Flooring Magazine Apr/May 2022

April / May 2022

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

OVER 200 STORES

SERVING LOCAL AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES

Flooring Magazine is now on: @flooringmagazineaustralia @flooringmagazine @flooringmagazine

Contents

3

vol 40 no 2

News

Editor’s Note

4

ARFA secures funding for recycling scheme

Company Profile 12

Carpet Court

Waterproofing 14

Strength from within

Training 16

FCIA – Working for industry

Spotlight On 18

Andresens Lismore – Flood Support

Welcome to the April / May 2022 issue of Flooring Magazine. Inside this issue you will find our annual Australian Made feature where we take a look at the rise in demand for locally made and grown goods by businesses and consumers alike. The team at the Australian Made Campaign explain the importance for producers to market their products with prominent country-of-origin branding and we feature some of our proudly Australian businesses, products and producers.

Our Company Profile this month is on Carpet Court Australia, one of the largest and most experienced specialist floor covering and window furnishing store networks in Australia. Read our profile on page 12 to lean how from ambitious beginnings the Brand has grown to be known in the industry as, serious about flooring.

Please feel free to contact me directly regarding any industry news or product information by email at – michelle@ elitepublishing.com.au

Feature 24

Australian Made

Don’t forget to join our growing online community and visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

Technical Bulletin 38

Until next time, enjoy your read.

Scalping and dig-ins

Safety

Michelle Cammiade

44

Editor

Enhancing carpark safety

Flooring Magazine is on: @flooringmagazineaustralia

Front Cover Carpet Court www.carpetcourt.com.au

@flooringmagazine @flooringmagazine

Flooring April/May 2022

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News

4

ARFA secures funding for recycling scheme The Australian Resilient Flooring Association (ARFA), an industry association representing companies in the resilient flooring industry, works to advance and protect the interests of the industry is actively engaging in the development of suitable skills training initiatives for the sector, industry data collection, standards development, and industry sustainability was recently awarded $1 million by the Commonwealth Government through the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund (NPSIF) to develop a recycling scheme for resilient flooring.

Having already invested $15.5 million in 21 projects, the NPSIF aims to increase the number of industry-led product stewardship schemes in Australia and increase the recycling rates of existing schemes.

ARFA’s one-year ResiLoop project is a key component of their sustainability strategy. It involves the design, development, and trial of a potential product stewardship scheme for resilient flooring products, which are used in residential and commercial construction.

Ultimately, it is hoped to roll-out a commercially viable scheme nationally for resilient floor coverings.

Every year, Australia sells around 22.3 million sqm or 95,000 tonnes of these products, including 10 million sqm supplied

by ARFA members. These products include vinyl planks made to mimic wood flooring and vinyl sheets used in medical settings.

by creating new collaboration between competitors, the entire supply chain and wider industry. Economically, it will stimulate innovation and job opportunities, while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel resources by using post-consumer material.

Due to be completed by March 31st 2023, the project comprises three stages. The first stage will focus on identifying, developing, and trialing technical solutions to reuse and recycle resilient flooring. Secondly, the reverse logistics process will be created to capture material prior to reprocessing.

Finally, the creation of a supply chain model and business case will pave the way for a plan to roll-out a national scheme for the Australian resilient flooring sector.

ARFA President, Dan Lovell comments: “As the peak association, we are excited to be actively building an industry-led stewardship solution. End of life solutions through product stewardship that engage stakeholders across supply chains, installation businesses and waste management, will not only address the landfill impact but create a circularity mindset that will be welcomed across the marketplace. This funding opportunity provides ARFA with the impetus to establish a national recycling scheme for resilient flooring products and drive future innovation, jobs, and growth for our industry.”

ARFA says their product stewardship scheme aims to deliver both wider community benefit and specific value across the industry

Flooring April/May 2022

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The all new leaf sample display stand.

Godfrey Hirst’s all-new Floor (island) leaf displays have been designed to create aesthetically pleasing, low-line isle s on the shop floor.

Complimenting the wall stands, the leaf displays create an elevated shopping experience.

4X BR AND OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM

3150MM ( W ) 1610MM (H) 10 6 0MM (D)

42 X A3 LE AF MA X .

(PER 1M BAY )

UPDATABLE STAND HE ADER , PANEL AND STOR AGE GR APHICS

2 1 0 X A3 LEAF MAX. (5 BAY )

VALUED AT OVER $ 5000

SPECIAL OFFER $ 1500

* All prices are exclusive of GST. All orders will be supplied on Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd standard terms and conditions of sale. Stand images for illustrative purposes only - not actual product.

Contact your account manager to order yours today for immediate delivery.

www.godfreyhirst.com

Product Update

6

A natural step forward in flooring Bremworth is a premium rug and carpet company with manufacturing facilities in Auckland, Napier, and Whanganui. Guided by the purpose of finding a more sustainable way, Bremworth is on a transformational journey focused on helping consumers to bring more natural products into their homes and daily lives.

•

•

• Their choice of fibre is New Zealand wool.

60+ years of experience has taught them that wool is not only 100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable, but it is also a brilliant fibre for design innovation and overall performance on the floor.

Six reasons to embrace wool • Natural odour control: Unlike synthetic fibre, the unique wicking properties of wool can resist odours and help control moisture.

• Hypo-allergenic genius: Wool fibres are not linked to allergic reactions.

• Fire safety first: Wool is naturally fire retardant, it’s hard to ignite, slow to burn and is self-extinguishing.

Natural insulator: Wool carpet naturally improves a room's warmth and acoustics, helping your home stay quieter and cosier.

Modern family proof: Naturally durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean, wool carpets work hard for whatever modern life throws at them.

100% renewable: Wool fibres are 100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable meaning that they are able to regrow and replace.

Customisable rugs Bremworth allows you to fully personalise your rug by choosing the style, colour, size, shape, and edging that will best suit your interior.

For example, hallways can benefit from a functional, hard-wearing, low-level pile rug to dampen the sounds of this high-traffic area in your home. For the bedroom, there is nothing quite like stepping onto a luxurious wool rug in the morning. Textural, soft, high pile felted wool rugs naturally help create a bedroom that feels like a sanctuary to retreat to.

The lounge is the heart of a home which would benefit from a textural, high-pile wool rug to bring beauty and warmth. In contrast, placing a durable, hard-wearing wool rug under your dining table can define the space in an open-plan room and complement your hard-flooring.

This is all made easy with Bremworth’s ‘Shop

by Room’ feature that selects the perfect rugs for your hallway, dining room, living room or bedroom for you.

Bremworth has the perfect solution to naturally soften and elevate your home interior. If you want a beautifully crafted carpet or rug, start your journey with Bremworth by ordering your three free samples from their website today. www.bremworth.com.au

Flooring April/May 2022

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TRUST YOUR N AT U R A L INSTINCTS bremworth.com.au

Product Update

8

Step it up with a show-stopping timber staircase A great-looking staircase does more than connect the different levels of your home – it can add warmth and interest and create a real focal point in your interior.

specially heat- and moisture-treated to suit our tough climatic conditions.

And engineered timber works brilliantly on stairs. Its multi-layered construction allows you customise the finer details, such as stair edging, to create a unique look. The trims are seamless, which means there are no unsightly edges. And once your stairs and floors are installed, they are ready to go – no follow-up trades required.

A timber stairway that flows seamlessly from the wood flooring in your hallway and living spaces has long been the top pick for Australian architects and homeowners. It is easy to see why; timber is beautiful and hardwearing and brings a natural feel to interiors that homeowners love and extending it from your floors to your stairs creates a wonderfully harmonious look.

While solid timber stairs can be costly and awkward to install, as well as requiring you to purchase and install your stairs and timber floors separately, brands such as Kustom Timber provide a one-stop solution so there’s minimal hassle and fuss.

Kustom Timber are engineered timber specialists, with a service offering that includes flooring supply and manufacture of premium European oak flooring, installation, maintenance, and aftercare.

Kustom Timber can install both your floors and stairs, speeding up the installation process and saving you the trouble of organising separate trades. And unlike many other suppliers in the sector, your stairs will be from same timber batch as your floors, creating a completely seamless look in your home.

But Kustom Timber’s offerings do not end there. Already have timber floors in place. No problem: they can custom colour match your new stairs to your existing floor for a cohesive look, with finishes that range from matt to high gloss. Or, if you cannot bear the stains or yellow tinge on your existing floorboards, they can bring them up-to-date and looking their best with professional, dustless sanders, or coat them to match the colour and finishes in your home.

Engineered timber is the go-to-choice for architects and designers today as it offers several advantages over solid timber. It looks the same as solid wood, but it is more durable, stable and low-maintenance, generally quicker and easier to install, and there is no on-site sanding and staining required. The engineered timber boards at Kustom Timber are also

Flooring April/May 2022

It is safer too; Kustom Timbers stairs are nonslip rated, minimising the risk of trips or falls.

The brand also uses non-toxic, water-based and low-VOC finishes to help you create a healthy home, with no nasty fumes.

Once you have chosen your Kustom Timber stair colour, the straightforward installation process involves a site visit to measure the existing stairs to installed over or the location of your new staircase, after which calculations are sent off to manufacturing. When ready, your new stair boards are delivered to your home with glue and materials ready for installation. Kustom Timber will install and customise your stair boards on-site for a clean, tight, and seamless look.

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Product Update

9

Sweep up a new leaf sample display system this Autumn For the first time in decades, there is a new, cost effective and more sustainable way to display carpet sampling in Australia, with more and more stores installing new leaf displays and seeing the benefits. Godfrey Hirst now offers two innovative new leaf sample display systems for their core carpet brands; Godfrey Hirst, Hycraft, Feltex and Redbook.

Wall Leaf Display Introduced in late 2020, the carpet leaf wall display stand measures 6000mm in length x 530mm in depth x 2200mm in height.

Consisting of five x 1m metre wide modular bays, the stand showcases up to 39 x A3 sized leaf carpet samples per bay, for a total of 195 SKUs. There are 2 storage pillars at half a metre wide, housing duplicate slip book sets to be lent out to customers.

