Scandian introduced their sawn wear layer engineered Bonita Collection last year at Surfaces and we are pleased with its acceptance in the market place. “This product is simply beautiful” said Fabio Scandian, President of Scandian Wood Floors. “The full fill face and satin gloss finish allow for the natural colors and grain to show through”, Scandian said.

The effectiveness of color and how it can impact commercial environments has been gaining attention in recent years and is now a main focus of the interior design of these spaces. This focus can be attributed to increased costs of managing business expenses and the need to gain and retain consumers within these individual segments. 

Quick•Step® is no stranger to innovation. The company is well known for transforming both the style and substance of today’s flooring. The direct-pressure laminate technology Quick•Step® pioneered is the industry standard, while their patented Uniclic® locking system eliminated the need for glue and revolutionized the industry. They lead the industry in style, offering more high-end design features including authentic color reproduction, a greater number of surface textures and a variety of realistic edge features. These innovations changed what people expected from floors.

As the 2007 year-end approaches, we take a look back at the progress of one of the fastest growing product categories to ever hit the flooring market – laminates.  At the forefront of this segment’s growth is the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA).  NALFA has taken great strides to ensure quality in the continuously growing laminate flooring segment and is recognizing those individuals and companies who are doing their part to promote the responsible growth of the industry through the creation of the NALFA Certification Seal and the LAMMY Awards.  NALFA has worked diligently to promote the NALFA Certification Seal as a symbol of quality among laminate product choices for consumers and distributors. The NALFA Certification Seal signifies that the product has passed intense testing and conforms to the quality standards set forth by NALFA. 

Since the company’s inception as Midwest Padding in 1997, the company’s focus was to manufacture products from post-industrial/pre-consumer synthetic fibers; byproducts from the carpet and textile industries.  The desire was to make products that enhance people’s quality of life while at the same time utilizing waste that may have otherwise gone into landfills.  2007 marks the company’s 10th anniversary, and is still recycling these fibers to manufacture underlayments for flooring.  While some companies may be stretching or re-inventing their products in order to get certified for Green Building Projects, MP Global comes by it naturally.  Al Collison, Founder and President of MP Global Products stated “We’ve always been a “Green” company since we opened our doors for business 10 years ago.  We haven’t had to change anything in our process to make our products sustainable, we’ve always been the genuine article.”

The next time flooring installers rub their eyes, it won’t be because of the dusty working conditions. It will be because they can hardly believe what they’re seeing…a clear alternative to the messy thin-set mortars of the past. That’s because Mer-Krete Systems, a division of ParexLaHabra, has introduced its new 7d10 Dust-Less Thin-Set Mortar, the answer for today’s tile and stone installations that demand a more efficient and environmentally responsible approach.

Corporations best demonstrate social responsibility by introducing products with environmental benefits for customers. MAPEI operates under a “continuous innovation” strategy to develop technologies that deliver those benefits.

The beauty of the Georgia Aquarium’s interior sparkles from the walls of fountains, viewing areas, the food court and even the bathrooms. The sparkle comes from glass mosaic tiles installed by Williams Tile of Smyrna, Georgia. Project manager David Arthur managed up to 7 installation teams at peak times during the construction. “Our advantage in successfully completing our part of the project was the craftsmanship of our experienced mosaic glass installers on each team,” said Arthur. The teams were also able to depend on the reliability of MAPEI Tile & Stone Installation products.

Today’s flooring options are more numerous than ever, but one thing stays the same – consumers want a floor that looks and performs great.  That’s where Mannington’s Adura Luxury Floors® come in.  They’re high performance floors and then some - with a splash of luxury and a dash of versatility - and designs and installation options to suit almost any need.

You may already be familiar with the phrase: “From forest to finished product.” After all, it’s a concept we often talk about at LAUZON. Because LAUZON is a fully integrated operation, we can control every aspect of our production and reinforce our “green” values during each step of the process – from the careful selection of trees in the forest to the moment LAUZON floors are shipped to retailers.