Flooring Magazine June/July 2021

June / July 2021

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

The future of the Australian flooring industry

I ndustr y D riven Training

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Contents

3

vol 39 no 3

News

Editor’s Note

4

FCIA CEO Update

Eco Partner 12

Spotlight on sustainable hard surfacing

Technical Bulletin 14

Controlling noise with acoustic resilient flooring

Training 18

Apprentice charity workshops

Insurance Matters 20

Contractors, subbies and insurance – what do you think?

Welcome to the June / July issue of Flooring Magazine. Inside this issue you will find our Focus on Australia Feature. As consumer research shows the preference for Australian-made goods continues to increase and we ask the team at the Australian Made Campaign Limited (AMCL) to explain the importance of being recognised as genuinely Australian.

Our Company Profile this month is Australian FloorStyle, a co-operative of independent flooring retailers that have joined together to network; and enjoy better pricing from suppliers. Today, 52 members operate 65 independent stores across Australia. Read our profile to find out how this group differs from most other franchise models by allowing members to not only manage their own business but continue to run it under their company name.

Please feel free to contact me directly regarding any news or product information that you would like us to publish by email at – michelle. cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au

Feature 22

Focus on Australia

Spotlight On

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

38

Andersens – the perfect choice for floorcoverings

Until next time, enjoy your read.

Company Profile

Michelle Cammiade

42

Editor

Australian FloorStyle

Flooring Magazine is now on: @flooringmagazineaustralia

Front Cover Floor Covering Institute of Australia www.fcia.org.au

@flooringmagazine @flooringmagazine

Flooring June/July 2021

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News

4

FCIA CEO Update

W

hat a year we have had. As we close off the financial year it is important to reflect on the fact that the flooring industry escaped relatively unscathed from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic despite multiple lockdowns in Victoria, restricted interstate travel and disruption to retail.

Many FCIA Members report increased business levels because of residential and commercial opportunities to renovate homes, offices and businesses.

Whilst 2020 saw a drop off in apprenticeship take up and forced the postponement of the FCIA apprentice charity workshops, the FCIA has not been idle.

1. 250th apprenticeship enrolment In mid-2020 the FCIA achieved 250 apprentice enrolments in the Certificate III in Flooring Technology delivered by our partner Registered Training Organisations, TFIA Business Services, North Metropolitan TAFE WA, Ai Group Training Services, FCIA Training Academy and TAFE Queensland Skills Tech. We aim to at least double enrolments nationally over the 2021-22 financial year.

3. Learning resources for Certificate III in Flooring Technology From March this year FCIA has begun rolling out accredited learning resources for the Certificate III in Flooring Technology (MSF30818) to our partner TAFE and private RTOs. More than 30 Units of competency have been developed and are being installed on the Canvas Learning Management System. The LMS supports effective and efficient workplace-based training through instant evidence collection and on-line learning via PC or mobile device.

4. Government funded internship in flooring FCIA is working with the National Retail Association to create 150 apprenticeships in the industry via a unique 8 -12-week flooring internship. The internship will attract new candidates to the industry and deliver employability skills, flooring technology skills and approximately 8 weeks works experience with a host employer.

FCIA is inviting retailers, contractors and installers to offer an apprenticeship to successful graduates. T is expected the internship will roll out in September this year.

5. GTO establishment – scheduled for early 2022 Once our new RTO has been established, The FCIA Training Academy will be establishing an industry specific Group Training organisation which will employ apprentice Flooring installers and host them out to FCIA Members as they complete their qualification. This removes the administrative burden from employers and provides field staff/mentors to the host employers and apprentices to ensure they complete their training. Once the apprenticeship is completed, the employer will be encouraged to engage the installer either as a direct employee or sub-contractor.

Garry Thomas, CEO FCIA Ltd

2. Establishment of FCIA Training Academy RTO In January 2021 we formed the first ever Registered Training Organisation for the floorcoverings industry dedicated to apprenticeship training and skills recognition on the Certificate III in Flooring Technology. FCIA Training Academy Ltd (RTO ID 45668) was approved for funding in NSW in March and has already enrolled more than 100 apprentices. Other state / Territory funding applications are currently being assessed by relevant state regulators.

Flooring June/July 2021

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Product Update RFMS releases CRM App RFMS has released a new CRM app for tablet devices and smartphones. Chris Ogden, a director of RFMS Australasia, told Flooring Magazine that this had been an exciting addition to the suite of RFMS mobile solutions for the flooring industry.

6 Chris said that an easy to use and affordable CRM tool had been something he looked for when he ran his flooring business. What he found were tools that were overly complicated and very expensive.

