Every now and then it’s important to take a step back and look around the industry. To take notice of those companies making concerted efforts toward bettering their business and their business partnerships.
FCNews’ inaugural Rising Stars feature is meant to do just that. And while a “rising star” might imply those new to the industry, it doesn’t stop there. We’ve taken note of companies—big and small, new and old—that have recently stepped up their game to the betterment of the industry.
Ceramin by Inhaus
Inhaus is an innovator of cutting-edge flooring solutions. Blending the precision of German engineering with modern design aesthetics, it is committed to crafting beautiful, high-quality floors that are better for the home as well as the overall environment.
Ceramin is the newest addition to the Inhaus family. Rooted in three key concepts—design, innovation and sustainability—Ceramin is performance flooring with a story. Inhaus developed this collection with an end goal to create a product line that offers high-performance and eco-friendly floors without compromising style. The collection is composed of three product families—Icon, Gallery and Sono Eclipse—constructed using a proprietary manufacturing process that is dimensionally stable, 100% PVC-free and uses a minimum 25% post-consumer material. At the forefront of the Ceramin collection is Icon. Boasting a larger plank format (59.8 x 8), Icon features a usage class 33/AC5 wear rating and 18 to 24 unique planks in each décor (see story on page 26).
With Icon, Inhaus aimed to create a collection that resonates with everyone. Its team of designers diligently worked on identifying current interior design trends to develop a color palette that elevates homes of any style.
The outcome is a collection filled with warm, earthy tones that favor gentle and uniform hardwood characteristics.
TotalWorx
TotalWorx launched in early 2021 to unite the world of accessories in a simple, unique and easy-to-understand format. TotalWorx’s brand pillars are: Simplicity, Service and Satisfaction. It is a solution for all installation projects—from flooring prep to aftercare and maintenance.
More than just products, TotalWorx aims to guide and support customers in their installation process—ensuring every job is installed correctly for long-lasting, quality results.
The brand also strives to innovate and create new solutions to various problems. For example, SpeedLink Spline’s innovation aims to help speed up resilient flooring installation time by 35%. Another innovation is its Watertight Shower System, which allows tile to be installed in showers in as little as an hour.
TotalWorx by Shaw is also a proud partner of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, making an impact on causes important to its partners. With every purchase of specific Shaw Floors cushion and cleaners, a percentage of sales is donated directly to the organization to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Innovative Flooring Supply
Innovative has been a supplier to the flooring industry since 2001; it is an OEM manufacturer and distributor with a difference. Its branding and design team work from its new, 90,000-square-foot, Montreal-based design and distribution center. Its manufacturing team is based in Asia where its R&D, sourcing, quality management and global logistics teams manage all product-related matters. The company’s focus has always been to bring its clients innovative, premium-quality and first-to-market product opportunities. Its core areas of expertise include engineered hardwoods, water-resistant laminate, rigid core vinyl and, more recently, DuraStair rigid core stair tread kits, which have been a success for its clients.
The company provides its OEM clients customized OEM branding with an exceptional level of old-fashioned customer service. “In this era of e-communications and Zoom meetings, the spark of creativity is hard to ignite,” said William Friend, vice president. “When you brainstorm in person in the same room with your customer, the magic happens.”
Equally important is the quality of the after-the-sale service that it provides, whether it is technical support, project consultation or helping clients design technical documents. Innovative sees customer service as an investment: “The more we give, the more often our clients give us new business,” Friend noted. “We recognize that every client is different and has very different needs, be it a smaller distributor needing smaller MOQs/SKUs where we will load up to five SKUs per container, to customized colors to specialized packaging designs. We think like a tailor making a suit for a client, it needs to ‘fit just right’ to work and maximize our collective success.”
Lastly is profitability. The company strives to offer its clients the most competitive value proposition that it can to ensure the programs it manufactures are amongst the most profitable. “Win-win relationships are lasting relationships,” Friend added.
IFC (International Flooring Company)
The resurgence of Piet Dossche, along with his sons Julian and William, in the flooring industry has ignited anticipation and excitement. The Dossche legacy of innovation, quality and service is undeniable and now poised to manifest through the International Flooring Company (IFC) and its flagship brand, Canopy.
As the resilient flooring sector evolves, Canopy emerges as a catalyst for disruption, anchored by Premium WPC, consumer-focused branding and select specialty retail partnerships. The return of Dossche signals not merely a resurgence but, according to the man himself, a renaissance in the flooring industry, where tradition meets innovation.
“Prepare to witness the unfolding of a new chapter in flooring history, as IFC’s team of industry vets and young visionaries embarks on its journey to build its legacy as the new disruptor in the industry,” Dossche said.
Samplesapp
The residential flooring business spends close to $1 billion each year in samples with no insight, reporting or connection between manufacturers, retailers and consumers relative to products that are taken from displays. Retailers lose sales everyday due to top-selling samples missing from showroom displays that are never returned, and they have very little communication with customers around these products once they leave the showroom.
Consumers have limited exposure to the key benefits and features of the products they are considering, and little to no personalized interaction while they are at home with samples. It’s a major loss for the manufacturer, retailer and the consumer. Enter Samplesapp. Award-winning Samplesapp helps users understand the cost of having a missing sample and keep products vs. competitors’ products in the hands of consumers.
