue to grow very quickly especially during 2015,” says Gordon Hugo the UK Sales Manager of F&X. Three very different ranges made their debut at the Flooring Show. Hampton Court is a wool 80/20 with robust recycled PET fibre to increase its resilience and there is a wide range of options with 11 colours in two weights and at 4 and 5m widths. The formula is almost reversed with Proto and Proto Stripe which has 70% PET with 30% wool on ActionBac with the yarn matched across from plain to stripe to give a versatile offer. Finally Fujian Wave and Stripe are smart new 2 ply 100% natural undyed wool cut pile qualities in six colours that were extremely well received and resulted in a number of new stockists purchasing a mixture of both ranges. T 07976 607657 www.fxcarpet.com
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Review 2014
Plaid’s the new stripe Fells Carpets
Fells Carpets were delighted to be back at Harrogate showing their products at this year’s show, greeting many customers new and old visiting their stand. The wilton collections continue to gain in strength, with a big move to tartan and plaids with customers agreeing that plaid and tartan are fast becoming the new stripe. 3 new Wilton collections were launched and two others were previewed with great success. In addition to the Wilton offer Fells launched their new Carefree Tones display lectern showing plains and stripe coordinates. This was received well with many orders for units for immediate delivery. Serendipity Saxony and Trinity continued to be a massive success. Fells Carpets will continue to develop new innovations in flooring over the coming months and look forward to the flooring show 2015. T 0113 307 1900
www.fellscarpets.co.uk
Exploring exclusivity Crown Floors
Crown Floors by Balta has enjoyed another successful Flooring Show, welcoming retailers from across the country keen to learn about its fabulous mix of on-trend carpets and powerful point-ofsale that is making it the brand to have. Showcasing new compact lecterns that display this year’s new Parkland, Wilton House and Sheringham collections, as well as the existing Roseland, Penrose and Alderley Edge, Crown Floors once again proved its brand’s growing presence in the UK retail sector.
Record retailers for CRUK Carpet Recycling UK
A record number of visitors to Carpet Recycling UK’s stand at the 2014 Harrogate Flooring Show – up 20% on last year – provided ‘tangible evidence’ that more retailers are recycling their carpet waste, saving them money and enhancing their environmental credentials. “Many of them told us that having sought our advice last year, they were now recycling their off-cuts with great success, it was saving them money and they were delighted with the service,” reported CRUK Director Laurance Bird. “We saw more than 100 retailers and flooring contractors.”
“The Flooring Show provides a great opportunity for us to network and communicate the advantages of becoming a Crown Floors stockist to those retailers yet to discover us,” comments James Caldwell, sales coordinator, Crown Floors. “This year once again proved that our mix of carefully developed products and powerful brand is needed in the residential flooring landscape, with retailers keen to explore the display and carpet options available to them.” As one of the many advantages of being a Crown Floors by Balta stockist, including a fast and reliable UK-served cut length service, the Crown Floors Loyalty Club also received exposure across the threedays of the show. With points earned for every square metre of Crown Floors carpet sold, the club is an excellent opportunity to enjoy exclusive rewards. “This year’s show seemed to have a really good buzz and we were delighted to have been involved in bringing a real sense of excitement and anticipation in the run up to some key selling periods for the sector,” concludes James. T 0800 077 3301 www.crownfloors.co.uk
He singled out Jaypark Carpets, of Denton, Greater Manchester, as a ‘great example’ of a retailer who had made a special effort to personally thank CRUK for putting them in touch with a local recycling outlet. Now their off-cuts are being diverted from landfill and recycled into new carpet underlay by CRUK member Anglo Recycling. Laurance continued: “Our fourth year at the show was our best yet and it was very heartening to get such positive feedback from retailers on how they were succeeding in their recycling efforts, which benefits both their businesses and the environment. “By recycling more and reducing their landfill costs, they are winning on all levels. There has been a huge turnaround in thinking compared to just six years ago and it shows that the flooring industry is embracing recycling its carpet waste in a big way,” he said. T 0161 440 8325
64 November 2014
www.carpetrecyclinguk.com
FlooringNews
Top ten for winter Ideal Floors
Ideal, the carpet division of Beaulieu Flooring Solutions, used The Flooring Show as a platform to present 10 new carpet ranges for launch this winter. Ready to go to market are the iconic Dublin Twist range and the berber Sweet Home both in new colour banks. Ideal’s famous Dublin Twist has been upgraded with the deluxe premium blue felt backing alongside the woven action backing option. The new colour range holds 18 colours with plenty of fashionable minks, greys and beiges, available in 4&5 metre widths. The robust berber loop pile Sweet Home has also been updated in colours and is now also available in 5 metre. Sweet Harmony and Carlton Elite are two top-end man-made fibre ranges in the pipeline for the coming months. Sweet Harmony is a super silky soft saxony in today’s colours and Carlton Elite is a rock solid 60oz saxony, a true carpetman’s carpet. In the popular heather twists, the collection will be enlarged with Country Heather Supreme and budget-friendly Easy Living. Mystique and Mystique Stripe are fashionable heather saxony products. Two new berber loops were also shown as well as new structures, all in stain resistant and easy to clean PP fibre. www.beaulieuflooringsolutions.com
Contract champions Real
Real emphasized its product champions for contract solutions: Bedford, Primavera and Ultracord, available in rolls and tiles. New in contract tiles are York and Canterbury, a velour and rib in the same colourways. ‘Entry’ is a new product in Real’s entrance matting contract segment. With wintertime approaching and to keep the dirt outside, Real introduces a carpet runner display in combination with its Malaga range. Also on show at Beaulieu’s needle felt division were its Oryzon tuftgrass products, successfully launched this Spring. Cypress Point and Pine Valley, 30 and 40mm pile grass, combine extreme resilience and a very soft touch. New grass developments will be ready to market for early 2015. www.beaulieuflooringsolutions.com
Screen-age lectern Vizifloor
Having heard the hype, Harrogate was the first chance many got to get their hands on the new Vizifloor system that is set to transform retail POS with the visualisation of flooring samples in consumer’s own rooms. The retailer reaction was overwhelming with one visitor, Gareth Parry of Highgate Carpets, summing it up: “When you see the system, you know this is the way carpets will be sold in the future.” The pilot system being demonstrated was also designed to attract the attention of flooring suppliers and more than 20 companies have expressed an interest in working with Mayville Publishing Company, the publishers of The Stocklists, to develop the web-based platform over the coming year. www.vizifloor.com
from The Stocklists
November 2014 65
The British Wool column Busy October puts British Wool carpet in the spotlight
October was a very busy month for the British Wool team as they headed to London for Wool Week and to be part of the Campaign for Wool’s Interiors Collection exhibition. The eight day event, which was held at Southwark Cathedral focused on interior items drawn from fabric, flooring, furnishing and lifestyle sectors and showed the immense diversity of wool for the home and contract location.
