January 16/23, 2017: Volume 31, Number 16
By Reginald Tucker
Following two decades of serving primarily as a European private-label laminate supplier to the industry, Kronospan is focusing squarely on the North American market. Initiatives range from expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint, developing stylish new products geared for American consumers and putting more emphasis on the Kronospan brand.
First and foremost, its stateside division, Kronospan USA, is demonstrating its commitment to the U.S. marketplace by investing and building manufacturing plants. For instance, in 2015 the company purchased Shippenville, Pa.-based Clarion Boards and Clarion Laminates, which produces medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and high-density fiberboard (HDF) panels as well as laminate flooring at the same site. Kronospan already operates a facility in Eastaboga, Ala., a site where the company manufactures MDF and HDF for manufacturers of laminate flooring, furniture, store fixtures, moldings, doors and other architectural applications. A fully integrated supplier, Kronospan also produces specialty and decorative paper as well as other associated value-added products.
More recently, Kronsopan USA completed the construction of a laminate facility in Oxford, Ala. Once fully operational, this facility will add even more capacity to fuel distributor and retailer demands. “These moves provide the springboard for further developments in the laminate flooring market,” said Michael Babula, chief marketing and sales officer. “It will give our distributors and North American partners access to additional supply by virtue of our expanded manufacturing capacity.”
The fruits of all this additional capacity, according to Kronospan USA, will be readily evident to the industry when it unveils its comprehensive new offering at Surfaces 2017. Entailing 94 SKUs, the wide-ranging array of designs and styles, the latest collections demonstrate the company’s intent to become a more formidable brand in the U.S. market.
“Kronospan’s appearance at the 2017 Surfaces trade show marks a significant step in the company’s growth, marking our first opportunity to speak to Kronospan’s Made in the USA story and our expanded American manufacturing capacity,” Babula explained. “It is also the first time everyone will get to see our complete product offering. Our design and innovation team has worked hard to develop what we believe will be the best fashion-forward laminate product assortment currently available to the U.S. market.”
The new Kronospan USA product line includes five distinct, on-trend design collections: Authentic, Bohemian, Downtown, Pioneer and Voyager. Each collection contains unique styles and finishes, with formats ranging from 8mm–12mm thick to 125mm-204mm wide. Following is an overview:
The Authentic collection provides a diverse, colorful landscape and rich canvass for any design hue from traditional to modern. This perfect collection of native American beauties, available in different shades with natural tones, replicates classic styles for any room in the home. These genuine designs have stood the test of time as did the oaks, maples, hickory and walnuts of the American landscape.
The Bohemian collection combines the perfect mix of the treasured and exotic to provide a wide range of colors, species and textures. Meanwhile, the Downtown collection was inspired by New York City’s diversity, Los Angeles’ lights, Miami’s colors and Chicago’s character.
Pioneer and Voyager round out the latest offerings and include looks ranging from sophistsicated and cozy (Pioneer) to exotic offerings that reflect global diversity.