In an industry not known for keeping secrets, the Sept. 25 announcement that Mohawk would be a Congoleum distributor throughout the continental United States beginning Nov. 1 was one deal that was successfully kept under tight wraps. Everyone knew that Mohawk would get a resilient floor covering line to go with its wood and ceramics. But what remained unknown were the whos and hows: whose line? Would it be private labeled? Would Mohawk act as a distributor, buy a manufacturer or what?
So Mohawk is in and LDBrinkman & Co. is out. Congoleum said it would phase out its distribution arrangements with Brinkman (owned by Beaulieu), which represented the line in the central and western United States. Brinkman accounted for 21% of Congoleum’s sales in 1999. In some areas, Brinkman was an exclusive distributor; in other regions, they were part of a dual distribution arrangement.