Overall, the leaf wall stand provides a significant presence of approx. 15 products in a very compact 3.2m2 footprint. But it’s the way the samples are presented that really sets this user-friendly configuration apart from traditional displays. All samples are brightly lit from the top and bottom using

low energy, high lumen LED strip lighting that was carefully designed to accentuate the texture of the carpet and creates a shadowless finish. Products are easily replaced and added over time by Godfrey Hirst and Feltex Carpets Account Managers and Merchandisers that operate nationally.

The eye-level angle of all product ranges within a category facilitates greater customer engagement with the irreplicable tactility of touching and feeling a carpet instore. Stores and customers alike have complimented how quick and easy it is to assess the entire product range. The stand offers a much simpler way to find the right carpet that’s fit for purpose, style, and budget.

Samples are delivered with master names and merchandised in a good, better, best configuration so salespersons can up-sell and demonstrate value to meet the customer’s needs.

From a promotional perspective, all stand signage can be interchanged and updated easily with magnetic signs. These are perfect for announcing limited time campaigns and promotions to draw end customers in. Atop the central bay, an HD screen displays video content and imagery that is connected via store Wi-Fi and updated by Godfrey Hirst head office. This means it is always up to date with the latest promotions throughout the year, such as free Apple Watches with triexta carpets and interior design vouchers with wool. The HD screens also cater for general branding and how-to videos, plus any local store messaging and content. The stand is constructed with lasting quality in mind, made from a powder coated pressed metal finish in a crisp white to really make the sample colours pop.

Above: Feltex Wall Display at the Godfrey Hirst Retail Lab, South Geelong Flooring April/May 2022

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Product Update

10

Valued at over $10,500 including the stand hardware, product sampling, delivery and professional installation, stores are treated to a significantly subsidised purchase price of just $3,000 + GST. As John Harrison, Marketing Manager of Godfrey Hirst puts it, “We remain very keen to support stores that show support for our core brands and master product names. In hundreds of stores, we’ve carved out a win-win, simplified end customer journey from online research to instore purchase”. Proud new stand owners also receive free leaf sampling for their stands (recolours and new products) for 12 months from their purchase date.

The finished stand package measures just 3150mm wide x 1610mm high x 1060mm deep and carries 195 SKUs of A3 sized leaf sampling. That is 15 triexta or synthetic products in just 4.3m2 of floorspace.

Floor island leaf display Fresh for 2022, Godfrey Hirst has launched the all-new Floor island leaf displays.

Designed to create aesthetically pleasing short isles on the shopfloor, these cost effective and high impact stands are selling fast. They are designed to house every respective triexta and synthetic product release from Godfrey Hirst and Feltex (Redbook) in a neat 5 bay, back-to-back system with end cap and storage pillars.

Representing a total value of $5,000, Godfrey Hirst is again subsidising and offering these for just $1,500 + GST including all sampling and delivery and free sample updates (new product and product recolours) for the first 12 months.

Complimenting the wall stands with a matching, high quality pressed metal finish and curved lines, these stands work tremendously together to create an elevated shopping experience. Again, the backup slip book sample sets are housed in miniature storage pillars, with products, promotional headers, and graphics easily interchangeable.

Why make the switch?

Despite an undeniably attractive setup and compelling offer, making the switch to leaf stands wasn’t easy for some - at first.

Above: Redbook green Floor/Island Display at the Godfrey Hirst Retail Lab, South Geelong Flooring April/May 2022

Godfrey Hirst recognised it’s very human for customers to want to see interior finishes in the largest size available. The larger the area of texture and colour we can see, the easier we tend to visualise this within in our space. But they challenged themselves and stores to ask, at what cost?

In the 2020s, amidst a digital age of online product visualisation, Godfrey Hirst has reassessed the sample size to reach what they believe is the sweet spot; A3 leaf samples.

Space hogging, expensive and resource heavy large samples are replaced with handheld, floorspace saving, cost-effective A3 leaf samples that use an astonishing 80% less material to produce than traditional alternatives, with cost savings that are passed to stores upfront, with ongoing environmental and financial savings over time.

Before launch, Godfrey Hirst trialled and tested the wall and floor stand prototypes instore over many months. Using motion sensor video detection, they fastidiously recorded customer interaction with the new displays compared with traditional sampling.

Godfrey Hirst Merchandising Manager Joe Horvat said, “We assessed prompted and unprompted salesperson interactions and the results were clear. Customers were drawn to the upright, well ordered leaf samples three times as often as traditional stands.

Plus, the traditional sampling interactions were predominantly prompted by the retail salesperson. Likely from existing habits.”

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Product Update

Whilst Godfrey Hirst will continue to give stores the option of sample size, they hope the decision to transition across to leaves becomes an easy and logical one for stores.

the pandemic causing some rolling store closures. Smart retail proprietors have really seized the opportunity to increase their store presence during what was a buoyant year for residential flooring sales.”

It is no secret that every square metre of retail floorspace is valuable. Both the Wall and Floor Leaf display systems allow stores to display more product using less floorspace compared to traditional methods. More variety of colour and style, more customer choice and interior style expression at their fingertips? We all know what that means.

CBD store, Floorworld Geelong was an early adopter of both wall and island stands and haven’t looked back. Proprietor Ty Watts was real but positive; “Some of my staff were understandably sceptical at first. But our ability to merchandise the full wool collection in a smaller space on a neat, highend stand has led to better customer choice, easier comparison, and more sales - without a doubt”.

Godfrey Hirst Merchandising Manager Joe Horvat said, “We are proud to have installed wall stands in over 300 stores in 2021, despite

Working with one of Australia’s leading industrial point of sale designers to produce the displays that were some two years in the making.

Godfrey Hirst invites all stores to explore these new core branded display systems for their retail space. Simply get in touch with your account manager to view these stands in person and place your order for immediate delivery.

Company Profile

12

Dream it, Style it, Live it with Carpet Court Article by Philip Ashley Carpet Court Australia is the largest and one of the most experienced specialist floor covering and window furnishing store networks in Australia. With over 200 outlets nation-wide, Carpet Court has the size and reach to provide quality products and services to almost every household and business in the country.

Carpet Court understands that flooring and window treatments exist in the realm of interior design, and for every customer, this is a purchase that is both emotional and personal.

Design and trends play an increasingly important role in any flooring and window coverings purchase. Carpet Court delivers on their customer’s needs by engaging with their clients early in their purchase journey through advertising, and one of the most informative and engaging websites in the industry.

Eventually, Carpet Court customers will engage with one of 205 stores around the country, located in cities and regional areas across Australia. It is here that the backing and support from Carpet Court becomes apparent. James Hayward is CEO of Carpet Court. He said, “an incredibly large number of unique customers visit our website every month. We see the site as a dream-space where people can see what’s possible and be inspired. We provide all the tools our customers need to make an informed decision through our website and via catalogues, buying guides and professional design input from our style influencers.”

seaboard. The key driver was to leverage the purchasing power of the group to reduce overall purchase cost. The initial stores purchased across several categories including flooring, curtains, and a wide range of living and bedroom furniture.

Above: Carpet Court's CEO James Hayward Renowned style influencers including Heather Nette King and Darren Palmer team up with Carpet Court to ensure the latest trends and innovations are made available to their customers. In recent years the home has taken on a renewed importance in people’s lives and the style and quality of the lived-in environment has taken on a new significance.

James believes the industry is poised to go from strength to strength and Carpet Court, built on almost fifty years’ experience, will continue to be a key industry driver.

Ambitious beginnings Carpet Court Australia as it is known today started in 1973 as independent state-based buying groups, primarily on the eastern

In 1994 the Carpet Court alliance was formed with the state alliances agreeing to operate under one Carpet Court banner, moving away from furniture completely to focus on floor coverings. In 1999 Carpet Court Australia Limited was formed (with Southern and Northern regions) to support the state groups in national promotion, marketing, and product development.

In 2007 the northern and southern regions agreed to merge under the one trading entity headquartered in Melbourne Victoria. In 2016, Carpet Court reset its strategy to evolve from a buying group to a Merchandise and Marketing group. Carpet Court promotes the Carpet Court Brand and provides a range of services to members. The key goal is to increase the value of member businesses, creating win-win relationships with their core range suppliers that lead to significant benefits for the consumer.

Carpet Court is serious about flooring and window furnishings as a style element.

Flooring April/May 2022

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Company Profile

13 initiatives.” A brilliant example of Carpet Court’s commitment to the future is the re-use of material sourced from abandoned fishing nets in carpet. An estimated 164,000 metric tons of fishing gear is discarded in the oceans each year. Recovered fishing nets are used by some of the world’s top fashion labels to produce items such as sunglasses, bicycle accessories, footwear, and clothing.

One ton of nylon nets can create 26,000 socks or Carpet Court ECONYL® regenerated nylon carpet.

Committed to consumer and industry Over the last five decades, Carpet Court has demonstrated a strong commitment to the future of the Australian flooring industry.

They see themselves, along with other suppliers, as stewards of the industry and work to address current industry issues such as trades training, product sales knowledge, and environmental concerns such as sustainability, waste, landfill, and recycling.

like join the peak body as installation of flooring is an industry challenge to solve.

As an example of the FCIA’s commitment to the trades, they currently have around 157 apprentices in New South Wales alone, and many more apprentices across the country.

James sees industry training as a major concern for the flooring industry with flooring often (mistakenly) overlooked as a trade. “Delivering a great customer experience does not end when a contract is signed,” he says, “The professionalism and skills of our installers plays a big part of that experience, and so, our training programs, both at sales and trades levels are amongst our most important focus.” At Carpet Court a flooring specific training portal exists to support members’ product knowledge.

Carpet Court in the community Carpet Court is a company committed to the community and Corporate Social Responsibility. RizeUp Australia is a community-driven organisation dedicated to supporting families affected by domestic and family violence. RizeUp relies on donations of cash, goods, services and gift vouchers from the community, businesses, and organisations like Carpet Court. For Carpet Court, creating the perfect space starts from the floor up and literally dozens of stores Australia-wide make the effort to support this worthwhile institution, including an Easter drive this year to collect Easter goodies to distribute to all the little people living in refuge.