Naturally, carpet was British Wool’s strong story at this event and there was a lot to be proud about! A British Wool axminster carpet featured in the Cathedral’s beautiful Nave - with the stunning Erdem runner commissioned by the Campaign for Wool and made by Brintons. Over 34 metres long and 2 metres wide, it certainly had a dramatic impact on the gothic interior of the Cathedral but perhaps not such a pleasing one for the talented choir, which noticed that the acoustics had suffered as a result of the natural sound buffering of wool carpet!
Wool Week supported by carpet retailers
The annual Wool Week event prompted many retailers to participate in the nationwide event. It was fantastic to see the big stores get behind wool and even more so, to see that smaller carpet retailers had picked up the baton and got involved. Shop windows and wool carpet discounts are first choices for participation in Wool Week but it was really brilliant to see that social media was also buzzing with independent carpet retailers spreading the wool word. “Congratulations to all those that got involved including Concept Carpets of Hull, which pushed their wool promotion out by Twitter too,” Tim Booth of the British Wool Marketing Board said.
Photo courtesy of Chris Everard
In the exhibition space itself - a large solid sided marquee - Kingsmead’s Glen Shee was used to give a neutral backdrop to the highly colourful exhibits. The carpet yarn ‘Highland Fleece’ made from a special blend of wool from Scottish sheep breeds, known for their robust strength. The range, currently nominated for two leading design competition awards, proved a suitable adversary to the heavy visitor footfall - even after the full eight days the domestic range showed no visible signs of tracking or flattening. “Glen Shee really took the pressure, there were over eight thousand visitors and there were wheelchairs, pushchairs, luggage and scooters moving over it plus a significant number of wet and dirty shoes but it never looked any different to the day we laid it. It is an amazing performer,” Bridgette Kelly of the Campaign for Wool said.
Another Brintons carpet wowed visitors with its edgy design and impressive High Definition weave. The highly graphical Skullduggery range has a 3-D effect on the eye and its unusual colour combination showed people how pattern and colour is a fabulous feature on the floor. “It was fantastic to hear people talk about pattern on the floor in such a positive way,” Bridgette said.
Other carpet came from Axminster’s Royal Borough Collection and Ulster’s Open Spaces Collection, both of which featured in a rather inspired and arty carpet chair. Brockway with its stunning stripes from their Portobello and Regatta ranges featured in entrance panels and Alternative Flooring and Roger Oates hung from the walls - so carpet was literally everywhere and greatly admired by all. See detailed report on page 68. 66 November 2014
Photo courtesy of Chris Everard
The Wool Week window at Concept Carpets, Hull
WWW.ONEWOOL.COM
ONEWOOL Major window on wool interiors is launched
ONEWOOL - the new online gallery for wool interiors product was launched this Wool Week at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London. Supported by the carpet and rug sector, it is the largest online website of wool product and features direct links to manufacturer websites. Each brand can nominate a product to feature on the Gallery and this can be updated regularly showing their most up-to-date product. The aim is to offer a huge window for wool that is centralized and easily accessible by consumers, retailers and editors. It offers a central port of call for a huge range of wool for the home - so check it out at onewool.com!
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from The Stocklists
November 2014 67
Feature: Southwark Cathedral
Singing the praises of carpets in the Cathedral The stunning setting of Southwark Cathedral on London’s south bank was the showcase of Wool Week this year as 50 interiors products took pride of place to demonstrate the versatility of wool. And the congregation was huge – and full of praise! More than 1,500 visitors came on day one and the attendance across the week-long exhibition ran into thousands. The event has created a media buzz with trending on social media and more than 20 top consumer interiors magazines attending the press day. The Sunday Times, Daily Mail and London Evening Standard also ran large features extolling the virtues of natural fibre. “We have been blown away by the level of interest,” says event director Bridgette Kelly. The Campaign for Wool curated the Wool Interiors Collection at Southwark to mark October’s Wool Week as a follow-up to the highly successful Wool House event at Somerset House last year. “In Wool House we showcased interiors through roomsets but here we wanted to focus on wool products and their different styles and textures,” says Bridgette. “The displays show the versatility of wool and expands people’s ideas of what wool can do.” In a modern setting, designers presented novel and challenging designs for interiors products including flooring, wallcovering, furniture and lighting. Several leading UK manufacturers took part with Kingsmead’s acclaimed Glen Shee 50oz tufted carpet made from Highland Fleece easily bearing the brunt of the heavy footfall as the main flooring area. An adjacent room was carpeted by Brintons with a dramatic high definition geometric weave from their new Skulduggery range.
A bespoke woven axminster from Brintons
Alternative Flooring showed their fine Fair Isle Reiko runner designed by Margo Selby and Axminster carpets contributed smart, modern examples of 100% wool woven wiltons from their new Royal Borough collection. Brockway made an entrance to the exhibition with a rug created from their tonal striped Portobello range and Ulster Carpets displayed examples from their 100% wool tufted loop pile collection Open Spaces.
Kingsmead’s Glen Shee carpeted the exhibition
The centrepiece of the Southwark Cathedral setting is, of course, the nave and the Campaign for Wool got special permission to carpet this sacred space. Brintons measured up to the occasion with a stunning bespoke woven axminster runner designed by Erdem.