The early feedback he has had from clients is that the RFMS CRM app is easy to use and affordable. So affordable in fact that, “a salesperson more than recovers the annual cost of the app in just one additional sale.”

Chris and his team are looking forward to working with their RFMS clients to help them maximise their sales potential.

“Our RFMS system has long had the Client Management Module, but being PC-based, it lacked the mobility clients have been looking to give their sales teams,” Chris said. “The new RFMS app provides salespeople with all the tools they need to manage sales leads, at the same time integrating with RFMS and Measure Mobile”.

Boral Timber celebrating highgrade Australian hardwood

The new app joins existing apps RFMS Mobile, Measure Mobile, and Mobile Work Orders, all of which integrate with the RFMS business management system to give clients options for mobility.

Boral Timber has relaunched its popular Solid Strip Flooring range as Premier Solid Flooring, utilising an updated grading system which aligns with Boral Timber’s existing decking, cladding, engineered, metallon XL and overlay flooring options/collections.

Premier Solid Flooring celebrates a variety of popular Australian hardwood species including Blackbutt and Spotted Gum. Graded to Standard and Better, the Premier Solid Flooring range includes interesting timber characteristics and showcases subtle natural features suited to both contemporary and traditional design styles.

Save The Date.

FAV’s Annual Gala Awards night is back & bigger than ever in 2021.

When: 7th August 2021 Where: The Plaza Ballroom 191 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Dress Code: Black Tie Flooring Association of Victoria’s 5th annual awards night is an opportunity to celebrate the industry’s resilience and acknowledge flooring excellence.

All enquiries for event sponsorship or to book membership tickets, please contact favawards@gmail.com Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible in 2021.

Come support the industry Victoria!

Flooring June/July 2021

Premier Solid Flooring will make a stand-out feature in residential interiors. Available in a variety of profiles, from standard to wide format, this range will suit consumers looking for a durable flooring option that will add an artisan finish to the home.

According to Leon Travis, Boral Timber general manager - sales and distribution, “The Premier Solid Flooring range meets the new trends Boral Timber has identified in the flooring market. Australian hardwood timbers continue to be a popular flooring choice, and the Standard and Better grading means the boards will feature a sophisticated blend of natural textures such as gum veins, spirals, burls and insect trails, which give the flooring a unique quality.

For further information visit www.boral.com.au/timber

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by Kenbrock

by Kenbrock

Artloc is inspired by natural timbers found throughout Australia, combined with individual embossing chosen to complement each colour. With a 0.5mm heavy duty wear layer and PUR surface protection it is suitable for the busy home and easy to maintain. Artloc is highly resistant to scratching and indentation making it perfect for the ever growing family. It is 100% waterproof giving it the ability to be insalled in all areas of the home creating a seemless look.

www.kenbrock.com.au

VIC 17 Cato Street Hawthorn East VIC 3123 T 03 9765 2222 F 03 9765 2233

QLD 2 Kingsbury Street Brendale QLD 4500 T 07 3881 1000 F 07 3881 3287

WA-NT T 1800 674 145 F 03 9765 2233 TAS-SA T 1800 674 145 F 03 9765 2233 NSW-ACT T 1300 785 000 F 07 3881 3287

Product Update

8

Floor Coverings directories of Australia

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looring Domain is an award-winning online flooring directory providing a direct connection between floor covering business and consumers.

Established in 2017 in Queensland, the platform offers a space where flooring companies can advertise their business services and be found by potential customers. Offering a broad spectrum of valuable tools, companies can share and build their online presence and reputation with customers, promote their products and advertise special offers and seasonal deals.

For Businesses Floorigdomain.com.au has quickly become attractive for many businesses since they each have a fair opportunity to post their services and find potential customer leads.

The platform provides several signup options. It starts with a free listing to all

Flooring June/July 2021

businesses that wants to reduce the costs that companies incur when marketing and advertising their services.

For Brands Finding the right product for any flooring project can be challenging and time consuming. Flooring Domain provides a dedicated web portal for floor covering manufacturers and brands to present and promote their products to customers.

They provide a service that allows customers to browse floor covering options and types, learning about each available product.

There is also an ability to compare products and providers and choose the option that best suits the customer’s needs. A quick click of a button and customers will be directed to a list of local distributors where their chosen product or material can be sourced from, making it an easy and effective process.

For Customers The website also helps as a source where people seeking reliable flooring contractors and companies can shop and compare services and providers through a secure platform, request and receive immediate quotes from multiple businesses or choose a supplier directly form a list.

Flooring Domain acts as an online directory and service marketplace of flooring specialists. Instead of browsing through multiple links searching for the right company, customers can compare different professionals listed on flooringdomain.com. au with a click of a button. When customers post a project on the website, service providers from that local area will generate quotes for the client to consider and choose.