Carpet Court Australia supports the key Industry body called the Floor Covering Institute of Australia (FCIA), whose primary focus is to train apprentices in flooring.

There are many suppliers, retailers, manufacturers, commercial contractors, and flooring installers who are members of the FCIA. The hope of the FCIA is that all retailers, suppliers, manufacturers and the

Carpet Court and the environment Carpet Court install floor and window coverings in excess of 120,000 houses and 40,000 businesses every year, so they are focused on sustainable programs now and into the future. Carpet Court is involved in the worldwide movement to re-purpose nylon product. As James relates, “We are well and truly underway with these exciting

Flooring April/May 2022

Carpet Court organisation Carpet Court is a public unlisted company with a Board of Directors of which six are members, or store owners, and one as an external Director, Rod Walker, who is the Chairman of the group. Members own the company and are essentially shareholders of the group. James Hayward manages the National Support Centre with a small team of people he describes as, “breathtakingly talented who provide professional financial, marketing, merchandise and operational expertise, at both National and State levels.”

He comments on the industry in general, “The flooring industry used to be a cottage industry, but over the years we’ve become a very professional, multi-billion-dollar industry. Our goal at Carpet Court is for our suppliers, members, and customers to all win when dealing with our Brand.”

Carpet Court aims to inspire beyond expectations in everything they do. Through National conferences and State meetings, Members are supported in every aspect of their business and benefit from the group’s buying power and financial rebates. Weekly bulletins through the Carpet Court intranet portal disseminate data collected on what works, fashion trends, and lessons to be learned.

Carpet Court delivers an extensive commitment to training and skills at all levels; a strong brand supported by strong management, so members and their customers are ‘On trend with Carpet Court.’

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Waterproofing

14 Strength from within

The Quality of Oxtek Solutions’ concrete waterproofing is guaranteed for 15 years.

Established 1998, initially as ‘Protect Crete’, Oxtek Solutions Pty Ltd. guarantees its permanent concrete waterproofing for 15 years.

With 24 years as a specialist producer Oxtek has become the trusted brand in the industry.

Oxtek’s specialty products penetrate concrete up to a depth of 200mm which provides permanent moisture and vapour barrier.

Oxtek’s product solutions do not rely on a topical surface membrane.

Oxtek’s two leading products are both single pack, safe and easy to apply: • X220 Moisture-Fix is for existing concrete • X200 Densi-Proof is for new concrete and is applied at the time of pour The Oxtek treated concrete remains compatible with future application of epoxies, line marking paints, levelling compounds, adhesives, and topical flooring systems. Leading manufacturer’s compatibility tests available on request.

Quality Guaranteed Oxtek Solutions guarantee superior protection for concrete. Products are rigorously tested in the laboratory and in the field. All products are HACCP Certified and easy to install.

Flooring April/May 2022

Specifying technically sound E3 Building Integrity into subfloor preparation and flooring installation systems Article by Ian Williams- Gilt Edge Architectural Technical Consultant As a specification writer I am involved in Subfloor Preparation and Flooring Installation Specification Systems Solutions, and E3 Internal Moisture Building Integrity is a key component of my role. I have worked with architectural practices in DHB, age care, education hospitality and commercial projects specification nationally for years with Gilt Edge Protect Crete NZ Concrete Treatments as a foundation.

Masterspec Work Section 3124GE Gilt Edge concrete cure, hardener, moisture control and protection is an essential insurance policy against subfloor preparation and installation failures. All Protect Crete NZ Treatments are in our section. I write this section for architects via ParnerNet Work Section Support Request with total confidence. Parent Company Oxtek Solutions deliver a robust Warranty/Support System with pre application, and post application forms available on the Gilt Edge Website. An installer fills, and records project application. Oxtek process and supply their 15-year Specification/Warranty Document to underwrite the project and digitally archive.

Oxtek Solutions CEO Louise Howell has recently visited NZ architectural practices in support of an ongoing CPD Education Programme. Louise works closely with specifiers and her focus is to edify architects, builders, applicators, and engineers about the advantages of concrete protection. This CPD (Continual Professional Development) presentation has been seen by over 3500 architects, engineers, and builders in Australia.

It also awards 3 CPD points for Master Builder Members – of which 1300 members attended.

The Protect Crete range has been supplied to New Zealand for over 15 years and has great success in supporting the flooring industry with Total Warranted Systems supported and applied by Oxtek Solutions Australia.

Gilt Edge are the exclusive suppliers to the NZ flooring industry of the Protect Crete NZ Oxtek Solutions range. Innovative treatments such as X260 Medi-Vet with safe silver ion, SteriTouch antimicrobial for permanent concrete treatment are a game changer. X260 has already been specified into an aged care project by leading NZ architectural practices.

With the support of Oxtek Solutions Gilt Edge Architectural deliver fully warranted E3 Building Integrity Systems and Support to NZ architectural and engineering practices.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Concrete moisture barrier that is guaranteed for 15 years

Oxtek Solutions Pty Ltd are the trusted brand in the flooring industry, offering a range of quality products that penetrate and provide a permanent moisture and vapour barrier.

Cures, densifies, hardens and waterproofs concrete up to 200mm.

Doesn’t form a membrane – after trade friendly for epoxies, line marking, levelling compounds, adhesives.

Colloidal Silicate – fills capillaries and voids created by the bleed water.

Reduces shrinkage cracking, efflorescence and reo corrosion.

Environmentally Friendly, HACCP Certified and low odour – 0.0g/l VOC.

Single pack, safe and easy to apply: EXISTING CONCRETE:

X220 MOISTURE-FIX

NEW CONCRETE:

X200 DENSI-PROOF

Fully absorbed in to the concrete, an Oxtek Solution won’t be compromised by a high impact, gouge or small cut on the surface and will work to your project specification. Oxtek Solutions are guaranteed for concrete aged under 15 years, with a project specification.

Oxtek Interactive Gel Zone

Oxtek Interactive Gel Zone

Oxtek internal membrane provides a permanent moisture barrier

Temporary topical membrane

For advice or technical information, contact us on +61 3 9798 7534 or visit www.oxtek.com.au

Training

16 FCIA – Working for Industry

Article by Fiona Wischnewski, CEO FCIA Group

L

ike most businesses in this industry 2022 has been a very good and busy start for the FCIA.

Workshops FCIA has successfully completed three amazing Apprentice Charity Workshops at Ronald McDonald House – Parkville Victoria, Randwick New South Wales, and Hobart Tasmania.

All apprentices at these workshops were able to learn and finetune their flooring skills by working alongside experts from the industry, including site supervisors, RTO trainers and industry experts. These workshops have proven to be a great help to apprentices by not only giving them an opportunity to collect evidence for their training but by providing them with a network to other apprentices within their state, building friendships and other avenues of support.

FCIA has further workshops scheduled at charity organisations in Wollongong NSW (June 2022) and Parkerville WA (July 2022).

Career Expo I have had many conversations with many installers, retailers and manufactures regarding the difficulty in attracting young people into taking on a flooring apprenticeship. Unless you know someone in the industry or you have a family connection to the industry, most school leavers, parents, and career advisors have no idea this industry even exists.

To try and get flooring noticed amongst career advisors and school aged people, FCIA attended our first Career Expo in NSW.

Flooring April/May 2022

Above: RMH Group 2022 Approximately ten high schools visited the expo during the morning and many students brought their parents in the afternoon.

We had many conversations with career teachers, students and parents explaining what we do but also highlighting the amazing career opportunities available to apprentices once they complete.

We will be attending two more expos over the next six months.

Skilled migration strategy for flooring Installers In a recent industry survey, more than 65% of respondents indicated were extremely concerned about the critical skills shortage in flooring installers and would consider sponsoring installers via the Skilled Visa program. In response, FCIA is working with our members and the Department of Home Affairs to develop an industry pilot to attract experienced installers from overseas to our industry.

Bringing skilled installers into Australia will assist in meeting demand and increase the industry’s capacity to recruit and train apprentices. This program will run alongside our domestic recruitment and training strategies to attract new talent to our industry.

We will be inviting interested employers to a webinar program to explain the Skilled Migration process and how FCIA can assist employers. The Skilled Migration survey is available on the FCIA Website – www.fcia. org.au/news FCIA will continue to work with the flooring industry to assist in finding solutions for some of our issues. For further information on how the FCIA can assist you or FCIA membership please contact FCIA – info@ fcia.org.au

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Spotlight On

18

Andersens Lismore - Flood Support

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ndersens was founded on the principles of honesty, integrity, and respect in all aspects of the business – a philosophy, which is still paramount today, and which, combined with their professional, leading-edge business operating systems and practices, has earned them the reputation of being a respected name in floor coverings for over 50 years. Andersens take pride in giving back to the community and becoming involved in all aspects of the business. A quality never more present then during the recent flood crisis in Northern NSW.

When flood waters rose upward of 4 metres the Lismore store, including all stock, was completely destroyed. Franchisees, Shane and Louise Merkel take us through their traumatic ordeal and explain how the Andersens team rolled their sleeves up and supported them through the harrowing experience.

You recently relocated your Andersens store to a ‘flood proof’ building. Describe the new store location.

Relocating to our new store was a fabulous

Flooring April/May 2022

opportunity to expand into larger premises and also mitigate any future risk of flooding to our business. The bigger premises also meant we could offer onsite parking and additionally the new location provided us with an attached warehouse space and loading dock for ease of access to our stock.

Unfortunately, in this incidence the storage of our stock meant that unlike the 2017 flood where our warehouse was on higher ground, we lost all of our stock. Our new premises has never before been affected by flood water in the building itself, but rather just in the carpark. We could never have expected the devastation that awaited us when we were finally allowed back into the town centre.

Local mayor Steve Krieg described the scenes as “unprecedented”. Can you describe what happened and how quickly the flood waters rose?

Unprecedented would definitely be an accurate description for these times.