Southwark Cathedral is a stone’s throw from Shakespeare’s original Globe Theatre and the memorial statue to the baird is a a popular attraction for visitors. The wool people made a cheeky move on the marble figure by knitting a skull out of British Wool and placing it under Shakespeare’s hand in a scene reminiscent of Hamlet. “Wool can be fun too,” sad Bridgette. “Though we are not sure what foreign tourists make of it!”
“The displays show the versatility of wool and expands people’s ideas of what wool can do.” 68 November 2014
Bridgette Kelly, Event Director for CfW Wool Collection Interiors
FlooringNews
Feature: Alternative
ONEWOOL Gallery launched A lasting legacy of the Campaign for Wool is a major new online showcase of products called Onewool, described as “a unique virtual gallery celebrating the beauty, practicality and endless versatility of real wool.”
Brintons high definition weave from the new Skulduggery
Visitor traffic was high during the week
Alternative’s Fair Isle Reiko runner by Margo Selby
“This is a massive shop window for wool from all over the world,” says Bridgette. “Manufacturers pick one of their latest, greatest wool products to feature and they can change that as often as they like. Many of the leading carpet people are joining in already.” The gallery is intended to become a focus of interest in wool interiors with constantly refreshed content to ensure its lasting interest to designers, interiors editors and consumers. Contributors and users of the gallery are encouraged to share their discoveries through social media to maintain the buzz around the wool business. Leading UK wool carpet companies have already embraced the gallery with early contributions from Adam, Alternative, Axminster, Brintons, Brockway, Cavalier, Cormar, Gaskell Wool Rich, Manx, Mr Tomkinson and Ulster Carpets. With striking design and top quality photography, the gallery will set a standrd for wool interiors and promote natural fibre to a wider audience. The site itself is available in English, Chinese, French, German and Spanish.
Woolly skull cap?
from The Stocklists
www.onewool.com
November 2014 69
Marketing insights Changing how we communicate online With over 83% of all adults in the UK now online, this feature examines the whole social media phenomena, how consumers’ research and share information and the impact this has had on how we promote flooring.
We all know the younger generation uses the internet to research and buy goods online, but did you know that 84% of adults aged 45 to 54 have used the Internet to find information on goods and services in 2014? This will no doubt increase further in the last quarter, as we head to Christmas.
In the UK the words carpet and carpets are searched on Google on average 81,000 times a month, with October peaking around 100,000 – now that’s a lot of people researching carpet! It’s a similar picture for wood and laminate flooring with an average of 83,000 searches a month peaking in September, October and January. These figures don’t include those who search for specific brands; go directly to retailers or home interior websites. With over 83% of adults in the UK online by end 2013, it’s relevant for our industry that the biggest growth has been in older groups. Latest figures for 2014 suggest that the number of adults online is closer to 87%. Increase in daily computer usage has been seen across all age groups in Britain, with the largest relative increase being for those aged 65 and over. In 2006, of those aged 65 and over, just 9% reported that they used a computer every day, compared with 42% in 2014.
Mobile devices continue to dominate as the number of adults using tablets has increasedthose aged 35-64 has doubled, while use by 65-74s has trebled. And, social media has become a powerful resource that consumers refer to. Almost all adults aged 16 to 24 (91%) used social networks in 2014, but its use is not solely confined to the youngest age groups. Around 37% of adults aged 55 to 64 and 13% of those aged 65 and over participated in social networking in 2014. Little surprise then, that over the last 12 months some established carpet brands have invested in new websites, these include Axminster Carpets, Brintons and Ulster.
Axminster Carpets, Marketing Manager Hilary Clements discusses why being online is important for even the most recognised carpet brand, “having an online presence is essential for Axminster Carpets. Our website and social media channels allow us to engage cost effectively with a large number of potential and existing customers. For existing customers, we can reassure them they made the right brand choice, as well as providing post-sale advice such as care and cleaning advice or interior design ideas. We can inspire new customers with our visually inspiring website and interior design ideas so they can browse our range of woven and
idential home page Ulster website, new res
“We feel an online presence is essential in the 21st century as it is very often the first place a consumer will begin the buying process, by researching the type of product they want for their home” 70 November 2014
Tracey Braziel, Marketing Manager at Ulster explains, “We feel an online presence is essential in the 21st century as it is very often the first place a consumer will begin the buying process, by researching the type of product they want for their home. Having a fresh, contemporary and user friendly website is a huge part of this, which is why at Ulster we are about to launch our brand new, completely revamped website! A lot of time and consideration has gone in to how our consumers use the site to make decisions and get inspiration for their home. The new site will allow users to choose carpets by colour, style and also use our blog and trend boards to gain ideas.”
Axminster Carpets website, home page
FlooringNews
by Rita Bancroft Rita is Director of Bancmarketing Ltd and has over 25 years of marketing experience with a proven track record in both business to business and business to consumer multi-channel marketing.
“We’re living and operating in a digital world, where information needs to be available on demand and at the click of a finger” tufted carpets in the comfort of their own home, as well as order free samples to check. Once they have made their selection our carefully selected retailers throughout the UK can continue the customer journey. This is backed by our research which shows that customers are increasingly using the internet prior to visiting the retailer to gather technical and product information to make the most informed choice possible. They are no longer only reliant on the retailer. It’s a bricks ‘n’ clicks strategy that increases brand recognition and brand confidence.” Over the past year Axminster Carpets focused on launching their new website and making sure everything retailers, consumer and commercial customers want is available. Social media channels are established and steadily growing as they post regular lifestyle, interior design and product information. Hilary Clements discusses where the focus is next, “Our Twitter page is more aimed at retailers while our Facebook and Pinterest pages focus more on lifestyle and consumer content. Our intention is to grow this presence over the coming year to build a larger more active community of Axminster Carpets fans online. We believe that Axminster Carpets is a brand that offers beautiful, British design and can emulate the likes of Hunter, Harris Tweed and Barbour in its use of social media channels.” “By providing inspirational content we can ensure that Axminster Carpets is at the forefront of customers’ minds and continues to have high brand recognition in store. The content we provide can inspire the consumer to see carpet as part of a wider interior design project so they feel informed when visiting the retailer. It also enables the customers to contact us directly and ask
questions – making us more personable. We aim to raise awareness, interest and desire for an Axminster Carpet through our online presence so that when the customer is in-store and it comes to purchasing, their desire turns into action. Social media channels such as Twitter give us the ability to gain immediate real time feedback as well as celebrating the pride retailers feel when they fit our carpet. It’s always fantastic to receive an image from a fitter having just finished fitting one of our carpets.”
