Imports of LVT flooring accounted for 90% of the LVT market in the United States in 2021. In an effort to reduce supply chain issues, improve customer service and control costs, many flooring manufacturers are making investments in LVT in domestic manufacturing. At the Fuse Alliance annual conference in Dallas, Texas, this spring, industry leaders said this trend in manufacturing will remain. 

 “All the plants being built, they’re all rigid click, which is more of a residential product,” said Mike Gallman, president, Mohawk Group. “Multifamily and senior living uses some, but there's not any real investments in flexible LVT really being put in at this point.”

“I think there's always going to be a balance between import and production,” said James Lesslie, president of the commercial division of Engineered Floors. “U.S. production is obviously going go up a lot over the next five to seven years, but I still think there's going be certain products and certain categories that some of those guys do very well. There’s really a place for both.” 

Floor Trends recently had the opportunity to tour the CFL Flooring rigid core plant in Calhoun, Georgia. The company has invested in a state-of-the-art Hymmen Jupiter digital printing line and has signed a new digital printing technologies license agreement with i4F. The digital printing technology will be used to produce CFL’s next-generation rigid core lines.  

“CFL has long been committed to its vision of leading flooring innovation,” said Thomas Baert, president and co-founder of CFL Flooring. I believe we were the first manufacturer to push rigid core in a massive way. Our aim is to continue to be top of mind with our partners when they think of first-to-market innovations and second-to-none marketing and customer support. Digital printing is the next logical step.”