It is the biggest event in the history of carpet promotion. Literally. This fall, Mohawk Industries conducted the SmartStrand Zoo Challenge at the Dallas Zoo. For two weeks, six African elephants-the world’s largest land mammals-punished SmartStrand® carpet made with DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced polymer.
That’s big. 45,000 pounds big. 200 pounds of waste per animal per day big. And it was the ultimate durability test for this remarkable carpet fiber.
After this incredible abuse, the SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet was removed from the animals’ enclosure and professionally cleaned.
It looked virtually new.
No stains. No appreciable wear, even after being hammered with foot traffic representing years of use in an average home. SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona passed the Zoo Challenge with flying colors.
SmartStrand triexta carpet made with DuPont Sorona is a sustainable flooring option that is also luxuriously soft. Bio-PDO®, which is made from corn sugar and is a renewable resource, makes up 37 percent of DuPont Sorona. Additionally, SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona provides superior stain and soil resistance due to the way it’s engineered. Stain and soil protection is built into the carpet fiber and will never wear or wash off. It will even resist discoloration from bleach.
“This is truly an industry-changing product,” said David Duncan, Vice President of Marketing for Mohawk. “Triexta is the first new carpet fiber in 50 years-the first since nylon. We have proven its stain resistance with scores of challenges. The SmartStrand Zoo Challenge proves its superior durability.
“With the SmartStrand Zoo Challenge, we have demonstrated how this carpet is more than capable of standing up to any family’s ‘wild life,’ and the daily challenges of spills, wear, and tear,” he said.
Research shows consumers agree with Duncan. In consumer surveys of people who have purchased SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona, the carpet earns the highest scores of any carpet fiber ever tested in overall satisfaction-and just as important-virtually no consumer dissatisfaction.
“We have seen the word ‘love’ associated with SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona,” Duncan noted. “That’s almost unheard of in a consumer flooring survey.”
Mohawk is using the results of the SmartStrand Zoo Challenge and its consumer research to help retailers take advantage of the power of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona. To learn more, visit www.smartstrandchallenge.com.