A consumer with a sample is the strongest lead that a retailer can have. Samplesapp markets directly to a consumer when they are in the middle of the shopping experience and can help close more sales. Partnering with Samplesapp creates additional value adds for the retailer and for the manufacturer and provides intelligence about specific sample behaviors, trends, regional learnings, store rep behaviors and, ultimately, the impact on closing sales. The system aims to revolutionize the way the industry manages samples, saving millions of dollars in the process.
Southwind
How does a nearly 30-year-old company become a breakthrough, up-and-coming brand? By putting the emphasis where it belongs—on the customer. Southwind started out as Cherokee Carpets, a small but quality-focused, family-owned southern mill in Dalton. Today, Southwind is on the move and becoming a favorite with flooring retailers everywhere.
This year, Southwind has expanded its product offering by adding a hardwood line and more laminate. It has expanded both its rigid core and LVP lines and even added more carpet. “In 2024, we’ve probably grown as much or more than any flooring company, anywhere,” said Drew Hash, president and CEO. “We offer our retailers a high-value choice in both hard and soft surfaces, and their customers love it.”
But Southwind is more than quality-crafted and stylish flooring. It offers a distinctive promise called The Southwind Way. “At Southwind, we try to do things a lot differently than our competitors,” Hash said. “It’s all in how we serve our customers. We believe this new spirit is actually how we’ve done business for years, but we’ve adopted this as our own breakthrough mission to build on now and well into the future.”
The Southwind Way means the brand will never “value engineer” its products to make them cheaper. And it will always inspect its imported lines to the highest standards at the point of origin before they are ever shipped. It means retailers will never be surprised by hidden fees or transportation surcharges. All costs are known upfront. It means treating Southwind customers as partners, with better profit margins, easy ordering, friendly terms and a Windfall Rewards program. “We may not be the biggest flooring brand our dealers carry, but we will always strive to be the best brand for their business and their customers,” Hash said.
HQ Living
HQ Living Carpet Cushion by Palziv Underlayments is an innovation in carpet cushion. As a leading manufacturer of premium carpet underlayment, the company has distinguished itself by integrating cutting-edge waterproof material and advanced air channel technology. This dynamic combination ensures the closed-cell polyethylene foam effectively prohibits water absorption, preventing moisture from seeping in. Meanwhile, the air channels facilitate continuous air circulation, preventing water and moisture vapor from becoming trapped and causing damage to floors.
The company’s carpet cushion is not only protective but also exceptional in terms of sound absorption. HQ Living boasts one of the highest sound-reduction rates among foam carpet cushions in the industry. The superior sound reduction capability makes its cushion an ideal choice for any setting where noise control is a priority.
“At Palziv Underlayments, we are committed to delivering the best carpet cushion technology that exceeds any other offering on the market,” said Michele LaMori, executive vice president. “We know how much great carpet completes a home; therefore, our ingenious approach ensures that your carpet remains in pristine condition, free from the detrimental effects of moisture and noise, all while providing luxurious comfort. Palziv Underlayments stands as a beacon of innovation in the realm of carpet underlayment by providing safe, effective and award-winning products all while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.”
HF Design
HF Design manufactures and partners with local distributors to service retailers with the highest-quality waterproof flooring options available for almost any budget. Aquaproof laminate, for example, is an ultra-high performance waterproof floor that has captured attention due to its high-def print technology and hybrid waterproof PVC-free core substrate.
Laminate is one of the fastest growing categories right now and Aquaproof has one of the lowest swell percentages in the market, making it a true ultra-high-performance floor for any home. Aquaproof’s Nanotek high-tech finish protects against scratches and everyday accidents, making it suitable for any home or lifestyle. The 7 x 60 and 9.3 x 72 lengths can make a bold statement in any room.
Additionally, its POP retail display is informative and easy to navigate for shoppers, offering the latest on-trend colors. Authorized dealers also benefit from leads generated from Aquaprooffloors.com and homeowners can easily order free samples to start their journey. What’s more, the company is on a mission to elevate indoor spaces with a healthy home environment.
Performance Accessories
Performance Accessories offers a total system of leading flooring solutions—including trims and transitions, stair solutions, adhesives, underlayments and cleaners—designed to complement and complete any floor covering installation. Performance Accessories partners closely with retailers and installers to make sure products are developed with simplicity and efficiency at their core. By understanding the needs of the installer community, Performance Accessories can provide a wide range of solutions to help with every install job.
PureGrain
PureGrain by Engineered Floors is billed as the first domestically manufactured DLVT (digital luxury vinyl tile) that uses digital emboss technology to create high-resolution designs directly on a high-density rigid core.
“That’s the simple description of PureGrain,” said Mike Sanderson, vice president of marketing. “But what makes this groundbreaking product truly up and coming is in the innovative, never-seen-before features it has brought to the LVT market. In fact, PureGrain has essentially created a new segment in hard surfaces—DLVT.”
One of the biggest drawbacks with traditional film is the lack of variety in plank designs. Most of these products only offer five to seven designs. With PureGrain, each style boasts 35 unique planks that show off the look, feel and characteristics of wood. This leads to a more natural looking floor. Since these planks are digitally printed in high-definition, PureGrain offers outstanding clarity when compared to traditional LVT products. Further differentiating PureGrain is where it’s made: 100% manufactured in America under one roof at the company’s facility in Dalton.
For the complete list of Rising Stars, see the May 20/27, 2024 print edition of FCNews.
