flooringnews 7 january 2008 - the stocklists at a bingo hall in preston. the buckingham bingo in...

FlooringNews35 January 2008

7 January 2008

Utilising all its manufacturing expertise to turn up the temperature, Lano Carpets has providedGordon Ramsay’s internationally renowned Claridges Restaurant, London with a bespoke carpetfit to feast off.

Specified by Gordon Ramsey Holdings under the guidance of Natural Elements and CarpetExpress, the bespoke carpet creation utilises the finest quality 10 row Axminster constructionand covers some 500m2 of the restaurant and bar area.

Steve Taylor, Project Manager, Carpet Express, explains: “With a reputation for producingmagical food, any restaurant bearing Gordon Ramsay’s name must deliver a style and ambienceto match. So in order to create an atmosphere of true luxury and to balance the existinglavish décor, we decided that a luxurious Axminster from Lano, with its 3-ply yarn would givehigh performance, excellent appearance retention and clarity of the design, would be theperfect solution.”

The bespoke creation made use of Lano Carpets’Walk of Fame manufacturing technology toproduce a five-colour design with a 2.74m pattern repeat.Working closely with NaturalElements and Lano Carpets’ in-house design team were able to refine a pattern that met withthe approval of Gordon Ramsey himself, along with Claridges Hotel.

With the popularity of the restaurant meaning booking months in advance, it was imperativethat it could remain functional at all times and so Carpet Express carried out the installationbetween the hours of two-am and nine-am.With a long pattern repeat and intricate borderwork, it was essential that the schedule of work was carefully planned.

The finished carpet complements the surrounding décor perfectly and results in a restaurantthat not serves great food, but that also delivers a unique and enjoyable atmosphere.

FlooringNewsClaridges swears by Lano

i2K interiors innovation

Pioneers of innovative and striking rug creations, i2K returns to the Interiors Event at the NEC inJanuary 2008 ready to wow visitors with their latest awe inspiring collections. Seven newadditions to already established favourites will be showcased at the show for the first time.

Herbal Wash in seven intricate design and colour options is made in India with 100% NewZealand wool. Herbal Wash rugs go through several cycles of washes using a unique blend ofherbs in order to create their distinct colour and texture.

Joining the perennial favourite sister ranges, RO and RO2, RO3 is another take on this successfulthree ply New Zealand wool hand tufted collection. Comprising 20 head turning designs createdby the well-regarded in house designer, Ron Brinkers, RO3 is the first of the RO ranges to offertwo colourways with each pattern.

Hemp2 more than satisfies the consumer’s thirst for all things eco-friendly by utilising one of themost versatile, beneficial and environmentally friendly plants out there.With a little help fromNew Zealand wool and pure silk, i2K has turned this fibre into a striking new collection with 14 bold designs (pictured left).

Replacing the Plain BK range, Carved is the new plains collection comprising six fashion ledcolourways, each meticulously hand-washed to bring out the true lustre and softness of its NewZealand Wool construction.

Kashmir is beautifully crafted in the country from which it takes its name, and comprises sixstriking designs made from 100% rayon silk. Completely handmade in a chain-stitch construction,this range will make the rug as equally at home on a wall as it will on the floor.

A brand new service for 2008, the new i2k bespoke service is aimed at interior designers andretailers looking to create that unique statement in style. Careful research has resulted in 30 ofthe most popular designs providing the base for this new facility. Each can then be custom madein New Zealand Wool using any of 200 colourways to ensure complete flexibility and the abilityfor i2k to meet the most exacting brief.

See i2k at the Interiors Event in Hall 3, stand C39 from Jan 20th-23rd.

News

FlooringNews

Fenland is firm favourite

36 January 2008

Pownall Carpet’s Fenland ranges bring together a collection of carpet styles that are firmfavourites among UK consumers, making an ideal three pronged attack for retailers tomaximise profit at every opportunity.

With Fenland Berber, Fenland Twist and Fenland Textures all benefiting from the luxury andpracticality of a wool-rich construction, any retailer will appreciate the consumer appeal ofnaturally inspired colour palettes and varying qualities that make this family suitable for anyarea from lounge and dining room to bedroom and stairs.

Offering the complete package of service and product offering for retailers throughout theUK with eye-catching space efficient point of sale, targeted value driven products and theunique 24 Hour Next Day Sample Delivery Service, the Fenland family from PownallCarpets is a sure fire winner.

The wool-rich Fenland Berber in 20 popular natural shades is the eldest of the three siblingsand has been drawing praise from retailers and consumers for some five years.Thepracticality of the Berber fleck makes Fenland Berber great for areas prone to spills andshoes.With two qualities available (Fenland Berber and Fenland Berber Elite), the collectionis just at home on bedrooms and landings as it is lounges, hallways and dining rooms.

Released earlier this year, Fenland Twist continues the theme of quality and value, but thistime in a pure spectrum of 20 trend inspiring tones.With both 40oz and 50oz qualitiesavailable, Fenland Twist is more than capable of meeting the needs of any family home andwith four and five-metre width options.