Customers can select the quote that suits their budget and expectations, also checking a business profile for reviews, experience, and legitimacy. Flooringdomain.com. au is changing the way consumers seek floorcoverings materials and services in Australia. Instead of browsing for professionals and spending hours sorting search results, customers can merely list the job request and expect experts to present their quotes and offers. Directories are making service delivery more convenient for businesses and customers.

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Product Update

10

Flooring expertise around the world

F

rom a regional adhesive manufacturer to one of the world's leading manufacturers of system products for the flooring industry; this development has been part of the 110-year corporate history of the Uzin Utz Group.

Since its foundation in 1911, there have been various milestones in the company that have been significant for its success and today's corporate position. One of these milestones was the phasing out of solvents in adhesives in the 1980s - a step that made the Group an absolute pioneer at the time. The constant expansion of Uzin Utz's brands and competencies also contributed to its success. In the meantime, the product range of the Uzin Utz Group contains seven brands: Uzin, Wolff, Pallmann, Arturo, codex, RZ and Pajarito. The products are almost all developed, manufactured and distributed by the Uzin Utz Group itself - this ensures quality standards from production to processing. Customers are thus offered a unique, comprehensive and coordinated range for the installation, renovation and value retention of floors.

Planet. In the first year, particular attention will be paid to Products and Services. Within this thrust, the Uzin Utz Group is pursuing the goal of adapting products, services and business models even more closely to meet local customer needs.

Worldwide flooring expertise Today, the Uzin Utz Group is represented in 51 countries worldwide, 21 of which have their own production or sales companies.

Both the strong position in the home market of Germany and the international presence are to be further expanded in the future. During the companies expansion the sales company Uzin Utz South Pacific was founded in April 2008, which has its head office in Whangaparaoa, New Zealand.

Uzin Utz South Pacific brings flooring knowhow to New Zealand and Australia. With its eight employees and a second representative office in Australia, customers are served through the wholesale network . The Uzin, Wolff and Pallmann brands are distributed locally. Uzin offers installation systems for screed, floor and timber flooring, while Pallmann focuses on timber flooring with its complete range of products for installation, renovation and value restoration. Wolff offers suitable machines and special tools for subfloor preparation and installation of floor coverings.

In line with this, Uzin Utz South Pacific has chosen its annual theme for 2021: KE2000 S. This product is a universal adhesive for all common types of resilient and textile floor coverings. Due to the short curing time and the quality processing properties, the product optimises processing for the user, which in turn satisfies customer needs. This product is rounded off by the property of being solvent-free, which also contributes to the thrust Planet of Passion 2025 and promotes sustainability.

With vision, the Uzin Utz Group continues on this successful path together with its customers, business partners and employees worldwide - true to its motto, "Your floor.

Our passion".

From passion and innovation to success Passion for the floor is written in capital letters in the corporate group strategy.

Passsion 2025 provides guidance for daily activities in four overarching directions: Products and Services, Profit, People and

Flooring June/July 2021

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Wonders in Wool

PEBBLE GRID 4M IN 740 KIMBERLITE

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H

ycraft is a stunning and versatile range of wool carpets for every home. Its natural wool properties provide insulation from the cold in winter. With earthy, muted tones, there’s a luxurious Hycraft carpet for every interior space. From on-trend chunky loop piles, to timeless cut pile twist, we offer a stunning selection of wool carpet that your customers will adore.

If you are looking to add more high-quality wool carpets to your offering, talk to your local Godfrey Hirst account manager about new sampling opportunities.

Eco Partner

12

Spotlight on sustainable hard surfacing

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aturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand and rocks, have been quarried and used for construction work for as long as history can recall. In Australia, hard surfacing products play a significant part in the multi-billion dollar building and construction industry. You can find these materials in homes, schools, hospitals, roads and many other places across the built environment. However, the impacts of hard surfacing on people and planet can be significant, including the energy spent sourcing the raw materials and the adverse effects of quarries and air and water pollutants emitted during the finishing operations.

For example, quarries can be located close to human habitation, leading to noise, vibration, and dust that may impact residents. Stone quarrying can also be disruptive to the balance of wildlife, plant life, and water bodies in the area. In addition, improper methods can remove crucial native vegetation, erosion and pollution of waterways from site run-off.

Considering the size of this industry and the amount of sourced, finished and installed hard surfacing products, it is vital that the critical environmental impacts of this category of products are identified and minimised. The good news is that quarrying, fabrication and testing of hard surfacing products are more sophisticated than ever before, allowing for the establishment of best practice methods to lower the stone industry sector's impacts.

