KronotexUSA announced at Surfaces the latest of several changes that will provide distributors, retailers and consumers the best innovations and quality in laminate flooring. 

 

Effective with Surfaces 2016, KronotexUSA is changing its name to Swiss Krono LLC to reflect the parent company’s and the products’ Swiss heritage in woodworking and precision technology. 

 

“It has been an exciting start for 2016,” said Travis Bass, executive vice president of U.S. sales and marketing. “The name change, our new CEO, and the expansion of our plant signal the awakening of a company known as the ‘quiet giant’ of laminate flooring.”

 

All eight countries where Swiss Krono operates are changing their name and logo to reflect this pooling of expertise, intensifying R&D and forging of a common identity.

 

According to Ines Kaindl, president of the board of directors of the Swiss Krono Group headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, “We want to leverage a strong, uniform brand to spotlight our tradition and history while making a greater international impact. This will enable us to help shape the market’s future.” 

The Group’s member firms in Germany, Poland, Russia and Switzerland unveiled the new corporate design at a shared stand at DOMOTEX 2016. 

 

“This consistent image and our modern, visually striking new logo are giving the Group a single face with a clear profile,” says Max von Tippelskirch, chief marketing officer of the Swiss Krono Group. “We are clearly differentiating ourselves from our competitors and strengthening our presence in the global marketplace.”

 

In addition to this news, the U.S operations announced late last year the hiring of CEO Zeb Portanova. Portanova was hired away from Eli Lilly and Company and is known for his energy and creativity. In early January, the company announced it is investing $230 million to build a high-density fiberboard (HDF) mill and expanding its laminate flooring production. At its Surfaces booth, the company also announced that the American Concepts collection, which is distributed at specialty retailers across the U.S., was adding two new collections for 2016 (Saranac and Morgan Hill) that will feature wider planks and on-trend décor colors.

 

“This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Swiss Krono Group’s founding. As a global leader in innovation, marketing, and manufacturing, the international presence of the Swiss Krono Group ensures our customers and distribution partners will benefit from our synergies for many years to come,” said Portanova.

 

For more information, visit swisskrono.com or swisskrono.us.