Crucial Trading, Twitter
The brands that can adapt to consumer behaviour and the needs of their retailers are the ones that will thrive. This is something Scott Cochrane, Retail Sales Director of Karndean Designflooring recognises, “Our retail customer base are getting more and more savvy online, therefore it’s not only hugely important for us to have a strong online presence to support our customers, it’s also vital for us to lead the way. We recognised the growing demand for online communications early on and in response introduced our own in-house digital team. Since implementing our dedicated team, we have significantly developed our online presence with our retailers at the forefront of our mind. This includes the successful introduction of our new ‘Find a Retailer’ tool and retailer Vantage portal, which allows our retailers to access leads, catch up on our latest news and promotions, as well as place orders online. Likewise, we also see tremendous value in communicating with our customers on key social media channels and via our blog. We’re living and operating in a digital world, where information needs to be available on demand and at the click of a finger.” With so much information available online, it is important manufacturers understand what
“Our retail customer base are getting more and more savvy online, therefore it’s not only hugely important for us to have a strong online presence to support our customers, it’s also vital for us to lead the way” from The Stocklists
is relevant and will engage both retailers and consumers. Emma Hopkins, Marketing Manager at Crucial Trading is very aware of this, “I believe with more and more people using the internet to search and compare products it is very important to have a strong online presence. This is why I think it is essential for us to have an easy to use website that retailers can use as a reference tool, but also one where consumers can browse our entire collection. We even inspire consumers to create their own unique rug from the comfort of their home. Social media helps with brand awareness, allowing us to keep consumers updated with new products, brochures etc in a short, impactful way. Often people simply don’t have the time to read newsletters and lengthy emails, they don’t take the information in. I also think it is a great way for consumers to share their purchase which hopefully will end up inspiring others. We have recently launched our Twitter account @crucialtrading as part of our social media strategy.” Having been selected as one of Britain’s “Cool Brands” for a second year in a row, Lorna Haigh, Marketing Manager at Alternative Flooring has led the way in the social media revolution. She explains how having an integrated approach works, “Alternative Flooring has embraced social media, which is now part of the company’s culture. We are lucky to have an awardwinning brand that people are excited by and want to engage with. continued on the next page... November 2014 71
Marketing insights
Alternative Flooring, Quirky B Zebo in Moss
website but Twitter is a newsfeed, great for our breaking news and events news such as CoolBrands and Decorex. We can tell our retailers, designers and customers what we are up to, raising our presence and influence. Pinterest is one of the most popular social networks and it works for us because we invest in great-looking images that can create inspiring boards ranging from our collection to campaigns. Instagram can create a real buzz about the brand and increase website traffic and sales.” Lorna Haigh discusses the latest addition, “Alternative Flooring is now on Houzz a social media outlet and business building site where we add new lifestyle images. Prospective clients use Houzz to get ideas for future home refurbishing projects and linking to our website to potentially buy our products. “
“Yes, its important to have recognised brands, but it’s essential that manufacturers don’t limit brand building with consumers.” continued from previous page... “Our brand values are perfect for social channels of communication - to be Alternative, unique, inspiring, natural, fun, quirky, innovative, creative, and ethical. We have a multi-layered approach, which uses social media for specific purposes and also links these platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, blogs and most recently Houzz. Google + is an invaluable marketing tool to track back traffic and analyse audiences.” Having a clear structure on how to use various channels ensures that Alternative Flooring enhance their brand reach. AF use social media to communicate with existing consumers and attract new ones. It builds the brand and directs customers to the website which translates in sales. “Facebook connects to our end users – it generates exposure and connects with customers and consumers. It’s an everyday visual platform used to entice users to act. Here we market our products, attract new customers and get instant feedback. Facebook drives traffic to the 72 November 2014
to do with the CfW – from its beginning, to the value of wool, funding partners and supporters”. Launched 5 years ago, the purpose of the CfW is to increase awareness of wool, to educate, inspire and to engage with consumers of all levels including, trade and retailers. The CfW has successfully used a combination of online activity and events to get the message out, today the CfW has an online community of over 50,000 which is increasing by over 100 people a day. The CfW is multi-faceted, so information can be accessed through a variety of channels. The website traffic alone has grown to 90,000 visits a year (growth of 5.6%) and works as the core knowledge centre, the most visited section being "Events" with 25,500 unique visitors per year. Facebook and Instagram are used by the online community to share their passion and to promote what they are doing whereas Twitter works as a real time newsfeed. Events play a key role, and this is where social media works particularly well in engaging with the public, with manufacturers and with key influencers. Last year Bridgette Kelly
The success of social media comes down to consumer engagement through creating an interesting story people want to share, and that worked for Alternative Flooring because it is both creative and strategic with social media. “We have brilliantly named collections such as Quirky B, which have a great narrative behind them. This new collection has designs by Ashley Hicks and Margo Selby so the whole creative collaborations story can then be told across all the social media platforms. Likewise being a CoolBrand, allows Alternative to tune into global campaigns and attract new and influential followers.” In recent years, one of the most successful industry campaigns has been the Campaign for Wool, “the CfW online presence is essential”, explains Bridgette Kelly, “it’s a global campaign and we have a strong online community. The official website provides information on all things
Campaign for Wool
FlooringNews