The youngest member of the family, Fenland Textures (pictured right) brings the promise ofstyle, practicality and quality in 12 gorgeous shades such as Roast Chestnut and ThatchedReed. But as the youngest member of the family, Fenland Textures is full of surprises and itsthicker twist pile adds a subtle drop of texture to create a uniform yet visually stimulatingappearance. Once again, being available in both four and five-metre widths ensures FenlandTextures is friendly on the wallet too.

Eyes down on Infinity floorGaskell Mackay Carpets has revamped the fortunes of thefloorcoverings at a bingo hall in Preston.

The Buckingham Bingo in Preston town centre received a completetransformation thanks to Gaskell’s Infintiy Axminster programme, whichwas used to give a fresh outlook throughout the whole club.

Designer Karen Bignell of Bignell Shacklady Ewing called upon GaskellMackay’s expertise in contract carpet design to help produce a funand lively flooring motif for the premises.

The installation was carried out using 900 sq. metres of InfinityConiston Axminster from the stock yarn palette.The broadloomcarpet was produced on a blue background with darker blue, gold,orange and red in a circular abstract design.

Says Gaskell’s sales director Stephen Donlan who oversaw the project:“The installation at the Buckingham Bingo has been a great successand emphasises the appropriateness of the Infinity programme for theleisure and hospitality sectors. Infinity provides specifiers, designers andend users with greater design flexibility and the quality of Axminstermanufacturing through our Infinity programme.”

Gaskell Mackay offers the bespoke Axminster carpet service in threecolour palettes, Infinity Tones, Standard and Spectrum.The Infinity Tonespalette reflects the market move towards subtle, tonal colours andbrings a more sophisticated feel to the product. Infinity Standard usesthe same 2/42 ply yarn count but in a much stronger morecommercial colour bank and Infinity Spectrum, a 2/47 ply with an allnew 16-colour palette, brings a new dimension to the Infinity offer. Inaddition, the Infinity programme also offers an Axminster Tile optionutilising the same colour palettes.

38 FlooringNewsJanuary 2008

Ensuring that Cavalier Carpets maintains excellent levels of retailer service andsupport, Marcus Bowes has been appointed as Retail Accounts Manager for the EastAnglia counties area, covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire(east of the A.1) and north and east London.

Having worked in this region for the last three and a half years at wholesalerRackhams of North East London and prior to that an upbringing within the familyowned carpet and bedding shop in Suffolk, Marcus hasextensive experience of the carpet industry, despite hissprightly 31 years age.

John Richardson, Sales Director, Cavalier Carpets,welcomes Marcus’ appointment: “Any newappointment brings a fresh impetus and we aredelighted to welcome someone with a long career andsuch a positive future in front of them.”

Marcus will be responsible for the retail and insuranceactivities of Cavalier Carpets within the region.

Cavalier appoints in east

Just weeks ahead of its planned move to bigger, newly refurbished premises inHartlepool,Whitestone Weavers has announced the appointment of PhilHartley to the newly created post of sales director.

With more than 20 years experience in the floorcoverings business, Phil hasworked at a senior level in contract, retail and export during 19 years with theGaskell group of companies. He joins Whitestone Weavers retail business –which also owns the intellectual property rights of Gaskell Mackays – to

spearhead the company’s domestic retailexpansion. He heads a team of 13, made up ofsales reps, agents and a retail manager.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining the company,”said Phil, who originally started out in textiledesign and marketing. For the last two and a halfyears he has worked as a director of PremierCommercial, the sourcing supply company. “Theplanned move to much larger, custom furnishedpremises will support our drive for increasedmarket share in the retail sector.There are greatopportunities ahead for us in all markets.”

Hartley for Hartlepool

Ball nets top trade award

F. Ball and Co. Ltd’soutstanding service to thefloorcovering trade hasonce again resulted in thecompany being voted the‘Flooring AccessorySupplier of The Year’ by theIndependent FloorcoveringsDistributors Association.

Pictured is John Pendleton(left), Chairman of theIFDA, presenting the trophyto Paul Starkey, F. Ball’sNational Sales Manager.A cheque for £250 wasalso donated to the charityof the company’s choice,The County Air AmbulanceTrust.

40

News

FlooringNewsJanuary 2008

The underfoot comfort and resilience of rubber crumb underlays fromInterfloor are a winning combination for many of London’s top hotels.

The luxury 446 bedroom Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane isundergoing a £100m refurbishment which includes Tredaire Technics 6 underlay.

The carpet and underlay are being fitted by Welwyn Design Leisure, a companythat provides complete turnkey interiors for a range of installations includinghotels. Another Park Lane project is the London Hilton Hotel where DuralayDurafit 650 has been used in the 1,200 square metre ballroom and is nowbeing fitted in the Park Brasserie and Trader Vic’s bar and restaurant.

Welwyn Design Leisure creativity saw a combination of Duralay Durafit 650and Duralay Durafit 500 bonded above in theopposite direction to give addedheight for a hand-made IndianKappa Lamba carpet in theMetropolitan Hotel in Old ParkLane. “It is pure luxury,” saidWelwyn Design Leisure contractsdirector Simon Gauduchon.