Flooding is not new to our community, but this natural disaster has completely demolished our town. To put in perspective the rapid rate in which the flood waters rose,

our shop was open as per usual on Saturday, we were given flood warnings on the Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning at approximately 12.45am the SES had issued emergency advice to inform that Lismore was now isolated. By 11am we had seen a photograph of our store posted by a local rescue team which depicted our store almost completely emerged in flood water bar about a meter of the roof. There was simply no way for us to prepare for destruction this extreme.

What was the extent of your property and stock damage?

Unfortunately, there was not much of our store left intact. Everything within the showroom and warehouse was completely ruined. Very few of our stock rolls were unaffected, stored at the highest point of our warehouse close to the ceiling. Almost everything will need to be replaced. It will be a long road to recovery and normality for us. Sadly, our family also had some sentimental items stored at the shop in the way of tools passed down from grandfather to grandson which are irreplaceable in their 20 meaningfulness.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

GET MORE OUT OF YOUR FLOORING BUSINESS OVER 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH COUNTRY TOWN VALUES Andersens is proudly a privately held company with its head office in Gatton where it all started with Jack Andersen over 60 years ago. We have 53 sites from far North QLD and down to Adelaide and expanding nationally.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU JOIN OUR FAMILY Significant incentives available to existing flooring stores National training and business support Industry leading green programs Full range of suppliers available from day one with only one account Retain your local brand We understand that it is your business Field support Marketing support programs and dedicated digital marketing professionals Country Town Values are what drives us Join other independents who have become part of the Andersens family.

Ideal for independent operators or installers wanting to be part of a national brand

CHOOSE ANDERSENS

Call Dean Lightfoot on 0408 067 439 or Email dlightfoot@andersens.com.au

Spotlight On

20 appreciation to the Andersens network is immeasurable and we think ourselves lucky to be a part of such a wonderful business community.

“We received physical support in cleaning out our flood affected showroom, supplies of food and clean drinking water, swift planning of the shop re-fit, sample replacements and a significant donation of money raised by all of the franchisees.”

Flooring April/May 2022

What was the response from the Andersens network during the flood crisis? And how did they support you?

The response and concern from the Andersens network was immediate and the assistance was well and truly above and beyond. We received physical support in cleaning out our flood affected showroom, supplies of food and clean drinking water, swift planning of the shop re-fit, sample replacements and a significant donation of money raised by all of the franchisees.

The support and generosity our Lismore team has received has not only allowed us to persevere financially but has given us a sense of encouragement and hope in this current time of devastation. Our

What are your plans for the rebuild and how quickly can you see yourself reopening the store?

We will be rebuilding as we are tenacious and proud to be a part of our community.

We will approach the rebuild with positivity and enthusiasm with the assistance of the Andersens team to come back bigger and better. To be given the opportunity to rebuild has given us so much hope for the future, and when telecommunications, and electricity supplies return to normal we will be able to put all our efforts into moving forward with the exciting new refit. Plans have already been drawn up and ready for actioning. The enormity of the rebuild has definitely been made more manageable by the on-going support of all of our wonderful suppliers and manufacturers whose generosity has not gone unnoticed.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Talking Business

21

Australian FloorStyle Cooperative welcomes new members

D

avid Wicks, Australian FloorStyle Cooperative Executive Director, said that the group were delighted to welcome four new members in March and April, which means that seven new members have joined the cooperative so far this year; Australian FloorStyle now have 57 members and 65 stores, operating right across Australia.

In March, Cabonne Carpets joined, as well as Ultimate Flooring, then in April, Wynyard Flooring Centre and Flooring Power became members.

Cabonne Carpets are located in the Central West in a small town called Molong.

They opened their doors in August 2019 and their owners are Arron and Belinda Marshall who run the business. Arron has been a layer for over 25 years after first starting out in Sydney as an apprentice.

Ultimate Flooring are based in Port Macquarie, they opened their brand-new showroom in April and are owned and operated by Rick and Lisa Franklin. Rick has been a flooring installer for over 27 years, Lisa was also an installer for four years, before moving into sales in flooring.

Wynyard Flooring Centre is owned Todd and Sarah Spinks, they are based Wynyard, 15 minutes west of Burnie on the Northwest coast of Tasmania and opened their showroom in April. Todd has had his own installing business for four years; he is the main installer for the business followed by another tradesman and a second-year apprentice.

Flooring Power are based in Gregory Hills and are owned and operated by Manni Khan, who has been working in the flooring industry for the last 16 years.

Flooring April/May 2022

“If you’re an Australian based manufacturer, or wholesaler, of flooring and wish to supply all our members, please get in touch with us...”

David added that AFS were looking to gain a minimum of two new members per month over the next 20 months, as they look to reach their target of 100 members by the end of December 2023. David said, “Whilst it’s a stretching and ambitious goal, the small joining fee, along with a low monthly membership fee and the ability to earn the highest rebates in the industry, make it a realistic target.”

In addition, Australian FloorStyle Cooperative are looking to add some Key Suppliers, David said “If you’re

an Australian based manufacturer, or wholesaler, of flooring and wish to supply all our members, please get in touch with us at admin@australianfloorstyle.com.au.”

David finished by thanking all his members and suppliers for all their support since he joined the business 2 years ago and said he looks forward to welcoming them all at their Annual Conference later this year which is being held on the 7th and 8th of October at the Crown in Melbourne.

If you’re a flooring retailer, large or small, and want to have, or maintain your independence, however, be part of a cooperative of likeminded individuals to achieve better pricing, access to quality suppliers and the opportunities of networking with other members, as well as getting access to an exclusive range of products and want to join Australia’s most dynamic and fastest growing flooring cooperative and enjoy all the benefits of membership, contact sales@ australianfloorstyle.com.au

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Airstep Feature

22

Happy, Healthy Foundations Eco-friendly Underlay for Aussie homes.

Claus Oustrap, Director of NordicBuilt had this to say on the partnership:

At Airstep Australia and Imagine Floors by Airstep the goal is to help those who use their flooring create happy, healthy homes with style. Because of this, they place a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly products that help make the world a better place for your family while also benefiting the environment.

“We strive towards constant development within our teams as well as our portfolio.

At heart, we are inventors and do our best to shape an ever-improving built environment… Together with Airstep we plan to transfer our unique cross-linked technology to Australia. This will greatly assist with a cleaner and more sustainable Pacific through local recycling and upcycling.”

That is why they are so pleased to announce a new partnership with NordicBuilt. Born from a rich Danish heritage, the team bring the best of Scandinavian quality to the table and are the manufacturers of ScanUnderlay for which the team at Airstep are excited to distribute nationally from April 2022.

Teaming up with NordicBuilt means that they will have access to bring their top quality, eco-friendly underlays to the Australian market and Airstep are excited to add these options to their offering.

Who is ScanUnderlay?

Founded in 2015 by Carsten Andersen, ScanUnderlay is backed by over two decades of invention and product development experience. Andersen’s desire to create a sustainable underlay solution crafted from recycled and upcycled materials led to the birth of this fantastic 2mm option that easily holds its own against thicker products bought to market by competitors.

ScanUnderlay’s factory in Skovby west of Aarhus, Denmark allows for onsite testing for flexibility, strength and tightness which helps to ensure that each and every roll is of the highest standard.

Introducing Helix SU700 Rubber Acoustic Underlay One of the more exciting developments that has come of this partnership is the ability to offer Helix SU700 Rubber Acoustic Underlay to the Australian market. This 2mm thick Underlay is an ideal solution for those who need acoustic or thermal protection in environments or situations where installation has traditionally been seen as rather difficult.

Their unique patented cross-linked technology is used to bring this underlay to life, and Airstep are pleased to be able to bring this industry leading solution to the

Flooring April/May 2022

Australian public. Crafted from 90% recycled materials, Helix SU700 provides superior sustainability paired with impressive 4 and 5 star acoustic ratings matched only by much thicker and heavier third-party solutions.

The entire underlay is also 100% upcycled as this is a core pillar of NordicBuilt’s strategy for a greener future.

This facility is powered by a combination of wind power and natural gas (50/50 split) designed to help reduce emissions as

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Airstep Feature

23

much as possible and in 2017 the company achieved the prestigious European Gold Certification A+ for lowest emission indoor climate solutions.

But how do these products stand up to Aussie conditions?

If we turn our attention to local applications, ScanUnderlay is actually the foundation that the Special Care Nursery in Sandringham, Victoria is built upon. The project was turned into a case study by NordicBuilt, and the results are promising in terms of the performance of this underlay solution in the Australian climate.

The flooring system was laid wet on the same day dual bonded in good condition not allowing for the substrate adhesive to dry.

This was done because of time pressures on site. Again, there was concerns around the ability of the adhesive to dry and stabilise the flooring system. The 2mm Helix rubber acoustic underlay performed as required. It was an excellent result.

Since the underlay is only 2mm they minimised the finished floor level, and with the natural structure of vinyl together with the Helix Rubber Acoustic underlay extra comfort under foot was assured.

The Helix also has extremely low VOC and therefore no rubber smell, especially important in a special care nursery.

The project was a significant success because it installed confidence and reassurance in the architect, builder, flooring contractor, and Nordic Built.

The result validates the laboratory tests in a real life commercial high traffic application.

What else is coming in the second half of 2022?

The addition of ScanUnderlay to both the Airstep Australia and Imagine Floors by Airstep collections is an exciting part of their plans for the second half of 2022 - but it isn’t the only thing they have been working on behind the scenes.

The next six months will also see the rollout of a complete refresh of the Imagine Floors by Airstep market presence and a few new faces in the flooring collection. Brand new labels will be appearing across their retail partners over the coming months. These labels have been carefully crafted to provide optimal information and are designed to help end users easily understand the benefits of each type of flooring and make the right decision for their homes.

The Imagine Floors by Airstep team will also be bringing out some brand-new decors that are designed to make their range more comprehensive and give consumers more choice in the hard flooring market.

Australia's only complete underlay company Residential • Commercial • Hard Flooring Underlays

www.airstep.com.au 1800 803 545

24 Australian Made Week: Back with a bang in 2022

Feature

Article by Australian Made

F

ollowing the success of the first Australian Made Week in 2021, the Australian Made Campaign has announced the return of its flagship event in 2022 with new dates released.