launched Wool House and saw how social media drove footfall to the event, “people use Twitter as a newsfeed, we actually saw a spike in our visitors that directly correlated with the number of tweets we were getting on the event, and the same has occurred at the interiors exhibition at Southwark Cathedral this year”. Manufacturer Ulster recognise that a website alone is not enough, so are also launching into the world of social media, with a blog and Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter platforms. “It is important to be a part of the conversation which is happening online and engage with existing and potential customers which social media allows us to do. Customers can check out our Pinterest boards for a plethora of gorgeous interiors photos and ideas. Our Facebook and Twitter feeds will keep them up to date, with new range launches and other company news, including the exciting bespoke projects and the trends and styles which inspire our designers! We are targeting both our existing customer base and also those who have never heard of or considered an Ulster carpet before. Some of our new ranges such as Boho Collection and Open Spaces, are very contemporary and appeal to a younger customer base who perhaps view Ulster as a more traditional brand. Pinterest and our other social media channels will help us to reach those potential new customers”, explains Tracey Braziel, Marketing Manager at Ulster. “We are also looking forward to being able to engage better with our retailers, many of whom are embracing social media themselves. For example, we received great feedback about our stand at The Flooring Show from retailers who were impressed by our new ranges. Many of them tweeted photos to their followers of products which excited them. This is a brilliant, free and organic way of spreading the word about the new products directly to the people who will be purchasing them”. Scott Cochrane, Retail Sales Director of Karndean Designflooring is seeing the benefit social media brings, “There’s no denying the advance of social media is having a positive effect on sales. As long as you have a strong strategy in place, social media can be an extremely powerful additional sales tool to hook, educate, communicate with and nurture prospective customers. We regularly measure our social media engagement and we can see how our activity on from The Stocklists
Carpet Foundation website, home page
certain channels has accelerated the sales cycle. It’s all about providing trust and confidence in your brand and products. For us, we want our customers to have the same experience whether they’re speaking to us on the phone, meeting us in person or interacting with us online.” Karndean Designflooring utilise social media channels in a variety of ways, this includes supporting new product launches, driving traffic to events and sharing video content. Alongside this, they talk about latest trends and relevant topics to support their customers, for example: training, fitting techniques and product knowledge. Vitally they see social media has to be reciprocal, therefore don’t just talk at customers and expect them to keep listening, Karndean actively engage with them by sharing and commenting on their latest installations. This positions the brand as a helpful and authoritative voice by answering queries on a variety of subjects including design components and complex installation questions. But it’s not just manufacturers who maintain a strong online presence; Rupert Anton of the Carpet Foundation warns both retailers and manufacturers that they ignore online presence at their peril. The Carpet Foundation is often the first port of call for consumers wanting impartial practical advice on carpets. “The Carpet Foundation website is a valuable resource which is accessible 24/7 “ explains Rupert Anton, “our most popular pages are those which give tips on buying carpet, and we link through to CF members where consumers can buy with confidence. Each of our members is able to track how many unique visitors have obtained information on their store.”
The Carpet Foundation has around 450 independent retail members. “Our independent retailers can rely on CF support, each year we provide a health check on their individual websites and share our knowledge and advice on how they can improve their online presence. Retailers benefit from having consumers directed to their website from one of the most visited industry websites. And, these are genuine enquiries. Whilst we represent seven manufactures, in essence we are impartial as we are able to give advice on all carpet types without bias. Many of the home interior websites also link through to the Carpet Foundation, being the impartial honest broker.”
For more information contact: Alternative Flooring T: 01264 335111 www.alternativeflooring.com
Axminster Carpets T: 01297 32244 www.axminster-carpets.co.uk Campaign for Wool E: info@campaignforwool.org www.campaignforwool.org Carpet Foundation T: 01562 755568 www.carpetfoundation.com Crucial Trading T: 01562 743747 www.crucial-trading.com Ulster T: 028 3833 4433 www.ulstercarpets.com
Join the online community on: facebook.com twitter.com pinterest.com instagram.com
youtube.com houzz.com plus.google.com
Data Sources: Google Analytics, Ofcom Media Use Reports
November 2014 73
Business news
Victoria is major new force in flooring Victoria Plc has doubled the size of its business with the acquisition of Abingdon to create a major new force in UK flooring.
Victoria will pay £7.7m for the business initially. A further £4.5m is payable to Abingdon's owners if performance targets are achieved over the next 3 years. Victoria is ambitious for further growth after the £16m acquisition of Westex Carpets at the end of 2013 which helped the Plc return to profit earlier this year. The move was described as “a very important milestone in creating an extremely successful group of carpet manufacturers” by the directors of Abingdon, Jim Taylor, Martin Peace, Eddie Charlesworth. Robert Dwight and Christine Matthews. The Abingdon deal is an obvious fit for Victoria, giving them a larger share of the polypropylene market including in-house synthetic yarn extrusion at Abingdon's main manufacturing plant in South Wales. Abingdon's Wilton Royal brand adds to Victoria's existing strength in wool and its Distinctive Flooring business adds more vinyl and cushionfloor ranges alongside Victoria's relatively new LVT portfolio. The move is also seen as key to the future prosperity of Abington. “There will, of course, be important synergies and cost savings to be taken advantage of, ensuring our company thrives in the very competitive market conditions that surround the carpet industry,” said the Abingdon directors Abingdon was one of the UK's largest privately owned carpet manufacturers with 500 employees and a turnover of £75m and has built a reputation for Stainfree carpets since it introduced polypropylene to the UK market nearly 25 years ago. In a statement to customers, Abingdon directors said they were “keen to stress that they and all senior management will be remaining with the business and that it will continue to operate independently in its ongoing drive for growth and improvement.” Thanking customers and staff for their support over the past 11 years, the directors added: “We will endeavour to continue to repay that loyalty by committing ourselves to making improvements in the business wherever and whenever we can, now and in the future.” Geoff Wilding, Victoria's executive chairman commented: "The acquisition of Abingdon Flooring represents the second significant step forward for Victoria, following the acquisition of Westex in December last year. “By integrating Abingdon into the Group, we anticipate accelerating Victoria’s growth by enhancing its combined offering and reach across the UK. Overall, when added to our existing operations the two acquisitions have together substantially increased the scale, breadth and reach of Victoria’s offering."
“We anticipate accelerating Victoria’s growth by enhancing its combined offering and reach across the UK.”