“Rubber crumb, in the form ofproducts like Duralay Durafit, isbecoming the underlay choicewherever ultimate comfort needsto be combined with long termresilience. It is now specified by most of theworld’s leading hotel groups and their contractors,”said Steve Fell, Interfloor contract sales manager

The forward thinking approach of Axminster Carpets that sees it adapt to thechanging tastes of consumers and merge with the shifting fashions of interior decorshas never been more apparent than in its Simply Natural collection.

This established favourite has undergone a face lift, bringing in new styles and tonalcombinations to fuel ever evolving consumer taste, and retailers up and down thecountry are reporting extremely positive reactions by customers, with sales figuresto match.

The luxurious feel of the 100% pure wool Simply Natural, now features 48 shadesthat not only provide neutral settings to complement any interior décor, but that alsoprovide retailers with a selection of colours that can inspire consumers to considerthe importance carpet can play in making their home a real statement of style.

With two textures available, Ribgrass and Crosgrain, Simply Natural is about farmore than colour alone. Subtle pattern and texture too play a big part in makingthis a stimulating range for consumers and such a great success for retailers.Homeowners can cherry pick from 12 colours in Crosgrain, or the same 12 tonesin Ribgrass, with the latter texture offering a further 24 carefully considered tones.

Simply Natural is available in both four and five-metre widths, and with its superresilient six ply Cable-Tec Home-spun yarn and Heavy Domestic rating, Simply Naturalis as much at home in a hallway or master bedroom as it is in the living room.

Steve Upperton, Sales Director for Axminster Carpets, comments: “Simply Natural hasbeen a real success story for Axminster Carpets and this is in no small part to itsconstant development.When it comes to providing retailers with a range set tobecome a firm favourite, Simply Natural has everything in the correct place – luxury,durability, colour and texture – and it still delivers a carpet that is packed full of value.”

Kronospan has increased the UK coverage of its Krono Original range through itsnewest alliance with Storey Carpets, a specialist floorcoverings outlet, which is partof the international chain Carpetright. Storey Carpets became the latest outlet tostock the laminate flooring, impressed by the range’s in use performance and theexcellent levels of service offered by Kronospan.

Charles Coombs, Purchasing Director at Storey Carpets, explained: “We are alwayslooking to expand our product offering to give our customers the widest possiblechoice and we chose the Krono Original range because of its excellent levels ofquality.We really like the product ourselves, which is important, as we want ourcustomers to be as excited as we are when we introduce a new product.Wewere also impressed with the customer service we experienced when speaking toKronospan and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

The Krono Original portfolio includes a series of sub-ranges: Floordreams,Kronofix, Castello, the Vario ‘V-groove’ and Stoneline. All incorporate the gluelessfitting system and come with a minimum guarantee of 10 years.The laminateboards are imprint resistant, stain and abrasion proof, non sensitive to light andsome of the ranges also include Aquastop and anti-static technology.

It’s tough at the top

Natural choice of new style

Telling the Kronospan Storey

For more innovative and inspiring carpet collections,see us at Domotex in Hall 6 - Stand C46

Tel:0032 567 83250 Fax: 0032 567 83251Bajong Carpets NvVichtesteenweg 142, 8540 Deerlijk, Belgium

www.bajong.be BajongC A R P E T S

42

Contemporary Life


Tollgate is going to be different by design, and the choice of designerfor the launch range in the Contemporary Life brand dropped intoplace with Annabel Alton – an international colour consultant with aproven track record in UK carpet manufacturing.

‘If we were going to do it, we were going to do it right and Annabelwas the right person to get us there,” said Steve, “and again there wasno risk in the relationship as we all knew her from her work in colourand textures with Ryalux and Pownalls.”

Annabel teamed up with Tollgate to create Contemporary Style, an80/20 wool twist in 56 colours which takes its colour themes fromnature in four ranges: botanic, rock, earth and fruit naturals. “There area lot of naturals around but we wanted to be inspiring and exciting andmake a stronger statement in the market’, says Annabel. “We got ahuge response to the colours at the Harrogate show.”

The merchandising of this range is going to be a real buzz in thebusiness with striking point of sale support in vivid colours andincorporating DVD imagery which brings the natural themes alive.

Over 20 products will be offered, covering twist, velvet, Saxony andshag pile textures.

One of the freshest new launches comes to fruition in 2008. A new

company, a new range and a colourful new approach is set to change

the beige landscape of the UK carpet industry.

Contemporary Life was one of the most memorable highlights of

Harrogate with a pre-launch presentation on a stunning stand bursting

with tropical fruits, lush foliage and vivid earth naturals.

The launch is the first product of a unique partnership - a marriage of

ultimate convenience.

A design-led broadloom company with lots of ideas and enthusiasm

seeks a serious relationship with a forward thinking modern enterprise

experienced in Finance, I.T., P.R., Marketing and Sales and with a close

connection to a quality contract manufacturer.

The happy couple are Tollgate and Contemporary Life & Textiles Ltd.

