March 19/26, 2018: Volume 33, Issue 20
By Reginald Tucker
Price increases on select brands of hardwood flooring are scheduled to take effect this spring.
Armstrong Flooring plans to initiate a 5%-7% price hike on solid hardwood products in the United States and Canada in May. “We have experienced significant increases in raw material costs, with lumber inflation across wood species and grades, coupled with energy, transportation and operating cost inflation,” Brent Flaharty, senior vice president of sales, North America, explained. “Rising natural gas and electricity prices are increasing our manufacturing facility operating costs, and fuel and transportation rates are rising, thereby impacting our delivered cost.”
Hardwood prices are also going up at Shaw Floors. Beginning April 2, the company will institute a 10% increase on its solid products. Tim Baucom, executive vice president of Shaw Floors’ residential division, also cited significant increases in the cost of solid hardwood raw materials in the last several months. “We have done our best to absorb these increases since they began in mid-2017 while continuing to provide superior products—at the same price—to our customers. After months of resisting, we must now raise prices to cover the cost of raw materials needed to make our solid hardwood products.”
Other major suppliers are taking a wait-and-see approach. “We are not planning any price increases at this time,” said Dan Natkin, vice president, hardwood and laminates, Mannington. “But we are monitoring raw material prices very closely.”
Canada-based Mercier, which raised prices on solids back in January, is holding for now. “We aren’t planning any increases
at the moment,” said
Wade Bondrowski, director of sales, U.S. market. “However, a couple more increases [on the supply side] and we may be forced to.”
Mohawk Industries told FCNews that it is not its policy to comment on any inquiries regarding price increases.