Suppliers showcase bevy of new SPC offerings
The first week of Alliance Flooring’s two-week Connect 2020 concluded with Engineered Floors, Metroflor, Emser and Armstrong providing retailers with product reviews, training guidance and special deals on pallets.
Here is a brief recap:
Engineered Floors
Will Young, director of national accounts for Engineered Floors, gave a recap of EF’s expanding hard surface offerings. The brand offers three collections—Revotec, Triumph and Ensignium as well as numerous LVT glue-down styles.
Because of Revotec’s click-and-lock installation method and the incorporation of a grout line into the design, consumers get the look of tile or stone without the hassle of the installation. Triumph’s waterproof, pet-friendly and stain-resistant planks are engineered with a durable top layer that helps protect floors from scratches and everyday wear.
Ensignium offers advanced technology in engineered, waterproof flooring utilizing 3D digital print. The results are authentic natural visuals vs. real hardwood and superior durability. “The beauty of this line is that every single product is a high-density rigid SPC core,” Young said. Ensignium pattern repeats every 30 to 38 planks.
“We want to be deep in inventory and limit our SKUs.”
Metroflor
Keith Kannapel, vice president of sales for Metroflor, presented Engage Inception, an SPC offering that enables greater resistance to temperature changes and indentations. Beyond improved dent resistance, the premium attached HDPE (high density polyethylene) foam underlayment provides sound absorption, reduces transmitted sound and foot fatigue and helps to conceal minor subfloor imperfections.
Kannapel said the DropLock 100 locking system provides fast, easy, glueless drop-and-lock installation and a tight fit. The 100% waterproof floor is suitable for traditionally wet areas such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and basements.
Engage Inception, which has received Declare third-party certification, is available in 6-, 8- and 12-mil wear layers, and 7 x 48, 9 x 60 plank formats as well as 12 x 24 tile format.
Emser
The tile company showcased its Home Gallery collection, which includes 16 of its best-selling products—all private label for Alliance members.
Some of the top offerings include:
- Marsala, offered in 13 x 13, 17 x 18 and 12 x 24 formats;
- Amalfi, a porcelain product available in a 12 x 24 matte finish as well as a 12 x 23 lappato finish;
- Tuscany, a concrete look in 5 colors with formats ranging from 20 x 20 to 12 x 24;
- Naples, which combines a contemporary and wood look, with four colors and two sizes—13 x 13 and 12 x 24;
- Atrani, its first intro in a wood-look visual—in a 6 x 24 format;
- Trapani, Emser’s No. 1 selling wood look, is available in an 8 x 25 format. Craig Shedden, national sales manager, told Alliance members that Trapani is “the foundation” to any key product program.
Armstrong
One downside of traditional stone, ceramic and porcelain is how cold and hard the tiles are. Armstrong’s Alterna, however, was designed to capture the natural beauty of these classic looks. The company showcased Alterna, Alterna Plank and Alterna Reserve, in various dimensions. New products feature lighter tones and higher-end visuals.
Empower rigid core flooring was built using the brand’s innovative new Reinforced Mineral Core to provide the best available performance. According to Armstrong executives, the new core outperforms traditional rigid core products in both indent and stability while its exclusive Diamond 10 technology provides best in class scratch and stain protection.
Empower rigid core was shown in a 9 x 72 (Norden Oak and Urban Age) format, with the latter showing an industrial, stain-concrete look. Sandia Oak and Inari Lodge are multi-width, rigid core offerings in 4-, 6- and 7 x 72 formats (all in the same box).
Armstrong also discussed CushionStep Good, CushionStep Better and Duality Premium, its sheet vinyl products with Diamond 10 technology.
FCNews.net will be providing daily coverage of Connect 2020 through Aug. 7.