Tollgate was a top-end bespoke carpet producer for the hospitality

and high end residential sector. Steve Evans, who has a track record

with Pownalls, Gaskell McKay and Causeway, and Alan Bennett, Ryalux,

bought the company two years ago.

Fruits of the broadloom

“We knew we could do better... and do something different.”

“We’re thinking forwards in a market

Design & style

Duttons production quality is a ‘massive fit’ for Contemporary Life

43from The Stocklists January 2008

where too many manufacturers are thinking backwards”

The development of theretail network will be a keyissue. Contemporary Life has launched a comprehensive P.R. campaignwhich will build brand awareness and desire in the minds ofconsumers right across the U.K. Features are set to appear in glossymagazines, internet sites and broadsheet newspapers. The message ofstyle, quality and environmental responsibility is continually beingemitted and consumer enquiries are being directed into the retailnetwork on a regular basis.

“The independent retailer will be very important to us.We need anational network of retailers who are looking for an exclusivity edgeand are passionate about the product,” says Steve.

The network is to be called Contemporary 400 – that’s the numberof retailers Tollgate is looking for to carry the exclusivity of the brand.The company is recruiting now and expects to finalise the list by theend of February.

“2008 is going to be a critically important year for us,” says SteveEvans. “We’re thinking forwards in a market where too manymanufacturers are thinking backwards.The coming year will provewhether we have got it right!”

Special feature by David Spragg

Contemporary Life and Textiles are a new company that specialise in Marketing,

Sales, P.R. and Information Communication Technology.

The chosen manufacturer is Dutton Carpets – the third biggest volume

manufacturer in the UK, producing up to eight million square metres of flooring

from its Blackburn plant every year under contract for many of the leading

names in the business.

The team starting ‘walking out’ quite literally in Harrogate 2006. “Steve and I

were walking around the floor show looking for something new and fresh” says

John Wright, MD of Duttons.

“There was nothing evident, particularly in the twist area and once again no one

seemed to be doing anything that was genuinely new”, he said.

Steve takes up the story: “We knew we could do better and do something

different. I had ideas for the type of range I wanted to launch and I knew that

Contemporary Life had the resource and understanding of service to make it

happen. It seemed like a dream, a perfect fit for all three parties.”

Tollgate will continue to increase their market share in the bespoke area, but the

main broadloom thrust is through Contemporary Life which has designs on a

new approach to interiors – starting with carpets and with the Contemporary

Style range launched in December.

See the Contemporary Life recruitment advert on the inside back cover of this issue.

44

News


Delivering carpets from leading manufacturers such asCavalier Carpets, Ulster Carpets and numerous otherreputable suppliers,Transfloor has forged a strongreputation for high levels of service and the latestdevelopment for the specialised service looks set toraise the bar once again with a new Colchesterdistribution facility.

Adding to Transfloor’s existing central distribution facilityin Blackburn, Lancashire, the Colchester site will allowTransfloor to develop its high levels of servicethroughout the south of England, helping manufacturersto meet the time pressured demands of contractorsand retailers.

With six dedicated vehicles operating from the newfacility, carpets for the south of England will betransported to Colchester from Blackburn on anovernight trunk, before being distributed throughout theregion on vehicles specially adapted for carpet delivery.

Transfloor’s reputation has been built not only on 98%of all carpets arriving at their destination within fiveworking days of receipt at the Blackburn hub, but alsoby the manner in which they arrive, as Steve Makin,General Manager explains:

“For manufacturers, retailers and contractors, the delivery of carpet has always raised several issues.With the conception ofTransfloor we set out to eliminate such worries as carpet arriving in poor condition, or after the anticipated delivery date andwith it improve the confidence levels of end users.The Colchester site achieves this aim by providing the expertise of trainedoperatives and a specialised delivery service that is totally dedicated to carpet.”

Transfloor boosts southern service

““Monthly feature

How would you describe current markets conditions now,compared to a year ago?Market conditions have been difficult for most retailers / suppliers comparedto last year. Rising interest rates and consumer debt levels mean people’sdisposable income has quickly become eroded.

However if you have the correct business strategy and apply good customerservice and a strong work ethic then you can take market share.

What’s the key market issue/challenge today?

The lack of youth that the Industry attracts.We are all getting older and weas a business need to train, nurture and encourage young people to enterour industry.

We also need to make our products more sexy through improved display toappeal to the consumer.

What will change most in the next 5 years?A very difficult question as I don’t have a crystal ball but consolidation in thesupply chain is a probability.

In all your time in the trade, what has most surprised you?Not a lot surprises me anymore but if a market trend / issue comes alongthen you have to react very quickly to ensure you stay ahead of the game orlose market share.

What’s the best business decision you ever made?The last one I made is the best one! You must believe in your decisions oryou wouldn’t make any, I strongly believe that you can never look back -only look forward.The glass must always be half full.

What is your favourite flooring product?I like most types of flooring as I have real wood, laminate and carpet indifferent rooms at home, Although the next time we decorate or move Iwould think we would move more back to carpet than hard floorings.

What is the best part of your job?I enjoy listening to people as everybody has great ideas and there isn’t a daygoes by that I don’t find something stimulating that creates a thoughtprocess which leads to an idea.