The deal, which will take the enlarged group's annual sales to £160m, is mainly funded through a £10 million loan note facility from Business Growth Fund. BGF is a UK active growth capital investor in small mid-sized companies, with up to £2.5bn to invest and is backed by five of the UK’s main banking groups - Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Standard Chartered - but it is a fully independent organisation. BGF's Gavin Petken joins the board of Victoria Plc as part of the deal. Abingdon made profits before tax of £2.2m on sales of £75.1m in the year to 31 March 2014
Furniture out-performs
Poor High Street sales this Autumn have been blamed on the chagrin of certain supermarkets and warm weather holding back winter fashion purchasing - but furniture and flooring has been a star performer.
“In September we saw the lowest retail sales figures since December 2008,” says Helen Dickinson, director general of the British Retail Consortium. “However, demand for big-ticket items continues to be strong with furniture outperforming all other categories.” Separate data published by Barclaycard also pointed to a fall in the amount people spent on clothes but the credit card company said their figures suggested “consumer confidence remained strong overall.”
Carpetright improves
Carpetright have reported higher UK sales in recent weeks, driven by what it called “effective” promotions, and it managed to stem the rate of sales decline in its operations in the rest of Europe.
In a statement, the carpets and floorings retailer said UK sales rose 5.7% in the 11 weeks to October 11, while sales from those stores open more than a year rose 7.0%. It opened six new UK stores in the 11 week period, its fiscal second quarter, and closed 10, giving a net reduction of four. It now trades from 463 stores, of which 290 have been modernised. “I am pleased to report that the group’s trading performance improved year-on-year during the second quarter. In the UK our continued focus on effective promotional activity has delivered solid sales growth throughout the period, with like-forlike growth broadly in line with the level experienced in the first quarter,” Chief Executive Wilf Walsh said in a statement.
Abingdon spin their own polypropylene yarn in South Wales. 74 November 2014
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from The Stocklists
November 2014 75
News
Many happy recruits
September was a fun month for the flooring industry as Recofloor’s 5th birthday was celebrated in style with cakes and goodies galore at distributor-hosted ‘parties’ across the UK.
New members have already signed up to the UK’s award-winning national vinyl flooring recycling scheme as a result of the events, held to thank all the collectors for their commitment over the years and which broadly covered the country from Cornwall to Scotland. Since it was set up in 2009 by UK flooring manufacturers Altro and Polyflor, this unique Take Back initiative has engaged with all levels of the flooring supply chain and diverted well over 1,900 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring from landfill. “These milestone events have been a tremendous success. Contractors who called in liked the birthday party feel and the balloons, cupcakes and Recofloor T-shirts went down well,” said Carla Eslava, Recofloor’s Project Officer (pictured below), who attended several venues. “On arriving at trade counters, many contractors said ‘there must be a party going on!’ “ According to Carla, more than 42 tonnes were collected in September alone thanks to raised awareness of the scheme generated by the events. The September 12 event at Ashmount Flooring Supplies in Tottenham attracted plenty of customers who were receptive to what Recofloor could offer, according to Managing Director Ron Burkett. “There was lots of interest in the scheme and it is clear the recycling message is getting through,” said Ron: “We promote Recofloor as much as we can as there’s scope to get even more contractors using a scheme that is good for the environment and saves them money.” It was a similar story at the Beach Bros event in Exeter and at 3D Flooring in Cardiff where a steady stream of visitors throughout the day provided a great opportunity for Carla to share the benefits of Recofloor participation. Promoting Recofloor was a key objective for Steve Hall, Manager of Carpet & Flooring’s new Gateshead branch where bags were being given out to all trade counter customers at the September 30 event and Recofloor bins have already been installed. T 0161 355 7618 www.recofloor.org
76 November 2014
Goodweave Nobel peace prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2014 peace prize to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai, two individuals who have staked their lives on the belief that children, regardless of gender, geography, faith, caste or social circumstance, belong in classrooms. Kailash Satyarthi is the founder of the GoodWeave international rug certification scheme, which works to end child labour in the rug industry.
From the cocoa fields of Côte d'Ivoire to the carpet sheds of Uttar Pradesh, there are 168 million children around the world who toil in obscurity. In the announcement from Oslo, Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said: “Showing great personal courage, Kailash Satyarthi, maintaining Gandhi’s tradition, has headed various forms of protests and demonstrations, all peaceful, focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain.” In the 1980s, Kailash Satyarthi began rescuing children from bondage. As chairman of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude, he fought against child slavery one factory at a time, one child at a time. In addition to exposing the ugly truth behind beautiful rugs, Satyarthi set out to establish a certification system that would incentivise manufacturers to stop exploiting children as well as guide consumer purchases. Thus the RugMark label, later to become GoodWeave, was born and the first certified carpets were exported from India in 1995. Today, GoodWeave works in the top consumer capitals of the world and in the key rug-producing areas across Asia, expanding most recently to Afghanistan. Its programmes in weaving villages near Kabul, Mazar and soon Herat are reaching girls, many of whom resemble Malala. In the two decades since Satyarthi’s jail cell, the organisation has gone on to reduce the number of “rug kids” in the region by two-thirds. www.GoodWeave.org.uk
FlooringNews
E W L O B N ILA A AV
NEW
Dublin Twist
• Upgraded with deluxe premium blue felt backing and / or action bac • 18 trendy colours covering the latest styles in fashion
• All available in 4 and 5 metre width • 10 year wear and stain warranty • For heavy domestic use
New Dublin twist sample books / sets now available. Ask your local carpet distributor for further details.
ideal@bintg.com www.ideal-bintg.com/en www.beaulieuflooringsolutions.com IDEAL Showroom Boffonstraat 3, B-8710 Wielsbeke – Belgium
Created with your life in mind
BIG Floorcoverings Rijksweg 442, B-8710 Wielsbeke – Belgium T +32 (0)56 67 66 11 F +32 (0)56 67 48 30
Flower on Flooring Cushion vinyl comeback The popularity of LVT flooring is continuing and enjoying additional growth in some areas, say the industry¹s suppliers.
Nevada linear textile design from Karndean
Avenue product manager Victoria Hemelaer says cushion vinyl is enjoying something of a rebirth as homeowners begin to explore the creativity and practicality it offers.