Running from the 6th to the12th of June, Australian Made Week intends to influence consumer shopping habits. Encouraging shoppers to actively purchase locally Australian made and grown products displaying the trusted green-and-gold Australian Made logo.

Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said Australian Made Week was a time to focus on the benefits of buying local and the enormous impact Aussie makers and growers have on Australia’s economic success.

“When you buy Australian Made, not only are you getting products made to some of the highest standards in the world, you create jobs, now and into the future, and support thousands of Australians throughout the supply chain. Australian Made Week is a great opportunity to celebrate all the great things we make and grow and commit to reassessing our shopping habits and prioritising Aussie products,” Lazzaro said.

According to Roy Morgan Research, nine out of ten Australians believe we should be producing more products locally following the COVID pandemic. The same research says that 68 per cent of Australians prefer to buy building and renovation materials made in Australia, and 60 per cent prefer Australian Made home furnishing.

Flooring April/May 2022

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

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“Manufacturing is an essential part of our economy. Every Australian Made product purchased directly supports a sector of over 830,000 people and adds more than 105 billion to Australia’s economy each year.

There is an Australian option in nearly every product category - from quality floorcoverings, superior blinds, and window furnishings, to trusted building materials, safe tools, and reliable workwear. These and many more will take centre stage during Australian Made Week,” he said.

Lazzaro said consumers should look for the iconic green-and-gold kangaroo to ensure their purchases are authentically Australian, with 99% of Australians recognising it and 92% confident products carrying it are genuinely Australian.

thousands of brands communicate their Australian Made credentials with authority and credibility. It is an effective sales and marketing asset for any business making or growing products here in Australia and helps those brands sell their products—here and overseas.

Australian Made Week will be supported through a series of local events, TV, radio, out-of-home, print, online and social media ad placements.

Given the rise in demand for locally made and grown goods by consumers and businesses alike, it’s important for producers to market their products with prominent country-of-origin branding.

Since its establishment in 1999, the Australian Made Campaign has helped

If being recognised as genuinely Australian is important to selling your products, certify them to carry the iconic Australian Made, Australian Grown logo at www. australianmade.com.au/apply.

So, look for the Australian Made logo Australia’s most trusted, recognised and widely used country of origin symbol.

Consumers can learn more about Australian Made Week and find genuine Aussie products at www.australianmadeweek.com.au.

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Armstrong Flooring launch new Australian made collection Natralis - Australian nature inspired, homogeneous sheet vinyl.

Australia’s only resilient vinyl flooring manufacturer, Armstrong Flooring are once again investing in an Australian manufacturing future by launching a new commercial sheet vinyl flooring collection, made at the Braeside, Australia facility.

The Natralis collection celebrates the rich diversity and beauty of the Australian landscape and embraces Indigenous history.

That the iconic River Red Gums found on the grounds of Armstrong’s Melbourne Braeside site were diligently protected over decades of manufacturing, reflects the ethos to protect and connect with surrounding nature, whilst also symbolic of healing and resilience associated with nature and the Red Gums in particular.

The colourways of the Natralis range reflect the authentic colours and unique beauty found in the landscapes and animals of Australia, and explores the connection between colour, and its immediate association with regions of Australia. Play with colour, connect with place.

In Australia, Armstrong are a founding member of the Australian Resilient Flooring Association and Vinyl Council of Australia to ensure the highest of standards are employed across the industry as well as lobbying for industry wide improvements and sustainability initiatives. An example of involvement in industry wide collaboration is the recent government grant of $1 million received by the ARFA, to assist resilient flooring recycling programs in Australia.

Armstrong Flooring continue to support the future of resilient floor recycling and endeavour to increase recycling rates through industry led product stewardship schemes.

Further, Natralis is “backed by Australia’s reputation for producing high quality products, the green and gold kangaroo logo allows Armstrong Flooring to easily convey its Australian credentials and highlight the impact it is having in strengthening the local economy and creating local jobs,” said Ben Lazzaro.

From the local Braeside site, Armstrong’s long-standing manufacturing operation supports a multicultural and multigenerational workforce that embraces its strong connection to country and the land on which Armstrong Flooring was built.

Each new colourway references an Australian landscape, location, or native creature of flora that holds cultural meaning.

Of the company’s new range, Rob McClorinan said, “It was important that this collection reflect on the history of our brand as an Australian manufacturer and reflect upon the resilience of Australian culture. Natralis emphasises the need to connect back with nature, embrace our history, and protect our future as an Australian economy.”

Natralis has already been welcomed with excitement from industry leaders and received commendation from Australian organisations. Ben Lazzaro, Australian

Flooring April/May 2022

Made Chief Executive from Australian Made Campaign said, “Armstrong Flooring continues to be a shining example of Australia’s manufacturing capabilities through its innovative production of locally made flooring”.

Armstrong Flooring is proud to be Australia’s only manufacturer of commercial vinyl sheet flooring and a company that has been innovating and investing in local production since the 1960s. The Natralis range has all the benefits that go with local manufacturing, including local technical and colour laboratories, product development facilities, and an ISO Certified production plant that offers wide product choice. web www.armstrongflooring.com.au

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Natralis™ Inspired by Australia Made in Australia

Natralis™ homogeneous vinyl sheet reflects the authentic colours and unique beauty found in the landscapes and animals of Australia.

Play with colour, connect with place.

Discover the range at armstrongflooring.com.au

Proudly Manufacturing in Australia Since 1969

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Supporting Aussie made, trade approved products

A

s the largest accessory distributor nationally, Australian Flooring Supplies (AFS) is committed to supporting local manufacturing. Australian brands RLA and Sika are leading on a global scale with innovative, locally manufactured products like Roberts R2000 Premium Adhesive (RLA) and Sikafloor Level Top (Sika).

To ensure the range would be trade approved, RLA canvassed local flooring stakeholders to understand the key SLC drivers and conducted extensive field testing.

requirements. Sika pays attention to these details and has a long history of innovation and quality, both in Australia and worldwide," Tettamanti said.

“This resulted in RLA developing a concise solution, creating ease of product selection at an economical price point,” Hildebrand said.

SikaFloor’s ‘One Day’ system is an example of their commitment to innovation, making it possible to complete all floor preparation and covering with vinyl or carpet in one day.

This reduces dust issues and avoids multiple visits by contractors.

“The Roberts SLC range is also Green Star compliant, with the products’ low VOC content meeting the Green Building Council Australia’s indoor air quality regulations.

This further complements the trades’ approval of the range.”

Above: Roberts R2000 Universal Flooring Adhesive, Sikafloor Self-Leveling Compound “We partnered with Sikafloor and Roberts to deliver a wide range of high quality and installer friendly floor preparation products at very competitive prices,” AFS National Product Manager Ugo Tettamanti said.

“The fact that the majority of these products are formulated and manufactured in Australia means we can be confident the products have been tested to meet Australian conditions.”

RLA has invested significantly to create a high performing range of competitively priced self-levelling compounds (SLCs) under the Roberts brand, all available now at AFS. “We proudly source more than 80% of our materials from local based manufacturing vendors, who we are delighted to call our value chain partners,” RLA's Flooring Business Manager Craig Hildebrand said.

Flooring April/May 2022

SikaFloor was developed in Australia from Sika’s internationally celebrated Schonox range of floor preparation products. Sika has listened carefully to contractors and installers to create their SIkafloor range, spending many hours trialling and perfecting each individual product. With a desire to combine the knowledge and experience of the European Schonox range and adapt it to suit Australian conditions, product performance has already exceeded local installer expectations.

“The result is a complete, high-quality and installer friendly range that caters to an ever-changing flooring market, often dictated by safety and environmental regulations as well as customised technical

Above: Sikafloor’s One Day System includes 01 Primer, 158W Fast Barrier part A & B, 14 Prep and Prime With three new locations opening in the last year — Hindmarsh, Launceston and Hobart — AFS remains Australia’s largest flooring accessory distributor.

With an extensive branch network, leading brands, dedicated customer service team and high stock levels, AFS continues to be a leading one-stop-shop for flooring installers and contractors. web www.australianflooringsupplies.com.au

Above: Roberts’ SLC Range - Fino, Flexi, Generale, Grande, Prino, Pronto, Rapido www.flooringmagazine.com.au

THE FORCE IN FLOORING

SUPPLYING AUSTRALIA’S LEADING INDUSTRY BRANDS

ARE YOU IN THE CLUB? Visit your local branch to join the AFS Installer Club to access exclusive special pricing and promotions.

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The first conversation is safety and compliance

T

he founder of Sterling Supplies spent his first 13 years of work in Australian manufacturing as a fitter and turner toolmaker and has always been passionate about making everything he can using the resources within Australia.

From the founder himself, “We have always supported Australian manufacturing in every area we can. We developed the Duratred aluminium matting which is made from components manufactured in Australia and the same applies to our stair nosing range with most of the profiles being extruded here in Australia.”

They also have a range of polymer tactile pads under their Duratac brand that are also proudly Australian made. With their main warehousing facility located in Campbellfield, Melbourne, these highquality products are readily shipped all around Australia.

Once the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic was realised by Australians, manufacturers found themselves building rapport and stronger relationships with fellow Australians. For so many companies who had previously been importing, the need to find stable and lasting commitments from their manufacturers was crucial to stay in business.

Like all Australian businesses, Sterling Supplies had to meet the pandemic headon but with the skill set and knowledge internally, they turned an innovative eye to the manufacturing world and from this, are extremely proud to introduce a brand new concept to the market with their product, Duratred Ezy. A product designed to help save time on installation that will decrease order lead times by weeks.

The team are well educated in compliance, which has enabled them to produce products that meet all the Australian standards. This has been a journey over many years and the team have become acutely aware of meeting rigorous safety standards, ensuring that compliance is front of mind. One of Sterling’s Head of Sales said, “We now have a motto we stand by with every job we work on - the first conversation is safety and compliance.”

There are huge benefits from having your products manufactured on Australian soil, from the design stage to the production line. Sterling Supplies found that they could be much more innovative when designing and this helped create a competitive edge.