The GECA Hard Surfacing standard seeks to support and reward such efforts. As a result, hard surfacing products that comply with this standard will have considerably lower adverse environmental, social, and health impacts than competitors.

This standard applies to the following categories of hard surfacing products for interior or exterior use, without any structural function, and suitable for use as horizontal or vertical surfacing: • Natural stone • Agglomerated stones • Terrazzo tiles • Ceramic tiles • Clay tiles • Glass tiles

Flooring June/July 2021

Other environmentally innovative hard surfaces that do not directly fit the above categories may be considered for certification, provided the product fulfils the requirements of relevant sections of this standard. In addition, GECA's standards are regularly reviewed, and other categories may be added at a later date.

GECA standards offer global best practice in certification across a range of industries.

When a product is certified with GECA, it means it has been assessed by an independent third-party and met robust environmental, human health and social impact criteria while also proving that it works as promised! These criteria involve the entire lifecycle of the product, from the extraction of raw materials until the end of its life.

Here are just some of the crucial ways that the Hard Surfacing standard ensures that certified products are better for people and planet.

People • Prevents the use of specific hazardous materials and toxic heavy metals such as known carcinogens and mutagens.

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Eco Partner

Be recognised for your sustainability credentials with GECA

• Ensures workers and suppliers through the supply chain can expect fair pay, equal opportunity, and a safe working environment.

Planet • Minimises the impacts of mining and quarrying operations on the surrounding environment.

• Restricts the sourcing of petrochemical products.

• Limits undesirable emissions to water and air.

• Encourages the use of recycled content.

• Requires efficient energy, water and waste management.

• Encourages the recovery, reuse, recycling and responsible disposal of materials and packaging.

Each of GECA's standards is linked to specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations.

The 17 SDGs are an internationally agreed framework for urgent action to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, including Australia. The goals address global challenges, including global inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. Thus, each standard criterion answers specific SDG targets.

The core SDGs covered by GECA's Hard Surfacing standard include: • SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being, • SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, • SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and • SDG 15 Life on Land.

Demonstrate your leadership in sustainability Increase the procurement channels of your products Products certified under this standard can also contribute toward achieving credit points for projects being certified under the Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star Performance tool. In addition, our standard is also recognised by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia's IS Rating Scheme.

Want to have your products GECA certified?

The first step is to submit an application form, receiving in return a no-obligation free quote from our Assurance Provider companies. You will then need to decide which quote and company you would like to go ahead with to conduct the assessment process, which involves a desk-top and onsite audit.

Next, a conformance assessment is conducted, and a verification report is produced. When you have completed your assessment, you will then be awarded a GECA license certificate and the rights to use GECA's ecolabel mark on your certified product to win over consumers looking for a sustainable choice.

Contact GECA today on+61 2 9699 2850 info@geca.org.au or visit www.geca.eco

Comply & be recognised with green building schemes in Australia & globally such as Green Star, WELL, & ISCA Give your business a sustainability advantage Show your products meet world class standards Take advantage of the rapid growth of the green building industry & consumer demand We actively build recognition & promote your business

Get the recognition your products deserve - contact us today!

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Technical Bulletin

14

Controlling noise with acoustic resilient flooring

W

hether at work, or at home, excess noise can become a real nuisance. Incessant noise is not only distracting, affecting productivity and concentration, but it can manifest in physical ailments. People who live and work in noisy environments tend to be more likely to develop harmful health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and mental health stress.

Noise-reducing solutions are becoming commonplace and mandatory in domestic and commercial properties. There is now an expectation that all buildings will incorporate solutions that effectively deal with excess noise in a room and below or next to rooms in multilevel buildings.

Proper sound control especially in Figure 1 Acoustic Sheet flooring functional layers

educational, office and health environments is critical.

Sound is a form of energy and comes in the form of sound waves and different sounds have different wave lengths. Our ears pickup sound when the waves stimulate tiny hair cells in the inner ear and vibrations become sound via the hearing nerve.

Figure 1. Acoustic Sheet flooring functional layers Acoustics and resilient flooring.

What does this have to do with acoustic resilient flooring, quite a lot. The building code of Australia have set minimum requirements and acoustic parameters around reverberation, reflection, and absorption. Flooring plays a large part in all situations. In short two types of noise are key, in room airborne noise and impact/ structure borne noise (walking, dropping or dragging objects) creating audible vibrations through the floor to a below or an adjacent room. Sound is measured in decibels (dB) and for impact noise, Australia and New Zealand have adopted the measurement called the weighted standardised impact sound pressure level LnT, W. Along with the building code there is also the star rating system provided by the Association of Australian Acoustical

Flooring June/July 2021

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acoustic vinyl Acoustic. Design. Speed. Performance Forbo Flooring proudly presents the new and diverse Sarlon acoustic vinyl collection. Over 90 designs and colour options suitable for any space, whether it be education, multi-level buildings or health and aged care. Visuals in wood, concrete, terrazzo, doodle and digital. The diversity continues in product engineering with compact acoustic (15 dB), acoustic (19 dB) and adhesive free options.