I am very fortunate to be involved in all the commercial aspects of runningthe business and one morning I can be selling product to our customers, thenext preparing for meetings, presentations, or helping to bring our productsto market and generally working with my colleagues.

But as a general rule I get great ‘Satisfaction’ from taking a product, bringingit to life and watching it evolve into a best seller.

Which company in the trade most impresses you?A leading question. I have a lot of respect for those business that have stoodthe test of time as to do this they have to continually adapt themselves toan ever changing market place,

This can only be achieved by good vision and a management team thatembraces change,We at Furlong Flooring are continually looking at ways tore-invent ourselves as and when required.

Who has been your biggest influence in business?I have been very fortunate to have had some excellent advice from so manypeople down the years that it would be unfair to list them all in case Iomitted anyone in error as they have all contributed to making me thebusinessman that I am,

Who would you most want to swap places with for a week?The great Nat Lofthouse when he lifted the FA Cup for Bolton Wanderersin the 1958 FA Cup Final.

Would you advise a member of your family to come into theflooring industry?Yes - without question. I have worked in the industry for 29 years and haveenjoyed every minute. My 18-year-old son is in a sales role in the industryand my wife used to work for a small local manufacturer some years ago asa tufting operative.

VoiceOF THE TRADE

We are all getting older and thetrade lacks youth. We need totrain, nurture and encourageyoung people to enter the industry.

Neil Valentine of Furlong Flooring

Age: 45Job Title: Northern Sales DirectorYears with present company: 11Years in flooring industry: 29Main non-business activity/hobby:A keen supporter of Bolton Wanderers and a collector offootball memorabilia


I have a lot of respect for thosebusinesses that have stood the testof time. They have to continuallyadapt themselves and this canonly be achieved by good vision.


BajongC A R P E T S

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Hall 6 - Stand E42Lesley Inman

07703 337989

Hall 4 - Stand A21Ivan Dekeyser

0044 1924 262525

Hall 6 - Stand C46Richard Comboy07973 765883

Hall 6 - Stand G60/G61Alan Russell

07976 433269

Hall 6Stand A30

Hall 17 - Stand D48Jeremy Nichols

Hall 4 - Stand C14Alan Jones Bratt07786 708362

Hall 5 - Stand F36Richard Poole07880 724711

Hall 3 - Stand B63Klaus Steimann

+49 511 89 597014

DOMOTEX 20081,400 exhibitors set to show

The flagship event for the worldwide floor coverings industry continues togrow by leaps and bounds: Domotext Hannover 2008 is already set to

exceed all the figures for 2007. Deutsche Messe, the organizer ofDomotex, is expecting some 1,400 exhibitors to take part when the gatesopen on the next show from 12 to 15 January 2008.This compares very

favorably with this year's total of 1,336 exhibitors, while total standbookings are up to 94,000 sqm (from 91,757 sqm in 2007).

But it's not just the exhibitors who make Domotex such a cosmopolitanevent:The 2007 show attracted 44,000 trade visitors in all, with well overhalf that number - 26,000 - coming from more than 80 different nations.

A similar visitor turnout is expected in 2008.

It’s about 10 times the size of the UK national show in Harrogate.

Hall 3 - Stand A32Ian Hammond07768 404861


Check it out at WNZ

A newly revised and enlivened Fascination styled by top designer Ulf Moritz will be shown atDomotex.The collection will include 22 carpet products in over 450 colours with 13completely new styles.The proportion of Vorwerk sales in export markets has now passedone quarter of sales revenue and further expansion is planned.

Fantastic or simply Fabula.The revival of the flokati carpet is called shaggy these days. AtVorwerk, it has taken its most popular shape in the form of Fabula (pictured above) madefrom 100% polyamide.This carpet’s impressive look is marked by a refined mixture of short,thick threads designed in one matt plain colour, and extremely thin but long, glossy threadscreated in two colours.With a total of 9 colours, the world of colours for the home has adiscreetly playful appearance that matches this unusual and extraordinary carpet.

Vorwork – Hall 3 - Stand A32

New fascination from Vorwerk

A European-wide audience makes the Domotex fair in Hannover, Germany the perfectplatform for Lano Carpets to launch new innovations designed to meet the specific needsof consumers and commercial users alike.This year’s exhibition will reveal several newadditions to Lano Carpets comprehensive portfolio of carpet solutions, alongside therejuvenation of Mayfair Velvet (pictured right).

Mayfair Velvet is a luxury 100% New Zealand range aimed at the top end of the marketand is one of the only velvet texture carpets currently available to have a no pile reversalguarantee, ensuring high performance and striking aesthetics. Lano Carpets will reveal never-been-seen-before colours to an eager audience to this range that is available in both fourand five-metre widths.

Venice Wilton, in 5 designs, each available in 5 colour ways, this is sure to get pulses racing.The Venice collection continues the resurging popularity of Wilton designs in the marketplace, symbolising the true quality and high-end nature of this carpet style.