When product was rolling off the production line, it was ready for despatch meeting well beyond satisfactory lead times, something that Sterling Supplies has always prided themselves on.

As a company, Sterling knows how critical quality is to end users. To monitor and check for consistent quality, a quality control procedure is in place to ensure that before any goods leave the warehouse, they are checked over and kept on record internally.

When goods are coming off different production lines, the quality is checked and if any piece does not meet the QA standard, it is removed from the batch.

The need for manufacturing in Australia has become a key component in keeping Australia sustainable and providing local jobs. Sterling is one company that is ensuring this continues to happen to preserve the economic cycle for all future generations. web www.sterlingsupplies.com.au

Flooring April/May 2022

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DURATRED EZY An unbelievably easy way to get your matting fast.

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Simply buy slats of matting at any of the following lengths and put your mat together onsite; 1.8m long 2.4m long 3m long 4m long 5m long It's that simple!

Scan to watch our Product Video

Scan to watch our Installation Guide

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Buying Australian Made has truly never been more important

D

uring the challenge of Covid-19, the team at Godfrey Hirst continued to work closely with customers to provide strong business continuity and ongoing support, as well as supporting their local community.

With multiple manufacturing facilities in Geelong, a broadloom distribution centre in Laverton, state of the art palletised distribution centres in Victoria and Queensland, and state sales offices nationwide, when you buy a Godfrey Hirst or Feltex Carpet you are supporting over 530 Australians and their families.

Their Australian history spans back to 1865, when the Victorian Woollen and Cloth Manufacturing Company began operations in Geelong and was purchased in the 1890’s by Godfrey Hirst. Godfrey Hirst’s entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of the industry lead to the great success that was furthered even more so by the McKendrick family in the 1960s. In 2018, the Godfrey Hirst business was acquired by Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company, expanding its product offering and capabilities to a global scale.

Today, thousands of metres of carpet are produced in their state-of-the-art Australian facilities every day, and both their carpet and hard flooring set the safe, comfortable, and beautiful interior foundation for millions of homes. Commercially, their customisation capabilities and vast archive of designs are trusted for major projects in all market segments across workspace, retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, public space and multi-residential in Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

Their partnership with the official Australian Made campaign aligns them with Australia’s most trusted, recognised and widely used country of origin symbol, underpinned by a third-party accreditation system that authenticates genuinely Australian products.

Their local investment in people, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution provides total supply chain capability, ensuring quality control and consistency from product design, right through to delivery. Godfrey Hirst are proud to have a loyal and long serving inclusive and diverse workforce while managing organisational renewal to ensure an excellent mix of new thinking and deep knowledge.

Through local design, manufacturing and distribution and sales offices across Australia, they provide locally based product support and their industry leading knowledgeable sales teams in every State.

Their longstanding relationships with flooring retail channels, commercial contractors, architects, and interior designers, allow them to supply to consumers throughout Australia high quality Australian and New Zealand made wool, synthetic and triexta carpets along with world class hard flooring solutions in hybrid, timber, laminate, and vinyl.

Sustainability also remains at the core of the business. They actively seek out the highest standards in product design seeking to minimise negative impacts on the environment at all stages of the product lifecycle.

Investing in innovation and technology are the hallmarks of Godfrey Hirst, and when it comes to improving existing systems and processes their commitment to excellence is continually at the forefront.

Tile plant upgrade They recently invested in a multi-milliondollar upgrade of their Breakwater plant in Geelong, resulting in a one-stop shop for

Flooring April/May 2022

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34

At the centre of the commercial flooring design

New Release

Foundation Stone

For sheer design versatility and creative interiors, Foundation Stone is hard to beat. Produced to suit a variety of commercial applications, the selection of 8 neutral and bright colourways will create a seamless look, or, when combined with pops of contrast colour, facilitate wayfinding pathways and delineate specific zones.

Foundation Stone is proudly Australian Made from 100% Statron Plus ® Solution Dyed Nylon and rated Contact Extra Heavy Duty & Stairs. At the forefront of healthier flooring options, it features our trusted Enviro Bac ® moisture resistant backing system, is Declare™ Red List free and has maximum Green Star level 4 ECS accreditation.

Simple to install and replace, with durability to counter the busiest foot traffic, Foundation Stone carpet tiles will create the ideal base for your next commercial project.

Foundation Stone

Foundation Stone

Foundation Stone

950 Tranquil Green

670 Animated Orange

790 Neutral Grey

In stock now for a quick turnaround.

Contact your local GH Commercial representative to order sampling and discuss your next commercial project.

AU: 1300 444 778 | NZ: 0800 500 210 WWW.GHCOMMERCIAL.COM

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the entire global suite of GH Commercial carpet tile and plank products. With the integration of a cutting edge carpet tile and plank press, capable of operating 1.5 times faster than before, new conveyor belt system designed to smoothly move products between processes as energy-efficiently as possible, and two high-tech robotic pallet loading arms, their ability to meet the rising demand of modular tiles, has been measurably enhanced.

Yarn Store Construction for a brand-new yarn store in North Geelong, Victoria commenced in November 2020 and was completed in July 2021. This expansive warehouse is 11,588m2 and can hold up to 4,836 tonnes of palletised and packaged synthetic and woollen yarn, used in their locally manufactured carpet products. Investing $6.15 million into this project, Godfrey Hirst needed a raw material storage facility that could ensure a minimum 3-months’ worth of stock could be maintained to meet the demands of production. As an Australian manufacturer with a focus on supporting

local businesses, approximately 90-95% of material used in construction were sourced and/or manufactured locally, with only smaller fit out items being manufactured by suppliers overseas. An estimated 100-150 people were employed for this project, ensuring jobs went to members of the community. Godfrey Hirst is ever evolving with a strong commitment to investing in the latest technology and facilities to guarantee product quality and customer service remains at the forefront.

Investment in local manufacturing is a top priority within the business to continue to provide the quality, consistency, flexibility, and dependable local team to support local business and local manufacturing in Australia for years to come. web www.ghcommercial.com

SureBoard® Wet

Fibre Cement Sheet Vinyl Underlay • High density A smooth surface to surface resists install sheet vinyl, tile impact and plank over timber, • Smaller panel is plywood or particleboard easier to handle sub-floors. in wet areas

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EC Carpets to carry baton of iconic manufacturing plant

F

rom humble beginnings, Edwardstown Carpets was established in an era where car interiors were predominantly vinyl.

continued through to 1980 when Mitsubishi claimed 33% of stakes in Chrysler and continued the manufacturing legacy at this site where the Astron engine was built.

For the next 25 years, Mitsubishi continued to manufacture engines for its iconic Magna vehicles, which were then assembled at its Tonsley Park plant nearby.

Part of its success in the Australian market is owed to a passionate team striving for excellence in delivering the best service to the flooring industry, and by ensuring absolute customer happiness every time.

The company began manufacturing car mats from the Adelaide suburb of Edwardstown on an 18-inch tufting machine in the late-1970’s. The popularity of their product rapidly grew to a national level, where they pursued continual growth leading to the purchase of the company’s first broadloom tufter in 1984. This started the company’s pursuit for innovative loop pile carpets.

Later renamed EC Carpets, the company, now recognised by a global audience, continually strives to design innovative loop pile carpets that are on-trend and stylish.

EC Carpets’ products have fast become the preferred choice for designers and households in Australia.

With significant growth in the support for Australian manufacturing and a trend towards innovative, chunky loop pile carpets, the demand for Australian made carpets has been stronger than ever.

To meet the growing demands of their customers, and to ensure that a quality product is delivered on time, every time, EC Carpets is strengthening its warehousing and logistics operation at an iconic southern Adelaide facility once home to GM Chrysler and Mitsubishi.

The 12,500sq-ft purpose-built facility was officiated by Prime Minister Harold Holt in November 1967 as an engine manufacturing plant which comprised of a modern foundry and machine workshop.

This manufacturing line then became home to some of Chryslers most iconic engines, including the all-Australian 245 Hemi 6 Cylinder engine, which saw Chrysler rise to being the ‘big 3’ in Australian automotive.

Towards the end of Chryslers’ era in Australia, the foundry continued to produce aluminium and iron castings. This

Flooring April/May 2022

At the beginning of 2020, EC Carpets identified the need to expand its warehousing and manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing demands for their products. In search of a facility capable of catering for their needs, the company felt fate had led them to this historic automotive manufacturing facility which paid homage to the company’s humble beginnings as a manufacturer of car mats.

In 2021, EC Carpets began migrating its warehousing operation into this iconic facility, to continue the legacy of South Australian manufacturing. The facility now houses over 300,000 square meters of loop pile carpet that is distributed nationally throughout Australia and New Zealand.

In 2023, EC Carpets welcomes an exciting new chapter to its growth development as a strong and stable contributor to the Australian flooring industry. web www.eccarpets.com.au

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Technical Bulletin

38

Scalping and dig-ins Article by Forbo Flooring Systems

S

calping and dig-ins: what are they and what causes them? Both are common issues and complaints associated with welded linoleum and vinyl sheet and tiles.

Meaning of scalping along the finished welding During the final trimming process of removing the excess weld cable the user has pushed the weld trimming blade too hard along the weld which cuts and removes sections of surface finish from the floorcovering. This action leads to contamination ingress in the general areas of the scalping. It can also occur if the user tries to trim the weld cable off in one operation rather than the recommended two trimming cuts which leads to having to place excessive pressure on the knife blade during the cutting process which in turn causes the blade to scalpe the floorcovering surface finish.

Meaning of dig-ins along the finished welding Dig-ins occurs when the user pushes a crescent/spatula trimming knife blade hard into the floorcovering while performing the final trimming process of the weld cable.

(See image below). This is usually caused by the user holding the trimming blade square with the weld line and held too steeply rather than sliding the knife at a shallow cutting angle along the surface of the floorcovering.

This action leads to contamination ingress in the general areas of the dig-in. It can also occur if the user tries to trim the weld cable off in one operation rather than the recommended two trimming cuts which leads to having to place excessive pressure on the knife blade during the cutting process which in turn causes the blade to dig into the floorcovering.