The NEW collection offers superior stain resistance properties with the new XtremePUR™ surface finish for excellent protection against stains, scuffs, and scratches along with enhanced R10 slip resistant properties.

To find out more about our acoustic flooring solutions, please visit: www.forbo-flooring.com.au/acoustic-collection

creating better environments

Technical Bulletin

16

Consultants (AAAC) who provide a commonsense tool for body corporates and unit owners for multilevel buildings. Only an AAAC member can provide a certificate.

The lower the LnT,W result the better the product and rating. The code requires the building without flooring to have an LnT,W of 62 or lower and a good resilient flooring system ideally will have an LnT,W in the mid to low forties. The results are tested via on site acoustic testing using a calibrated tapping machine and sound metres in the room below. Each building is different, with various slab thicknesses and ceiling void spaces impacting on the result. This is why reliable products are key and should deliver the same result every time.

Figure 2. Acoustic and Functional layers What makes a good acoustic resilient floor?

Acoustic resilient flooring is engineered to perform and does not always involve adding an additional cushioned backing to a product. The engineering through the product and its various layers play a key part. Forbo produce acoustic flooring in France, think Paris, row upon row of apartment buildings. The Forbo acoustic testing lab is built on the Forbo production site and is an accredited testing laboratory.

Each part of the product has functional layers that work to dampen and absorb vibrations while providing dimensional stability for foot or wheeled traffic above.

The thicker the product the larger the indentation from heavy objects, so the engineering needs to be right. Allura Flex LVT is one example where numerous functional layers providing a surface that

Flooring June/July 2021

does not transmit sound energy and is quiet to use in room when compared with timber, laminates and tiles.

In-room noise generated from using the floor is also key especially in educational environments with many feet pounding the floor at once. Acoustic resilient flooring is becoming the norm in schools and with new recommendations in healthcare guidelines to remove carpet in patient care areas and replace with acoustic resilient options.

Installation - Dedicated acoustic flooring products are generally easy to install and often are direct stuck to the subfloor. Where an underlay is used there is more complexity with double installation and making sure all parts are compatible.

Purpose built acoustic products such as Sarlon acoustic sheet and Flex will often

only require direct stick to the subfloor (always check the building performance).

Compact vinyls or LVT on underlays need to have joins offset and where compact linoleum is used, make sure that corkment underlay is used with the hessian side facing up, using linoleum adhesive to bond both floorcoverings together. Where vinyl and Sali Acoustic / Vinyl base underlay is used together bond both floorcoverings together using a plasticiser resistant vinyl adhesive.

Always check with the floor manufacturer what underlays are acceptable to use or warranties may not apply.

Welding acoustic vinyls always use a P groover not a triangular head. Groove through to the top of the foam layer. Weld temperatures should not be too high and weld trimming done in two parts to allow the weld to cool and not damage the wear layer.

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Training

18

Apprentice Charity Workshop – Ronald McDonald House Hobart

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t the end of May 2021, the FCIA conducted its first Apprentice Charity Workshop in Tasmania.

The workshop was held at Ronald McDonald House Hobart from 23 to 28 May 2021 and was phase 1 of 3 phases scheduled for this house. Ronald McDonald House Hobart provides a home-away-from-home for families who need to travel long distances to care for their child at Royal Hobart Hospital. Ten flooring apprentices attended this workshop and re-floored the playroom, kitchen, pantry, storeroom, laundry and two bathrooms on the ground floor to give them a consistent, modern and fresh feel.

The apprentices worked hard to replace the old floors with new vinyl planks, commercial vinyl as well as learning new skills in templating, coving and welding.

The apprentices that attended this workshop did an amazing job and should feel incredibly proud of the work that was completed.

The support from Tasmanian flooring employers was incredible and shows the overwhelming commitment they have to training young people in a trade that will allow them to flourish and ensure the industry continues to grow strong.

On behalf of The Carpet Company, I would like to thank all involved in providing the workshop and support of our apprentices.

Tim Hyland – Choices Flooring Burnie I believe the future of the flooring industry relies on well trained and qualified, professional installers. This can only be achieved by suppliers, manufacturers, employers and training academy working together to provide a professional platform to attract young people into the trade.