“Avenue’s on-trend designs are shaping the sector, offering a new generation of homeowners the opportunity to explore colour and design in ways that other flooring materials struggle to match and all with the low maintenance, easy fitting, better comfort and long lasting benefits of quality cushion flooring. Ranges such as Bubblegum and Liquorice offer bright pop colours and vivid stripes, while collections such as Ultimate Design and the latest Ultimate Timber collection provide a sophisticated take on minerals, tiles, stones and woods.”
The scope is literally endless, says Ms Hemelaer: “For retailers looking to provide customers with collections that will inspire then there can be no better cushion flooring companion than Avenue.”
Karndean Designflooring retail sales director Scott Cochrane refers to increasing demand for his company¹s Van Gogh collection to emphasise the trend for homeowners to replace real wood and stone with luxury vinyl flooring: “Since launching our newly updated premium Art Select Stones and Woods collection earlier this year, we¹ve opened up the market place even further with our most realistic slate, travertine, marble and limestone designs.”
Open plan living has also contributed to demand for the company¹s new Art Select Parquet when paired with matching full length planks, he continues. Further success in its LooseLay Series Two, featuring new wood, stone and textile designs, will see the introduction of six new wood hues next year. “Karndean LooseLay remains a stylish and convenient alternative flooring choice for homeowners. Featuring the realistic designs and practicality our customers expect from our products, LooseLay is quick and easy to install, meaning less upheaval for homeowners,” says Mr Cochrane.
Adore states its first UK product launch was Touch, a 4mm thick Uniclic LVT with a contract rated 0.55mm wear layer,
78 November 2014
Ultimate Timber by Avenue
described as unique in the marketplace due to the fact it does not require an expansion gap and its inclusion of a ‘nano-silver’ antibacterial and anti-microbial coating. The range now comprises 20 wood and 10 tile designs and was also launched in a 3mm dry-back format last month.
The company¹s second UK LVT range is Style, a 2mm dry-back product with a 3mm wear layer. This heavy domestic/ light contract material has the same nano-silver technology as Adore Touch, but is available with a more competitive price-point in 10 wood and five tile options. Adore Touch carries a 25 year domestic and 15 year commercial warranty, Adore Style carries 15 year domestic and 10 commercial. Aspecta says its 100-strong range brings a new dimension to flooring for the global contract community, with a collection of attractive tiles and planks that combine excellence in design, colour and texture.
“Offering a new generation of homeowners the opportunity to explore colour and design in ways that other flooring materials struggle to match” FlooringNews
by Dennis Flower
With 52 wood grain planks, 33 stone and 24 abstract tile floors, the designs span metal, solid hues, concrete, wood and stone visuals, enhanced by some of the most authentic textures, the company reports.
The range was developed following consultation with architects, designers and contractors to ensure that it outperforms current market offerings from both aesthetic and practical perspectives. Innovations include larger plank and print widths than previously available to reduce the repeat element and the creation of a more natural look with a range of in-registered embossing techniques.
Moduleo UK and Eire managing director David Bigland states that traditional wood-effect flooring is still the number one option for his customers and while stone remains a popular alternative, classic wood designs never go out of fashion and continue to be his company¹s best-sellers, particularly for those looking to update their kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.
“While we’ve undoubtedly seen an upsurge in customers looking for something a little bit different, and responded to these desires; our classic, wood-effect flooring has always been a standout favourite,” he says.
“As a response to this popular trend, we recently launched our innovative new Impress range which features five new wood designs with 22 colour options. Each tile in the Impress collection features registered embossing for the ultimate in realistic design,” Mr Bigland concludes.
Further endorsement of the continuing and growing popularity of LVT flooring comes from Windmöller. The company has further extended its wineo collection with the launch of its ambra multilayer design floor, which features click-connection.
The new range includes 22 cutting-edge design floor surfaces, including wood and stone designs in two formats on an HDF Aqua Protect support panel. The 9mm product has a wear layer of 0.3mm (NK23/31) and has been designed for low-maintenance and durability through its PU surface treatment. Further appeal for the one-strip board is generated through the inclusion of authentic, uneven structures, the company states. For more information: Avenue T 0800 0323970 Karndean T 01386 820100
Customers will never look at flooring products the same way again...
www.ivcgroup.com www.karndean.com
Come and see for yourself on Stand A3 at Harrogate
The screen-age lectern - coming soon!
▲
Vizifloor is an interactive screen display system which will allow customers to select flooring products by range and colour and see them in a realistic roomset or in photos of their own home or commercial location. To be available on POS units, showroom screens and PCs, iPads, websites and smartphones - anywhere and anytime it’s needed - but always linked back to the retailer who will control their customer’s access. No longer will you hear: “I can’t imagine what this will look like in my house.” Customers can be more courageous with colours, decors and patterns - and more confident buying higher margin products - so you can be more ambitious in up-selling.
Watch the movie. Check out the 3-minute video demonstration at: www.vizifloor.com
Be the first savvy store in your area - register your interest now (no obligation) at www.vizifloor.com for a launch discount of 15%.
Vizifloor is a collaborative venture across the UK flooring industry organised by The Stocklists and to be funded by annual subscriptions from manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.
For more information, contact David Spragg - davidspragg@thestocklists.com or 01845 576101
from The Stocklists
from The Stocklists
Stocklists The
August 2014 79
November 2014 79
News
Credit to Cormar
UK carpet manufacturer, Cormar Carpets, is celebrating as it adds a further accolade to its growing list of industry honours.
Recognising the company’s high quality products, service and staff investment, Cormar has won the Metro Group’s ‘Floor Supplier of the Year’ for the 15th consecutive year – an accomplishment that no other supplier has ever achieved.
Ethical Osmo awarded
Osmo UK, the eco-friendly wood and finishes experts, is celebrating its fifth year of gaining status as an Ethical Company. The Aylesburybased company has once again scored highly in an analysis of its approach to Corporate Social Responsibility, demonstrating Osmo’s continued commitment to customers, staff, trade colleagues and shareholders.