Hint: To help avoid damage to the flooring when trimming off the weld cable run a wet soapy rag along the weld before the final cut.

The photo below shows where the trimming blade has cut into the weld cable and the flooring.

The two images below show where the trimming knife blade has removed the flooring surface finish and where the material has contaminant ingress. The coin in the photos gives the viewer and indication of the scalping and dig-in size in comparison to the size of the coin.

Hint: Because the blade of a crescent/ spatula knife is wide and very sharp it is best to use the first 35 mm of the blade from the point and turn the blade to about a 35 ° angle to the line of the weld and lightly push the knife along the weld cable avoiding the upright blade dig–ins.

Flooring April/May 2022

Hint: To help avoid damage to the flooring when trimming off the weld cable run a wet soapy rag along the weld before the final cut. The soapy water acts as a lubricant and helps the trimming blade glide over the flooring weld. This is a helpful process when trimming off the welding on white or light-coloured shades of vinyl and linoleum welded sheet on floors and particularly wall sheeting.

To find out more about the issues associated with welded linoleum and vinyl sheet and tiles visit the Forbo website or talk to the team at Forbo who can assist with any technical installation issues - www.forbo. com.au

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

THE MOST COMPLETE DESIGN OFFER IN HOMOGENEOUS VINYL

Innovative, premium homogeneous vinyl The four Forbo homogeneous vinyl collections fall under the brand name Sphera.

Each range offers a different design visual with linking colourways. All are developed by our in-house design team using the latest production technology.

Sphera lifts the style of the homogeneous flooring category and creates modern on-trend, healthy and hygienic spaces.

Celebrating 61 years in Australia Forbo Flooring Systems Australia has supplied commercial projects and homes with flooring and building products since 1961, stocking over 400 finishes locally across a wide range of colours and patterns for all areas from the entrance to the exit.

Creating better environments Sphera is produced using 100% electricity from renewable sources, reducing the level of CO2 emissions. Sphera is phthalate-free, best practice PVC compliant and Green Tag certified.

To find out more please visit www.forbo-flooring.com.au/sphera

creating better environments

Software

40

Improve your business - prepare for a downturn Article by Chris Ogden The economic outlook is darkening, so now is the time to remind ourselves what we must be doing so we do more than just survive any slowdown that might be coming our way.

If fewer customers come into our stores in the coming months, we want to convert a higher proportion to sales. 70-75% conversion rate is a good goal while at the same time maintaining or improving margin. A word of warning; everyone thinks their conversion rate is higher than it is, so don’t rely on gut feeling.

BE ACCURATE.

To some, the idea of increasing both conversion rate and margin is challenging, but it can be done. When prospective customers visit our store, they are considering whether or not they want to do business with us. Whether they know it or not, they are testing us and to improve our conversion rate and maintain margin, we must pass their test.

1. Store Presentation.

We are told that customers decide whether or not they want to do business with a retailer

BE EFFICIENT.

within 60 seconds of walking into the shop.

Keeping our shops tidy and welcoming is a daily, not monthly, task. Also, you want customers to see those products that you have exclusively, have a price advantage in, or get a rebate on, so these products must be prominently displayed.

2. Engage with customers.

Your salespeople should know how to overcome “I’m only looking”; you can’t sell to someone you don’t talk to. People who walk out of our stores without speaking 42

BE PROFITABLE.

MEASURE MOBILE • Draw Scale Plans • Add, Delete and Move Seams • Include Doorways and Stairs • Calculate Material Quantities • Create and Email Quotes • Take Signed Acceptance on Tablet • Take Payments Australia: 1800 229 427 New Zealand: 0800 643 012 www.rfms.com

salesau@rfms.com

YOUR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR FLOORING BUSINESS

Layers Diary Financials Debtors Quotes Stock

Integration with

Mobile Sales Measuring Reporting Projects

New Customer Relationship Sales Management App Every sales team needs a way to manage the relationship with past, current, and potential customers.

CRM provides an efficient and mobile tool to focus on retaining existing customers and gaining new customers with lead workflow and customer communication to drive sales growth. ✓ Lead Management & Workflow

www.rfms.com salesau@rfms.com

✓ Communication

✓ Visibility

Australia: 1800 229 427 New Zealand: 0800 643 012

Software

with a salesperson are opportunities that should not have been lost. Some simple strategies will convert “I’m only looking” into a meaningful conversation 90% of the time. Learn these strategies and make sure your salespeople use them and not have them use “I’m only looking” as a welcome excuse to go back to sit at their desk.

…now is the time to remind ourselves what we must be doing so we do more than just survive any slowdown that might be coming our way.

3. Listen to the customer.

Find the product that will meet the needs of the customer. Demonstrating that we listen is crucial in developing the relationship that will help us make the sale. Take notes, so we remember what we talk about with our customers, and we can make our follow up calls meaningful.

Flooring April/May 2022

42

4. Follow up on samples.

Don’t wait for samples to be brought back in.

Salespeople should be contacting customers to ask what they thought of samples. This is another step in creating the relationship that will incline the customer toward us when they make their buying decision.

5. Get the measure (or the plan).

Prospective customers might visit five or six flooring businesses, but most will only get two or three quotes. We want to be one of those chosen, so ask for the opportunity.

6.Get the quote out quickly.

Once they have had the measure or given us the plan, customers are generally excited to know the price. The longer it takes to get a quote into the customer's hands, the more excitement diminishes and the less likely we will make the sale. Converting plans into quantities is the most significant choke point for most flooring businesses. Set a business standard for how long it takes to get a quote out and then monitor the standard. Address anything that is preventing getting the quote out quickly.

7. Follow up on quotes.

If there is one thing that will increase our sales and margin, improving follow up is it.

We must get over the reluctance we have to contact customers. If we are not following up, our sales will be made on price alone.

Not having a rigorous follow-up process is arguably the biggest contributor to low margins; if I’m not following up, my first price has to be my lowest. If your salespeople are not following up frequently, they are losing sales to your competitors.

8. Know what differentiates you from the competition and tell your customers about it.

If your salespeople don’t know what makes you better than your competition, they are competing on price.

If the market tightens as predicted, we must make every sales opportunity count and resist the inclination to drop our margin to keep volumes up. Focusing on these eight things will maximise our sales and allow us to manage our margin.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Software

43 To some, the idea of increasing both conversion rate and margin is challenging, but it can be done.

None of this is rocket science; all flooring businesses can do it. It takes discipline and structure, and systems. You likely don’t have a fully integrated business system, but you can still do this. If you are using RFMS, you have the tools at your fingertips to improve every one of these aspects of your business.

Chris Ogden is a consultant and Managing Director of RFMS Australasia (rfmsANZ.com), a supplier of IT solutions specific to the flooring industry. Chris has an extensive background in all aspects of the flooring industry, and he can be contacted at cogden@rfms.com.

Safety

44 Enhancing car park safety in the workplace

How to support drivers and pedestrians to exist harmoniously in a dynamic environment.

With Australia’s growing population, it is natural to see the rise of cars and congestion on the roads. To improve accessibility, we have also seen a significant increase in both the size and number of car parking areas surrounding office buildings, shopping centres, stadiums, and other public facilities.

While car parks are low-speed environments, they often cater to multiple directions of pedestrian and vehicle travel. Pedestrians are weaving their way to and from their cars while drivers are focused on finding a spot or getting out of the car park, requiring all users to be extra vigilant of their surroundings. To ensure everyone’s safety, the design of car parks and shared spaces requires impeccable attention to detail.

Complementing thoughtful design processes, installing high-quality car park safety products can enhance pedestrian access, minimise vehicular damage and lower the risk of accidents. Stringent maintenance protocols are also necessary to eliminate any risk factors, such as poor lighting or spills, that may lead to pedestrians injuring themselves.

Above: Classic corner guards Flooring April/May 2022

The most important car park safety considerations are outlined below.

What are the car park safety regulations?

When designing and building an off-street car park, there are multiple guidelines and regulations to adhere to including AS 2890, AS 1158 and other relevant Australian Standards. Aside from functional and safety requirements, you will want to have a clear understanding of any OHS obligations that may be relevant to the operation or access of a workplace car park.

Above: Classic clearance height bars As a general overview, here are some design guidelines to ensure the safety of your car park: • Provide clear and safe pedestrian paths between car parking areas and onsite facilities • Minimise potential visual obstructions in parking areas for both vehicles and pedestrians • Maximise passive surveillance of parking areas • Ensure optimal lighting throughout the car parking and pedestrian areas for day and night safety You will also need to ensure that the car park is fully accessible for people with special needs or disabilities, in compliance with the Disability Discriminations Act (DDA).

Above: Classic convex mirrors Common hazards in a car park With pedestrians and vehicles constantly entering, moving around and exiting the car park, common safety hazards should be identified and controlled to minimise accidents and collisions.

Common safety hazards can include: • Multiple directions of travel • Narrow spaces • Tight turns • Steep or twisting ramps • Obstructed vision • Large pylons • Potholes • Poor signage • Low-lighting conditions • Traffic congestion • Runaway trolleys • Poor maintenance such as oil leaks, pooled water, rubbish, and debris that is unattended to • Environmental risks such as weather conditions If a user injures themselves in the car park due to a preventable hazard, both the owner and designer can be held responsible, with compensation payments ranging between $400,000 to over $1 million depending on the nature of the injury, according to ACO. Car park designers are obliged to ensure that all hazards are considered while owners must ensure the areas are well-maintained.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Safety How can you enhance the safety of the car park in the workplace?

Improving driver awareness while keeping pedestrians safe, investing in car park safety solutions can help to enhance your pedestrian safety, streamline traffic flow, and reduce the incidence of accidents occurring.

