For its Summer 2024 launch, Metroflor Corporation, a division of HMTX Industries, has teamed with its largest distributor, Tri-West Ltd., to introduce three new WPC collections—French Quarter, and Genesis Authentics and Silhouette—to drive WPC offerings. 

According to Metroflor President Russ Rogg, the launch is in response to the resurgence of marketplace demand for higher-quality and better-performing rigid core floors. 

“With the renewed interest in WPC, Metroflor offers a design-driven, feature-rich alternative with a platform that has a thicker and more robust, yet lighter, rigid core with added resilience between the design layer and the proprietary Isocore core,” Rogg said. “This provides a warmer, more comfortable feeling underfoot, and some sound absorption for a quieter environment.”

The three new releases incorporate embossed-in-register (EIR) textures that take advantage of the resilient layer underneath the design, adding a depth of realism to the grain of these wood looks. With the introduction of the new Chevron design in the French Quarter Collection, Metroflor has created a new signature boutique collection for enhanced flooring décor. 

The design strategy behind the WPC introductions stemmed from in-depth trend-spotting by HMTX’s Director of Design, Natalia Smith. She identified overarching megatrend shifts in consumer preferences that influenced the resulting interior design trends expressed in the three new collections.

“Whether we know it or not, we are taking in all the information around us that synthesizes into how we buy, what we buy, and how we create the spaces we live in," Smith said. "Our team dives deep to understand how people interact with their floors by tapping into these socio-cultural trends to predict what they’ll love and what will last. We keep up with these shifts by continually redefining rigid core products to meet evolving needs.”

The Authentics collection means just that: bringing authenticity front and center by echoing the Earthen Elegance interior design trend, which honors the harmonious blend of nature and function in a 9"x72" plank enhanced by matte Embossing In Register (EIR)  in two Oak designs with 14 colors that embrace nature. 

The Silhouette collection harkens to the Health & Wellness mega trend through an Honest Home motif: finding balance, harmony, and calm while embracing beauty in the practical and elevating the home through simplicity with 7" x 60" planks in 12 natural colors and Oak, Maple, and Walnut species. Silhouette’s pressed edge, which is gaining popularity in the market because it provides the more realistic look of a true milled wood plank, defines and refines the collection.

The French Quarter premier boutique collection reflects an emerging design trend, Hipstoric – a modern take on retro/vintage looks bringing nostalgia back into the home – with a tribute to the time-honored Chevron motif. The collection features a range of floating chevrons along with companion and coordinating 7” x 60” planks. French Quarter’s Chevrons are unique in that each piece within the chevron is individually micro-beveled for the look of a genuine hardwood chevron floor.

 “Joining forces with Metroflor to launch these new collections to sales associates in our regional facilities was a resounding success," said  Larry Johnson, sales and marketing manager for Tri-West. "Our collaboration has enabled us to introduce three new stellar WPC collections at a time when the category is seeing a resurgence of interest. The thoughtful design narrative intrigued us all. Thanks to the success of this virtual roadshow, our sales team is poised for a powerful introduction to our retailers in the Western region.”