Creative Flooring Solutions (CFL), a leading manufacturer of stone polymer core (SPC) and other multilayer flooring materials, reports it has decided to accept investment from private equity to prepare the company for the next growth sprint—all the while keeping a strong overall majority ownership, according to Thomas Baert, president, CFL Flooring.

The company reports it has been growing rapidly over the last years, most recently reporting 50% growth in 2021 with a strong order book as it heads into 2022. The company now employs 4,500 people and has invested more than $140 million in the last 18 months. Its 700,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Calhoun, Georgia, is now fully operational. In addition to its operations in the United States, Taiwan, Vietnam and Shanghai, China, the company also started a large new facility in Hunan, China, for its expansion in the Chinese market. 

The new private equity investors will allow the company to accelerate its international expansion, as well as further its reach within the Chinese market. While the investors will not drive operations, they will bring with them, among other things, intelligence related to international financing, human, corporate governance and public relations, Baert said.

Stay tuned for the full interview with Baert forthcoming on TalkFloor.