There are multiple ways to control risks in workplace car parks including • Ensuring pathways, entries and exits are slip-resistant under wet and dry conditions • A diligent maintenance schedule to ensure the removal of all hazards • Installing CCTV to monitor activities in and around the car park

Above: Classic wheel stops

45 • Ensuring all areas of the car park and pedestrian paths have adequate lighting • Clearly marking walkways and installing physical barriers such as safety bollards to separate pedestrians from vehicles • Installing speed humps to prevent excessive speed and enhance traffic flow • Installing wheel stops to alert drivers that they’ve reached the end of their space • Corner Guards help identify columns or obstruction in low light area • Safety Mirrors are essential for providing adequate visibility of oncoming traffic and potential hazards • Installing height clearance bars to prevent oversized vehicles from entering areas of restricted height • Car park signage is critical for safety.

Signage requirements could include speed limits, disabled parking, stop signs, traffic rules, pedestrian crossings, exits, no parking zones, etc.

Above: Classic bollards With over 41 years of experience, Classic Architectural Group are experts in the complete floor and stair safety solution.

This includes offering a wide range of high-quality car park safety solutions to ensure the protection of your car parking space and its users. Products include but are not limited to car park bollards, wheel stops, speed humps, corner guards, car park signage, convex mirrors, and bicycle racks.

If you are not the DIY kind, Classic can provide installation services as well. You can check them out at www.classic-arch.com.

CLASSIC ARCHITECTURAL GROUP CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF CHAMPIONING FLOOR SAFETY

Supply & install Australia-wide Floor safety solution includes stair nosings, tactiles & entrance matting AS1428 & NCC compliant Quick quote turnaround Estimates & take-offs

Don’t put a foot wrong, contact us today.

Call 1300 244 377 www.classic-arch.com

SOUTH AUSTRALIA SPRINT BRINGS FLOORWORLD TRIFECTA Dean Bonutto started with Floorworld in early 2019 after considering the many recommendations he received from flooring supplier representatives and doing his extensive due diligence in the process, and it has been a fantastic journey.

“I started with our current flagship store in Gepps Cross with a high profile, state-of-the-art showroom.

The assistance we got from Floorworld for the store setup was fantastic. My staff, in this store, has a mix of very experienced members with over 30 years of flooring industry experience to a few young members with less experience in the industry but who bring in

a lot of new ideas to keep the business moving in the right direction. Together they have been able to build a strong customer base for the store,” Dean said.

“Floorworld has been instrumental in our growth journey with strong camaraderie from the other members and staff alike. The strong rebate system with known national

products backed by an attractive pricing strategy has supported businesses like us to grow with ease.”

Dean added.

Dean’s second store, Port Adelaide Floorworld is a retail store and warehouse showroom catering more to online sales and a strong DIY market. The clientele are more independent customers who value the support they

been in operation for almost six months.

“I’ve had this store under another major flooring group for over 20 years and found the Floorworld business model and structure to be more efficient and supportive,” Dean added.

provide to help with their projects and the product range is suited to their specific trends and needs.

Most of the admin staff and installers are based in Port Adelaide and the business has grown exponentially due to the hard work and commitment of the staff.

“The online marketing support by Floorworld has been very useful for us and we have worked hard to capitalise on these strategies through the customised campaigns that talk to our target audience,” remarked Dean.

The store in Parafield is Dean’s most recent and has

The Parafield store is a beautiful, cutting-edge showroom managed by Scott who has over 20 years of flooring industry experience. Scott hails from a local family and is committed to growing the brand and is a perfect fit with the group.

“I could not be happier with how things have worked out with the Parafield store and Floorworld.

“The home improvement industry has seen exponential growth over the last two years or so and I expect will continue for another 12 to 15 months before things begin to slow down.

been very proactive towards capitalising on the growth trend,” Dean commented.

“Our success has been the fact that we put a lot of focus on in-home servicing, sampling of products and free measures. Our customers are demanding, and we have been there to always support them with their varying needs and requirements,” Dean said.

Dean’s installers all have 10 plus years industry experience and have been instrumental in the growth journey. Training of his staff on products’ specifications, sales strategies and most importantly customer service has been another success factor and the support from the Floorworld group towards this has been reassuring.

“We have got a very good support structure with Floorworld and the national supplier network that has

Floorworld’s philosophy is to improve your business by providing a support mechanism for small businesses with our proven model of operational success. Intrigued by the possibility of joining a retail group with tangible benefits then Floorworld may be the perfect solution for you.

If you are interested in the Floorworld model please contact Bob Crotty (03) 9761 5235 or info@floorworld.com.au for a confidential discussion.

At Floorworld, we offer more than just flooring.

Preview

48 Our next edition

I

n the June / July issue of Flooring Magazine we will be running our annual Eco and Sustainability Feature where we ask the team at Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) to walk us through the benefits of environmentally certifying your products.

The GECA ecolabel is an independent ‘tick’ that shows your product is better for the environment, has a lower impact on human health and has been ethically made. Their stringent assessment procedures and robust standards mean GECA certification is trusted, rigorous and relevant for our industry. GECA has helped countless Australian businesses obtain environmental certification, including Spectrum Floors. Spectrum is an Australian owned family business that has been around for over 40 years. They constantly search the world for innovations and superior quality in flooring products. Spectrum are green and proud of it and work hard to source environmentally sustainable products and solutions, ensuring their ever increasing commitment to green star standards.

Learn more about the benefits of environmental certification for your products by reading the following case study on Spectrum Floors.

Spectrum Floors What sets you apart from other flooring manufacturers?

Our product range is a considerate selection of quality products based on premium European supplies that we have established over 45 years. At Spectrum Floors, we recognised the growing trend of sourcing and specifying environmentally friendly flooring early and the importance of indoor air quality within the built environment.

We supply flooring that delivers better acoustics, thermal insulation, durability, and longevity for buildings – we are proud of the quality products we supply and the benefits they bring to each project and building.

Outstanding customer service is the heart and soul of our family business – each generation in the business grows up in a culture of striving for best in class customer service.

Flooring April/May 2022

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Preview

49 Greenwash has ruled in the eco market. Any brand can claim to be an environmental saviour with a few natural ingredients and some sharp marketing. Buyers do not know who to trust. Fake products in green packaging take sales away from genuinely deserving brands.

The planet continues to be exploited in the name of inauthentic green design. Read our Eco and Sustainability Feature in the next issue of Flooring Magazine to see how your business can navigate between what is greenwash and what is really a sound environmental choice.

Why did you choose to get GECA certification?

We view GECA certification as the highest level of Australian certification. GECA’s high standards match the product and service standards at Spectrum Floors.

GECA also maintains international connections to certifications around the world which ties in with our manufacturers. The GECA team provide excellent support to their licensees. Becoming a GECA licensee was a logical choice to provide Spectrum Floors’ clients the assurance that the rubber flooring products they specify through Spectrum are eligible for use in Green Star projects.

What has changed for you as a result of either going through the certification process or since achieving GECA certification?

Our certification has helped to promote the environmental benefits of our certified products. It has become a ‘mindset’ at Spectrum Floors to source and supply the best and most environmentally friendly products.

Fashion in flooring Australian Timbers Bamboo Classic Laminate European Oak Hybrid Hydro Vinyl Acoustic & Thermal Underlay

Flooring suited for your commercial & residential properties!

Flooring April/May 2022

www.cleverchoice.com 07 5526 7399

How important is certification to you?

It is very important because we are supplying flooring for an evergrowing amount of environmentally conscious projects. With GECA certification, we can easily prove that our products can meet the project requirements and environmental standards.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Advertisers Index Airstep Australia

22, 23

Andersens Floor Covering

19

Armstrong Flooring

27

Australian Floor Style Cooperative

Inside Back Cover

Australian Flooring Supplies

29

Australian Made

25

BBS Flooring Products

34

Bremworth Carpet Court

7 Front Cover

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.elitepublishing.com.au PUBLISHERS Georgia Gilmour georgia@elitepublishing.com.au Michelle Cammiade michelle@elitepublishing.com.au EDITOR Michelle Cammiade michelle@elitepublishing.com.au CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Philip Ashley philipneilashley6@bigpond.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Sandie Velkovska sandie@elitepublishing.com.au CIRCULATION For circulation enquiries please email: info@elitepublishing.com.au

Classic Architectural Group

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PRODUCTION For artwork and production enquiries please email: production@elitepublishing.com.au

Clever Choice

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PRE-PRESS Prominent Digital

EC Carpets

37

Floorcovering Institute of Australia (FCIA)

17

Floorworld

46, 47

Forbo Flooring Systems

39

GMK Logistics

43

Godfrey Hirst

5, 33, Back Cover

Laser Measure

Inside Front Cover

Oxtek Solutions

15

Polivac International

11

RFMS Australasia

PRINTED BY Prominent Group Pty Ltd ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD (established 1985) All rights reserved – No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

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Enquire

0 2 9 6 0 0 9249

sales@australianfloorstyle.com.au Your Independent Flooring Retailer Cooperative

Special Offer

Please quote code: FMApr/May22 to receive 25% off your joining fee and free membership until the end of the Financial Year, saving you up to $1,595 *offer expires 30th June 2022

Would you like to be part of one of Australia’s largest flooring cooperatives?

The Australian FloorStyle Cooperative is an established group with 57 members and 65 stores across Australia.

We offer independent flooring retailers, and those who would like to regain their independence, all the benefits of being part of a group, without you losing your independence or identity.

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SMALL JOINING FEE LOW MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP FEES RETAIN YOUR INDEPENDENCE & IDENTITY A COOPERATIVE, NOT A FRANCHISE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES ENHANCED BUYING POWER

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We understand and respect that it’s your business, you run it your way and we will support you as required.

If you want to be part of group with low joining and membership fees, that returns its profits to its members, then Australian FloorStyle would be your perfect choice.

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Easy t o us e

Introducing the new Godfrey Hirst website Our new website has been designed with you and your customers in mind, improving on the key features from our previous website and making it easier to use, as well as updating the platform to to be even more mobile friendly.

All our carpet and hard flooring ranges are now conveniently featured together on the one website that is inspiring for users with larger and more immersive imagery, high resolution swatch images and products showcased in renovations by some of Australia’s leading interior designers.

Inspiring Visit our new website Corsica Oak - 510 Coastal Oak

www.godfreyhirst.com