On the evening of October 18th, 2012 as a part of the Decorative Surfaces Conference held this year in Orlando, Florida, Walter Schatt was inducted in the Decorative and Industrial Laminate Hall of Fame.

The Decorative and Industrial Hall of Fame was established to recognize an individual for leadership and service activities, which have significantly and demonstrably contributed to the advancement of the laminate industry. The market segment includes a wide variety of laminate manufacturers, suppliers to the industry, and users of laminates.

Among the outstanding contributions to the industry noted in Mr. Schatt’s nomination were his bringing Japanese style printing to Europe, the standardizing of base paper, the development of the Best Selling Décor of all time - Bavarian Beech, the speed with which Schattdecor has grown since 1985, the far reaching effect of his international investment, and his personal philosophy towards personnel management.

Tom Drazen, General Manager of Schattdecor Inc. in Maryland Heights, MO, provided the speech introducing Mr. Schatt to the 200+ people in attendance at the Hall of Fame Dinner. Mr. Schatt, who had a prior commitment on the date, expressed his thanks and good wishes to the attendees via a video message, after which he was rowdily applauded. Also inducted this year was Designer, Judy Wolgast, who worked for Schattdecor between 1995 and 2000, both in the U.S. and in Thansau.

Mr. Schatt is the 19th member of the Hall of Fame.