All of this would not have been possible without the support of the following businesses and people: • Ronald McDonald House Charities • Flooring employers • MJS Floorcoverings • Armstrong • Industry trainers • Onsite supervisor • Apprentices Thank you all so much for your continued support.

Fiona Wischnewski – National Training Manager - FCIA Rosie Foale– The Carpet Company It was a great opportunity for our four apprentices to get involved from start to finish in a floor renovating workshop for such a worthy charity as Ronald McDonald House in Hobart through FCIA. Being recognised for the quality of work they produced during the workshop further boosted their confidence and they really enjoyed the experience and meeting other apprentices.

Flooring June/July 2021

My apprentices and I came away with positive thoughts, made new friends, learnt new skills and thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

Ronald McDonald House Hobart RMHC VIC and TAS are so fortunate to have the relationship with FCIA. For our Hobart House we had been needing our flooring replaced for many years. From first contact with Chris and Fiona, we knew we would be in great hands. From emails to phone calls, they answered any questions and offered support regularly before the start date.

It was an absolute pleasure having the team in House for the week 24-28 May. The great rapport that Chris and Mark had with the apprentices was so evident on a daily basis and it was a pleasure to watch and listen to the teaching.

Overall, FCIA were professional, kept to schedule and most of all we love the result and we really look forward to moving on to Phase 2!

Fiona Millerchip – Acting House Manager – Ronald McDonald House Hobart.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Insurance Matters

20

Contractors, subbies and insurance – what do you think?

How do you keep an eye on your contractors – are they even contractors?

Like many carpet and flooring retailers, the attention given to the contractors they hand work out to is focused on quality of workmanship and reliability. This is great to ensure that the end user, the customer, is happy with the work done, after all they are dealing with your store, your business, so if something isn’t up to scratch, the flooring retailer is usually the first to hear about it.

Do you know the difference between a flooring contractor and a deemed employee when it comes to the definition by the Australian Tax Office, your States Workers Compensation providers, or your public liability insurer? Many times, this position is not used in its true defined form and this can lead to all sorts of complications should something go wrong. Getting the right advice here is crucial to ensure your business doesn’t suffer financially.

How do you keep track of your contractors’ insurances?

Retailers often have basic in-house systems to diarise and follow up contractors to ensure they hold continuous cover, but this can be time consuming and misleading.

Flooring June/July 2021

Many times, it isn’t even done and often the flooring retailer may not understand the full cover of the insurance they have been provided by the contractor, nor if it has any exclusions or endorsements or even what the excess options are. What if the contractor got an insurance certificate but never ended up paying for it – it lapses, and the retailer is none the wiser. This happens a lot.

Should we note our business on all contractor public liability policies?

Yes, there is always provision for the principal flooring retailer to be noted for “respective rights and interests” and it is definitely recommended.

Can a flooring retailer still be liable for any damage caused or other claim bought about by a contractor or sub-contractor?

Yes, they can and it will be up to the policy wording of your insurer as to how any such claim is handled and what they may deem to be a ‘vicarious’ loss.

What insurance does a truly defined contractor need?

From the principal retailer’s perspective, it is absolute that a public liability policy is in force for a limit at least no less than what they themselves carry. Also, an appropriate workers compensation policy must be in force for any of the contractor’s employees.

Where a contractor is a sole trader they are unable to obtain workers compensation on themselves – this is also where much is misunderstood about what is a deemed employee – in effect the labour component of the sole trader contractor should, in most states, be declared as wages for workers compensation purposes.

What if a contractor injures themselves whilst working?

This can create its own headaches if the principal/contractor relationship is not clearly defined and this can come down to, once again, the definition of what a contractor is. In cases where a contractor is injured on a job site and a worker’s compensation claim is made, the contractor may also make a civil claim under the public liability policy held by the flooring retailer. Excesses for this type of claim can reach up to $25,000 and they may not have much of a say on the matter.

How do I check my contractor relationship?

The term contractor is often used loosely under the assumption that the principal gains an advantage by contracting work out. This can be the case, but not in every case. The best solution is seeking the right advise. Advise is crucial to ensure that your business doesn’t fall through an insurance crack when things go wrong. Make sure you rectify it now.

FloorInsure offer a free Flooring Contractor Monitoring Service where we take the hassle out of checking up on your contractors – call or email us for more information. For further information or clarification please contact us at insure@floorinsure.com.au

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22 Research shows a surge of support for Australian-made

Feature

Article by Australian Made

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onsumer research shows the preference for Australian-made goods continued to increase in 2020, with Roy Morgan Research finding 93% of Australians are more likely to buy products made in Australia – up from 87% a year earlier.