Lano – Hall 5 - Stand E18

Lano lay on the velvet

Burmatex shows ‘any way’Darren Clanford, head of design at Burmatex and Ryalux, tells The Stocklistsabout their plans for Domotex this year: “Our stand, Hall 4 - A21, willincorporate both retail and contract brands, Ryalux and Burmatex.

“Burmatex will show new products zip, code, vibe, spin, alongside lateral®

and axis, as well as previewing our ‘any way’ design collection.

“Zip and code are the next generation of Burmatex’s award-winningstructure bonded product, lateral® which uses an innovative mix of threetextures to sophisticated effect.The collection encourages the quirkycolours and subtle textures of lateral® zip and code to be combined for astylish, defined look.

“Cut pile tufted tile axis is a dense twist carpet tile that brings acontemporary slant to a classic style. Reborn following overwhelmingdemand from the contract flooring industry, axis has been given a vibrantnew colour palette that reflects the acid brights of zip and code, and theearthy tones of vibe and spin.Vibes 18 colours have been mirrored in spin.

Ryalux & Burmatex Hall 4 - Stand A21.

The Wools of New Zealand stand carpet at Domotex 2008 has been made by the highquality Swiss manufacturer Tisca Tiara.

Following the resounding success of the Check 4 Stripes Woven Collection (pictured right)– winner of the Wools of New Zealand Carpet Innovation Award 2007 – Tisca Tiara,renowned for top quality, innovative and timeless designs, have introduced this new stripedcheck into the collection. Re-coloured to shades from the 2008 Wools of New ZealandColour Forecast The Colour of Wine, the new look checked carpet is set to reap high praise.

The 100% New Zealand wool carpet also qualifies for the Contractwool™ brand –awarded to carpets that meet the stringent tests laid down by Wools of New Zealandrequired for contract locations.

Wools of New Zealand – Hall 3 - Stand B63. Tisca Tiara – Hall 4 - Stand C14

DOMOTEX 2008


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The huge diversity of product choices available to UK consumers within theinterior design sector has made it increasingly difficult to predict trends inrecent years.

This is further illustrated in the flooring industry, with consumers now ableto choose between many types of carpet, laminate, solid and engineeredwood, vinyl, tile and various types of stone to cover their floors. It wastherefore interesting to note that a number of exhibitors at the NationalFloor Show last September had introduced new or updated additions totheir saxony collections.

Speculation on the reasons for this ranged from the strength of the poundagainst the dollar – encouraging importers to increase business with themany American manufacturers of saxony – to a growing need for a moreluxurious feel in the home to combat increasingly gloomy announcementsand predictions within global media.

Tim Brown, marketing manager at Ryalux, was particularly forthcoming: ‘2007was the year of glamorous carpets, with class, elegance and colour becomingkey. And as we enter 2008, consumers are demanding carpets that are ontrend, luxurious and practical. It’s no surprise, therefore, that saxony carpetsare enjoying a come-back.

‘Saxony carpets have a smooth, level finish with a thicker pile than normaltwists. Luxuriously velvety, they are also renowned for their durability andbring unrivalled comfort, quality and practicality to the home.’

Ryalux has recently relaunched its Ryasax collection, with a new colour bankinspired by Claude Monet’s water lily paintings. It is made from 100% NewZealand Drysdale wool.

‘Wool is ideal for a busy home, as it is warm, inherently anti-static and flameretardant,’ says Brown. ‘What’s more, in this era of eco-sensitivity it isimportant to remember that wool is a naturally grown product and arenewable resource.

‘The dominance of neutrals in the home is beginning to wane: first, thisnatural colour palette is starting to widen from beiges to polar whites,dreamy greens and rich taupes. Sales of opulent purples, greys and blackshave also surged in line with home interest magazines and TV programmesfocusing on colour throughout the home. All of these colours look stunningin a saxony carpet and colour clarity is of increasing importance.’

The collection is in the three qualities of Super, Supreme and Luxury and canalso be produced in the colour of the customer’s choice, in addition to the20 standard colours.

‘Ryasax is also one of the many ranges to benefit from Ryalux’s unique extra-wide service,’ Brown continues. ‘Carpets can be supplied in any width up to7m, which eliminates waste and ensures that larger rooms can have acompletely seamless installation. As part of Ryalux’s service initiative, we canalso offer a special delivery service for extra wide carpets – direct to site.’

Another major UK manufacturer adding to its saxony offering is CormarCarpets, which has expanded its Primo portfolio of practical carpets. PrimoSaxony is a luxurious 55oz, 1/8 gauge carpet produced with a thicker yarnand deeper twist pile and comes in a choice of 12 contemporary cappuccinocolours such as Éclair, Double Cream and Treacle.

A sister range to the hassle-free floorcoverings of Primo and PrimoHeathers, it is also made with the same easy clean, polypropylene-basedfibre, Excellon, that makes it dirt and stain resistant and bleach cleanable. It issuitable for any room in the home, including bedrooms, and is available in 4and 5m metre widths. It has a retail price of £21 per sqm.

Says Cormar’s marketing director, David Cormack: ‘Both Primo and PrimoHeathers have been great successes for us as they are carpets that are easyto live with, simple to clean and tremendous value-for-money. It seemed theobvious next step to introduce a heavier weight version to give customerseven greater choice.