The award was announced at the annual Flooring Show in Harrogate and was accepted by managing director, David Judge (above right with Cormar Northern sales manager Carl Quail, centre, and Metro board member Peter Lynas, left). Said David: “We’ve worked closely with the Metro Group for over 30 years and are delighted that the relationship continues to flourish.” The Metro Group is one of the UK’s five principal buying groups, with over 100 independent retail members across the UK. Metro own label Cormar ranges under the ‘Carpet First’ brand and many of the Cormar collections are consistently ranked highly in members’ sales. Cormar continues to produce all its wool and polypropylene carpet ranges from its two production sites near Bury in Lancashire. It also has its own fleet of over 50 distribution vehicles to ensure a top class delivery service to customers, as well as its own team of 23 sales representatives throughout Britain and Ireland.
Applicants to the Ethical Company Accreditation Scheme are subject to a stringent evaluation under the categories of Environment, Animals and People, covering topics such as environmental reporting, animal testing, and employees’ rights. Ethical Company Accreditation is awarded to organisations which obtain an outstanding overall score in an evaluation of their Corporate Social Responsibility record, and which are successfully screened against other companies within their market sectors. Osmo can carry on displaying the Ethical Award and Ethical Company logos, providing consumers with a guarantee, that as a company, Osmo has good ethical standards. The Ethical Company Organisation’s research and screening process also applies to the applicant’s ultimate holding company and any subsidiaries. The procedure is repeated annually to ensure that the record of companies holding the Ethical Company Accreditation award remains up to date. Successful applicants have license to use the Ethical Company Logo on letterheads, websites, and other promotional material. For more information about The Ethical Company Organisation please visit www.ethical-company-organisation.org. T 01296 481220 www.osmouk.com
Cormar Carpets is one of the UK’s most successful independent carpet producers with some one million people a year buying a Cormar carpet. T 01204 881234
www.cormarcarpets.co.uk
Quick-Step top trader
Leading wood, laminate and LVT manufacturer, Quick-Step has been awarded ‘Flooring Trader of the Year’ in the prestigious Timber Trade Journal Awards, now in its 18th year.
Quick-Step has once again proved its status as a progressive manufacturer and innovator within the flooring sector, becoming recognised for its efforts to develop leading wood and laminate flooring products. Judged by independent panels, the awards are recognised as among the most significant for companies involved in the timber trade. “We are delighted to have secured another industry award that marks Quick-Step as one of the foremost brands in the flooring sector,” comments Nigel Mc Manus (pictured left), Unilin Distribution (Quick-Step). “Not only do we work hard to produce the finest wood and laminate flooring available, we are also striving to improve standards in the industry with the Academy for Excellence in Flooring.” With new courses to cater for the needs of commercial installers under the Pergo brand, as well as the existing Master Installers scheme for residential installation under the Quick-Step brand, the Academy is underlining Quick-Step’s commitment to the industry. The awards took place on the 25th September at a glittering ceremony presented by TV architect George Clarke at London’s The Landmark hotel in Marylebone. www.quick-step.co.uk 80 November 2014
FlooringNews
The Stocklists Readers’ Xmas Offer
Ho, ho, oh no! Last chance for Merry Mats
Don’t let anyone leave your store without a festive mat and fill your stocking with a little extra revenue this Christmas from The Stocklists.
£2.99 each. Retail at £6 to £10. • 100% nylon. • Machine washable. • 0.4m x 0.6m • Sold in packs of 12 for £29.90 + VAT • 3 of each design per pack Order now!
davidspragg@thestocklists.com telephone 01482 659396 (inc. credit card sales) fax 01845 576109
from The Stocklists
November 2014 81
82 November 2014
FlooringNews
Stocklists Classified The
SITUATIONS VACANT
MANUFACTURERS AGENT REQUIRED Millennium Weavers Europe is searching for an experienced agent to help develop the Millennium Weavers brand in North-West England. Candidates will need to be able to fulfil the following requirements: planning and organisation skills, be highly-motivated, have a proven track record in sales, be an effective communicator at all levels, have experience in handling large wholesale & retail businesses as well as having a technical understanding of carpet manufacturing. To register your interest please forward a covering letter and your CV to: ga@millenniumweavers.eu or by post to Mr Gary Alp, Millennium Weavers Europe, Industrie Park, Klein Frankrijk 38, 9600 Ronse, Belgium. Mobile 0044 (0) 7989933755
UNDER RUGS
News WANTED
Sales Representative Central and South London Earnings circa £49,000 + on target bonus Cormar Carpets is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of tufted carpets, supplying stylish, quality carpets to the retail, contract and wholesale trade throughout the UK. We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual with the ability to realise the full potential of this already established area. Knowledge of the carpet trade is not essential, however, previous sales experience is required as applicants must be able to demonstrate a proven successful sales record. An above average salary and benefits package is available for the successful applicant, including basic salary plus commission on sales, company car, and pension scheme.
Please send your CV and hand written covering letter summarising your relevant skills and experience for the attention of Carla Pickford, HR Manager, Cormar Carpets, Brookhouse Mill, Greenmount, Bury, BL8 4HR or email to Carla.Pickford@cormarcarpets.co.uk Closing date is Monday, 17th November, 2014
Designer Contracts www.designercontracts.com
The UK’s Largest Flooring Contractor
HEL CARPET CUTTING MACHINE
FOXISuper Plus The Rug Tamer! Keeps Rugs In Their Place COMBINATION UNDERLAYS NEEDLEFELT UNDERLAYS For orders and further information, please ring P&R Ratcliffe (Underlays) Ltd. Burnley, Lancashire BB10 3BH Tel: 01282 421026, Fax: 01282 412321 www.foxirugtamer.co.uk
from The Stocklists
Designer Contracts is expanding again and will be relocating its Central Distribution Centre to larger premises in early 2015 and has a need for a second hand HEL carpet cutting machine able to cut 5m wide carpet. The company is able to dismantle and collect from anywhere in Europe. If you have a machine available or are planning to sell at any time next year please contact; Graham Kempton on 01536 401 603 or 07710 309 728
Advertise here!
Classified adverts really work in the UK’s best read retail and contract flooring publication. Call Diane Martin on 01482 659396. November 2014 83