Green Matters

by Melissa Quick


Living in the age of sustainable design, one has to look at the entire concept of LEED and what we can contribute as a manufacturer.  As one of the few manufacturers of rubber and vinyl products within the same facility in the U.S., we have been faced with a few road blocks in terms of finding a recycling program that we can use to divert waste from landfills; however, from a company standpoint we are working very hard to make this happen in the very near future as part of our environmental goals.  

On the other hand, while we realize that flooring is a very small portion of the LEED process in attaining certification for buildings – we still make every effort to try and work in as much recycled content and renewable resources as possible without jeopardizing the quality of products that you have come to know from Flexco.  All but one product that Flexco has in their line contributes to the “Enviroflex” product branding of green products.  We have come a long way in a short period of time.  Times are changing and we have to be open to new practices and policies to be successful in the marketplace.   

We also understand that when someone is working on getting certifications that they need to have every aspect of the product available for quick review and be able to choose products that meet the needs for their applications.  That’s why Flexco has partnered with ecoScorecard to make all of our flooring product information available at your fingertips versus having to wait on an e-mail or call back from someone to give you the information that you need.  The ecoScorecard information is available via the Flexco website at www.flexcofloors.com.  Not only can you access the recycled content, renewable resource information, harvest and extraction points but you can actually print the submittal documents needed for your projects with very little time spent.  

From a company standpoint, we are working very hard throughout our manufacturing facility to move toward the green effort.  Years ago we were not sure what kind of path we were taking as far as being a sustainable company, but today we have clear goals throughout our organization to continue our efforts and know that they will make a difference to future generations.  Through multiple efforts of our employees, we have come up with various ways to save energy and cut down on water usage.  The savings from this effort has been tremendous and has allowed us to maintain expenses through such touch economic times over the past 18 to 24 months.

On April 8, 2010, Flexco was recognized by Scientific Certification Systems with FloorScore® Certification.  Developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, FloorScore tests and certifies hard surface flooring and flooring adhesive products for compliance with rigorous indoor air quality emissions requirements.  Individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are evaluated using health-based specifications.  Products bearing the FloorScore label meet the indoor air emissions criteria of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), LEED® Green Building Rating Systems, and the Green Guide for Health Care.

Flexco has three manufacturing facilities with a distribution warehouse in Tuscumbia Alabama, where all of our products are shipped from.  We carry a wide variety of floor covering products to cover any type of application from the most widely abused floors of the healthcare and education industry to the retail and hospitality community.  Flexco has been providing floor covering to all 50 states and abroad for more than 60 years.  We would like to thank you for your continued support and assure you that “Green does matter to us.”