"Thirty years ago people were going on and on about rubber," he recalls. "They said all these things about how it needs no maintenance. They made it sound like the best thing since Wonder Bread. And there was fall out from that. Because people found out that it does require some maintenance. But I will say there have been some very impressive introductions in the rubber flooring category."
Stoler and others involved in the category note that manufacturers have worked to elevate rubber flooring by continually adding a host of aesthetic and functional elements. The challenge, they say, is not just the other rubber floor manufacturers vying for the business. They say they are also feeling the heat from laminate, vinyl and other floor types that have collectively raised the bar for quality and innovation in all areas of flooring. Rubber flooring makers agree that it has never been more important to create a point of distinction between other manufacturer-and other floor types.