Lancaster, Pa. -- Armstrong Flooring, Inc. announced that its board of directors has appointed Michel Vermette, president of Residential Carpet at Mohawk Industries, as president and CEO. Larry S. McWilliams, Armstrong chairman, who has served as interim president and CEO since May 3, 2019, will remain chairman of the board.

“The appointment of Michel as President and CEO of Armstrong Flooring is the result of an extensive evaluation and search process participated in by the entire Board, and we are delighted that Michel has agreed to join the company,” said Jim Melville, chair of the nominating and governance committee. “Michel brings both tremendous domestic and international industry experience and strong business, operational, financial and strategic expertise to AFI. He is also a proven leader who has modeled superb business and leadership principles throughout his career while establishing a track record of improving business performance by implementing product development, manufacturing and operational excellence. We know that he is exactly the right person to lead Armstrong Flooring, and we look forward to working with him. We also thank Larry for his service as interim Chief Executive Officer during the CEO search period and for his continued dedication and leadership as Chair of AFI.”

Vermette will join the company after a successful career spanning more than two decades at Mohawk Industries, where he served in multifaceted positions across the company’s finance, investor relations, sales and marketing and business development operations. During his tenure, he helped transform the flooring business into an innovative and leading flooring manufacturer, redesigned the customer experience process, and led large-scale acquisitions and successful integrations.

Vermette was named president of residential carpet at Mohawk Industries, in February 2019, where he was responsible for the market strategy, product development, manufacturing and innovation of the residential carpet business in North America. In this role, he set the group’s product and manufacturing direction, improving the company’s service and overall customer satisfaction. He previously served as president of Mohawk Group, driving the company’s commercial and international flooring operations and leading the customer experience team. During his tenure, Mohawk Group launched the first Certified Living Product in flooring, and the organization was recognized regularly for top product awards. Vermette also served as CFO for Mohawk’s North American Flooring Business Unit.

“I am excited to join Armstrong Flooring and its talented team, where we will continue to execute on the company’s foundation of innovation, design and product excellence,” said Vermette. “I look forward to working with the team to capitalize on the strong brand and to build a pipeline of innovative and differentiated products to drive growth and improve profitability while delivering value for our customers and shareholders.”

McWilliams added, “Michel is an industry veteran with a passion for people and a strong business and financial background, and his experience is what we need to lead the company into the future. During a time of intense shifts in the market, we are confident in Michel’s ability to lead a winning team that will focus on driving growth and improving performance while increasing value for shareholders and customers. I and the entire board are confident that with his deep industry understanding and commitment to excellence, Michel is the right person to move Armstrong Flooring into its next phase of success.”

With the appointment, the board will consist of eight directors.

For more information, visit www.armstrongflooring.com.