Australian Made Chief Executive, Ben Lazzaro, said Roy Morgan’s latest research comes as no surprise, as more and more Australians are looking to the green and gold Australian Made logo to find authentic Australian-made goods.

“While Australia’s over-reliance on imported products has been highlighted in recent times, it has also brought into sharp focus the many benefits of buying Australian. As a result, there has been a significant increase in consumer appetite for Aussie products - Roy Morgan’s research highlights this demand,” said Mr Lazzaro.

“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. The easiest way to ensure you’re buying genuine Australian products and supporting local businesses and jobs is to look for the green and gold kangaroo logo.”

Administered by Australian Made Campaign Limited (AMCL), a not-for-profit public company, the Australian Made logo is Australia’s most trusted, recognised and widely used country of origin symbol. Known as the true mark of Aussie authenticity, the iconic green and gold kangaroo is underpinned by a third-party accreditation

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system which ensures products that carry the logo are certified as ‘genuinely Australian’.

Almost all Australians (99%) are aware of the Australian Made logo, with the vast majority (92%) confident products displaying the logo are made in Australia.

97% of Australians also associate the iconic kangaroo logo with the support of local jobs and employment opportunities, 95% with safe and high-quality products, 89% with ethical labour and 78% with sustainability.

Last month, AMCL launched its first ever Australian Made Week to emphasise the impact shoppers’ purchases can have. If every household spent an additional $10 a week on Australian Made products, it would inject an extra $5 billion into the economy each year and create up to 11,000 new jobs.

Mr Lazzaro said, “Manufacturing is an essential part of our economy. Every Australian Made product purchased directly supports a sector of 900,000 people and thousands of businesses across the supply chain. One job in manufacturing produces three to four jobs in other parts of the economy—the knock-on effects are enormous.

Australian Made Week was an excellent opportunity to celebrate all the great things we make and grow, but it’s important we commit to reassessing our shopping habits and prioritising Aussie products on a more permanent basis.

Around 4000 companies are registered to use the Australian Made logo across more than 20,000 products sold here and around the world. Visit Australia’s biggest online directory of genuine Aussie products - www. australianmade.com.au If being recognised as genuinely Australian is important to selling your products, certify them to carry the iconic Australian Made, Australian Grown logo starting from just $300 plus GST for a licence.

There is an Australian option in nearly every product category - from tough building materials to quality furniture and bedding, high-end health products and world-class fitness equipment.”

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Positive spaces - better products, happier people, healthier planet

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nterface’s Works Series has one vision, to work smarter together for every space.

With an exciting sequence of intelligent designs, they have the power to move people emotionally through a space.

format. Texture is grouped with height variation to create smart, layering effects and a sense of moving forward. Works Unite is the intuitive way of creating spaces where opposites attract, beautifully.

Smart thinking on colour, texture and pattern makes Works Series work seamlessly with other Interface collections. So, the flow of your ideas will never stop expanding and moving forward.

Works Eon. Tone, texture, timeless Travelling through the unending space of time, not defined by a moment, classics are born. Works Eon captures that ethereal flowing nature of the cosmos, creating timeless spaces. Merging durable, handwoven textures with seamless, organic patterns, Works Eon is here creating exciting new possibilities. With a minimalist profile

Each Works Series tile will prove to be the smart move for our planet’s future too. As with every Interface product, they are carbon neutral, so they can help you lower your carbon footprint with one positive step.

achieved by a dense construction, not only is it designed to look good, it’s designed to last.

Works Atom. Unusual Genius Look very closely. You will see that the true genius of large, human or natural structures, is that they are created from the tiniest elements. Like particles, the random, small patterns of Works Atom create detailed accents to capture attention. A sequence of structurally brilliant designs, each Works Atom tile works smarter to make every spatial idea come to life and inspire in unusual ways. web www.interface.com

Works Stream. Intelligence flows When you see bright minds working at their peak, thoughts seem to flow easily.

Freed by the sparks of inspiration, greater forces appear to be at work. By inspiring free movement in a space, people think and feel more connected. Everything flows smoothly when real collaboration is encouraged.

Creating directions through flowing patterns, Works Stream is the smarter way to create quiet, comfortable spaces where the smartest thinking and work-streams can come together.

Works Unite. Innovative differences Naturally opposing views can create true moments of innovation. Free flowing thoughts, emerging from an ideation session, will blur all lines to really push the envelope. When such individual contributions brilliantly combine, real feelings of group unity develop. Everyone owns the idea. In a similar way, Works Unite innovatively fuses contrasting, linear and organic patterns, seamlessly merging them into a plank

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Works Stream

Works series.

