With continuing improvements to its printing technologies and the ability to produce more technically demanding designs, laminate flooring is now hitting an unprecedented area of growth. Manufacturers say this once-minor segment has seen a 20 percent increase in sales volume over the last year alone. And they're only just starting. The potential for continued growth has prompted flooring makers to devote more resources to the segment: Tarkett, for example, re-entered the laminate arena in North America last year; and Mohawk recently made headlines by purchasing laminate maker Quick-Step for $2.6 billion.
Despite enhancements seen in other hard surface areas, the ceramic/stone sector continues to stand its ground as a popular choice, particularly for residential settings. Because the products can be used on walls, countertops or as a trim, it is a product area that enables flooring dealers to branch out beyond their core business.
Christoff & Sons Floor Covering Inc., a flooring dealer in Jackson, Mich., shares many traits with other mid-sized floor covering retailers. The family-run, 6,000 square-foot store first hung out its shingle 26 years ago, and carved out a niche by bringing a wide range of flooring options to the small city.
Cersaie, the world's largest international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, is just around the corner, and those in the ceramic tile industry are excited to see the latest trends in ceramic tile design.
In the upstate region of South Carolina under the "orange glow" of Clemson University lies a research park that is home of The Tile Council of North America (TCNA).
Industry figures, U.S. congressmen and other dignitaries were among the nearly 1,000 well-wishers who recently gathered outside Roppe's headquarters in Fostoria, Ohio, to celebrate a half-century of growth and accomplishment in commercial floor making.
With today's ever-changing lifestyles and trends, wood flooring is becoming a segment that is continuing to evolve to meet consumer demands for a non-traditional wood floor.
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