‘Introducing Primo Saxony has proved to be a wise move, taking what wasalready a winning formula a step up with a heavyweight 55oz carpet.Customers have responded well to the new, luxurious carpet, which looksand feels superb, yet retains the easy-clean properties of Excellon, thepolypropylene we use in the Primo family.

‘We’re ensuring that all our retailers know about the advantages of PrimoSaxony through sample and pattern books and, of course, our newdisplay stands.’

Polypropylene is also the fibre of choice for Belgian manufacturer Lano’srange of saxony.The company offers Havana as a shagpile with a choiceof seven natural colours in a 4m width and two ply construction. Its100% polypropylene construction provides ease of maintenance andstain-free properties.

Feathering The Nest

Flower on FlooringFlower on Flooring

Saxony is new to the Cormar Primo Range Havana shagpile by Lano Ryasax Collection by Ryalux

by Dennis Flower

The Stocklists is delighted to welcome Dennis Flower, former

editor of Carpet & Floorcovering Review,to our editorial team to write a

monthly column on industry topics

The British Wool column

Carpet of Kidderminster introduce Natural Elegance Natural Elegance from Carpets of Kidderminster is a highly sophisticated range ofcarpets styled to satisfy the most discerning requirements of elegant taste.

Seven plain colours and seven heather colours have been carefully selected to givea classical range of shades across the brown to beige to cream to off-whitespectrum.The marketing of this product range has had serious consideration. It isaimed at the luxury market and the marketing imagery has an almost stately styleof quiet discernment about it. At 65 oz per sq yard, it is certainly a quality purchasebut it is marketed at a very affordable price.The new displays and apron POS hasbeen created with the assistance of the BWMB marketing design team and featurea very stylish ‘fine art’ look.

Carpets of Kidderminster have spent the last twelve months developing thisproduct and it will be their first new retail range since 2006.They have a longhistory of choosing very good quality wool for their carpets.

British Wool is a core fibre of this range bringing to the floor, the resilience anddurability that Carpets of Kidderminster consider to be more important thansaving money by using less expensive pile yarns. Roger Rowe of Carpets ofKidderminster commented; “This is very much a quality standard carpet for the topend of the market.We have not compromised the product in any way and it willbe a great addition to the Carpets of Kidderminster ranges and a true reflection ofour high standards.

“We are aiming to appeal to the consumer who wants to feel thatthey are treating themselves to something a little special and we feelconfident that this product will appeal to that market very well.”

Natural Elegance is available in both 4 and 5 metre widths and carpet samples arewith representatives now and will shortly be on display in selected prime outlets.

Eco-Drive for British Wool The rise of the environment up the government agenda is generally considered to be a positive thing for the wooltextile industry but the need to back up your ‘green’ credentials is also growing at a rapid rate.

The Advertising Standards Agency has recently confirmed that there is a need to question the validity of organisationsthat make unsupportable eco-claims within their brand marketing campaigns.

“The industry needs a full Life Cycle Analysis to give valuable information to all those involved within the carpetindustry from wool merchants and scourers to yarn spinners, dyers and manufacturers,” explained Richard Poole,European Business Manager at the BWMB.

“The environment trend is growing at a fast pace and the Government’s green agenda is not goingto go away.Whilst wool is a natural fibre, the processing of wool into carpet is a long road whichneeds analysing to give a full picture and anappropriate eco-standard.”

“The speed at which the environment has made itsappearance felt is something we have to be aware ofand we must ensure that the wool carpet industry isready for any forthcoming eco regulations.”

Carpets of Kidderminster launch new range in British Wool.

An Ideal Home for promotionBritish Wool will feature in Britain’s best selling homes magazine in February (onsale in January). A double page feature with stunning contemporary imagery willbring the benefits of British Wool carpet as a floor covering to the attention of IdealHome’s 1,015,000 readership.

“We wanted to showcase British Wool in a contemporary way and theimages have a very clean look which reflects the continuing trend forunderstated shades and natural interiors,” said Bridgette Kelly, Press and PR Manager at British Wool.

The textile industry needs anenvironmental study of wool carpet.

Richard Poole of the BWMB.


News


i2k launches powerful online portal

Each and every one of i2k’s striking examples of rug design inspirationcan now be found on-line at www.i2kltd.com.

Since its inception in 2000, i2k has revolutionised the way retailersand consumers think about contemporary rugs, delivering hundredsof inspired designs in the finest materials available and it is now raisingthe bar with its enhanced on-line presence.

Totally revamped and refreshed, www.i2kltd.com immerses theinterested retailer and consumer in a world were the creations of in-house designer Ron Brinkers come to life before their very eyes.

Designed as beautifully as its rugs, i2K’s website is a haven of simplicityallowing users to browse through its superb collection using simpleroll over navigation that first reveals the ethos behind the rangebefore unveiling each design in high-resolution glory. And when thetime comes for more information, an FAQ section and contact uspage will put inquisitive minds to rest.

From the exquisite chain-stitch construction of Kashmir to the naturalbeauty of Hemp and Hemp2, www.i2kltd.com reflects the grace and elegance of each rangewith an interactive experience that portrays the quality one has come to expect from theUK’s leading manufacturer of contemporary rugs.

With every design, shape and size available at a click of a mouse, retailers can be sure todeliver consumer accurate and informed details of the options available, and with a customerservice focused strategy of minimising lead times, i2k offers a 24 hour delivery courierservice as standard, ensuring retailers deliver customers an unrivalled choice of striking rugcreations backed by 21st century service.

A review ofthe Year2007 was a momentousyear for the CarpetFoundation.

It became only the sixthorganisation in the country tohave an Office of Fair Tradingapproved Consumer Code ofPractice; launched a brandnew £500,000 pressadvertising campaign featuringreal retailers which has beenthe most successful campaignto date with individual visitorsto our website up 12% yearon year; introduced a newmonitoring process theresults of which are superb;secured extensive nationaland consumer pr coverage onTV, radio and in newspapersand magazines which wasworth in excess of £1million.

The Carpet Foundation in Focus

Happy New YearThe Carpet Foundation wouldlike to thank all their members,manufacturers and retailers, andfield sales force representativesfor all their help and support andwe look forward to working withyou in 2008.

Membership With the code still bedding in, retail membership stands at 1040.

2007 saw the Carpet Foundation serve notice on 30 retailers who were unable tosign up to the code while a further 29 retailers either closed down, retired or nolonger sell carpet and 14 resigned.

Pleasingly, there were 30 new joiners.

Online Marketing Campaign In November, the Carpet Foundation undertook an onlinemarketing test designed to increase traffic to the CF websiteand increase the number of retailer searches.The pilot involvedgoogle pay per click advertising and display advertising onlarger home furnishing portals such as IPc’ housetohome.

The response was phenomenal.The CF’s online advertisements wereviewed almost 1 million times by UK consumers while daily visits to thewebsite increased by 400%.The Google pay per click activity generated7,926 site visits in November with one third of visitors going on to lookfor their nearest Registered Specialist.

A further project is planned for early in 2008 and onlinemarketing activity is set to play an increasingly important partin the CF’s marketing activity.



John PattonGreendale Carpets and Floorings LtdGreendale House, Whitestone Business Park,Whitestone, Hereford, HR1 3SE.Tel: 01432 852000 Fax: 01432 852005

Apart from access to an ever-increasing range ofconsumer acceptable carpet and floorcoverings,becoming a member of the Group provides many profitable advantages:

A product portfolio second to none

Real stockholding

Exclusivity - Greendale branded products

Margin protection

Marketing and merchandising support

Access to financial services

Regular members meetings

Dedicated management team

Dedicated sales office and warehousepersonnel

If becoming a member interests youplease contact:

Providing real benefits for members...

54

News


Underlay manufacturer and distributor, Ratcliffe’s, are streamlining their businessfrom the start of 2008 in order to concentrate on the sale of Foxi rug underlayand crumb rubber combination underlays.

They have collaborated with friendly rivals Anglo Felts to ensure that customers fortheir range of contract felt underlays, which they will cease to manufacture, willcontinue to receive the level of quality and service that they have been accustomedto. Anglo have built up a new manufacturing line and are ready for the changeover.

Richard Ratcliffe said “All customers affected will be made aware of the detail, weare very confident that Anglo will not let anyone down.We will now have the timeto concentrate on the other products in our range, including Foxi which remains apopular choice as an anti-slip underlay and rug support.”

Anglo’s Managing Director, Simon Macaulay, is pleased with the developments.He said, “Felt manufacturers have plenty to offer, not least the minimal carbonfootprint compared with some other underlay types.We are pleased to have thisopportunity to service Ratcliffe’s customers and we look forward to newopportunities in 2008.”

Both companies retain completely separate identities, but will work closely over thenext few weeks to ensure a seamless transition.The photograph shows Peter(right) and Richard Ratcliffe demonstrating the anti-slip properties of the Foxi rugunderlay, here hanging unaided on the office wall.

Cunning Foxi plan

Floorwise is turning up the heat even further with its range ofaluminium profiles that includes the legendary and virtuallyindestructible Max Metal range alongside the Classic Metal range for lessintense applications - and the stunning collection of stick-down WoodFloor Profiles.

As the upwards cost of raw aluminium places increasing pressure andcauses others manufacturers to reduce the amount of metal in theirproducts, Floorwise is delivering more weight per profile.

By using aluminium for numerous products in its profiles, Floorwise canreap all the benefits of double polishing for a beautiful finish, oranodising to give a finish that protects and resists scratching thanks to asuper hard surface.

Floorwise exhibits the same ethos that it applies to metal on anodisingtoo, making it thicker to improve durability. Available in Simbrass and thehighly polished looking SupaChrome and SupaBrass, the anodisedfinishes on the Max Metal and Classic ranges enhance durability andensure a stunning finish.

When it comes to the Wood Floor Profile Range, the Stick & Gocollection can reduce installation times by up to 80%, but still retainingthe maximum quality approach of other profiles in the range.

More metal for your money


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