Work smarter.

Great design.

Great value.

Works Unite Introducing the new Works Series, designed to work smarter together for every space. Every detail of Works Series works smarter to give greater versatility and drive value at the same time. Combined with your ideas, each floor can create +Positive spaces™ which help their users thrive by letting them live, work, learn and regain inspiration every day.

As with every Interface product, the Works Series is carbon neutral through our Carbon Neutral Floors™ program, helping you lower your carbon footprint with one positive step.

Find out more at www.interface.com Works Eon

+Positive spaces™

Better products. Happier people. Healthier planet.

Works Atom

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Floorex - 25 years servicing the Australian market

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his year at Floorex Products the Satellite concrete grinder celebrated its 15th anniversary of production in Australia. The satellite concept was originally developed by bolting cup wheels to worn-out diamond plugs. Realising the productive and durable nature of this system, the machine was developed further to include a floating dust shroud and the first Satellite rolled off the production line in February 2006.

Many of the design features that made the Satellite an instant success remain, such as the floating dust shroud, a design years ahead of its time, keeping workers safe from what we now know is a life-threatening disease, respiratory crystalline silica. New features like the HVA screen greatly assist productivity.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of servicing the Australian market with concrete surface preparation equipment. Shotblasting was the original focus, and Floorex still remains passionate about servicing and supplying this specialist market. As well as manufacturing, Floorex repairs specialist floor prep equipment like shotblasters.

Today, the third generation of Satellite is manufactured in Victoria, with five different sizes rolling off the production line and many variations available to order.

Floorex has a commitment to continuous improvement, and innovative design changes are regularly made, with a new generation of grinders on the horizon.

In May 2019, the Australian Made Campaign Ltd accredited the Satellite as Australian Made, as well as much of the Floorex range of scarifiers, floor scrapers, and dust extractors. This move stood Floorex in good stead when the global pandemic hit, as most parts are made locally. Even so, irregular supply of some specialised parts from Europe and Asia impact production and development. Floorex remains committed to source Australian made components. web www.floorex.com.au

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Feature Polivac leading the world in quality and innovation Polivac’s journey started in 1949 as a small Australian manufacturing company, with an aim to arm the flooring and cleaning industry with machines that excel in performance, quality, and safety. They made persistent efforts to turn their vision into reality, starting from investing in continuous research and development to improving operational efficiency, building strong relationships with key suppliers and running an efficient distribution network.

Their product range varies from sanders, polishers, carpet extraction machines to scrubbers. With over 70 years of knowledge and expertise, Polivac has managed to meticulously design heavy-duty sanding machines. The Polivac range includes the slow-speed SV25 Supervac and high-speed SV30 Supervac vacuum sanders, Polivibe oscillating floor sander, slow-speed SV25 and high-speed SV30 Sandivac floor sanders.

Polivac Supervac Vacuum Sanders are packed with features that aid in executing tough sanding jobs. The slow-speed SV25 Supervac Vacuum sander is powered with a 1.1 kw, 4 pole motor and a188 rpm pad speed. The high-speed SV30 Supervac Vacuum sander is powered with 1.5 kw, 2 pole motor and 364 rpm pad speed. Both these vacuum sanders are equipped with a 400-watt long life motor which is fitted into the vacuum canister along with a by-pass dust separator for superior dust extraction,

making it easy to separate and remove dust as compared to standard sanders. Now there is no need to vacuum after your tough sanding job as these machines clean the mess while sanding. All Polivac sanders are fitted with extra weight that provide downward pressure to ensure sanding work is done effectively.

Both Supervac sanders can be used for scrubbing after switching off the vacuum motor. The SV25 slow speed Supervac sander can also be used for stripping applications enabling multiple jobs with one versatile machine.

The Oscillating Polivibe Sander is a new generation machine, that was designed after extensive research for the changing industry requirements. This sander is powered with a 1.1 kw motor and provides an oscillating speed of 2850 oscillations per minute.

It is equipped with pivot point design for better distribution of weight and fitted with an additional weight for increased downward pressure and improved sanding efficiency. You can also add a vacuum system which makes it easy to vacuum while sanding.

During these unprecedented times the team at Polivac has worked hard to meet the increased demand and support their local community. Their Melbourne facility has been able to quickly supply quality machines at the time of need. web www.polivac.com.au

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Safe Travels – providing mobility access at home Australian Accessories with BBS Australia’s local installation products maker

carpet and vinyl and to provide modest ramping where these floor coverings differ in height by up to 8mm.

As Australia’s local maker of floor covering installation products, BBS strives to serve the direct needs of our many local installers. We are often asked by our customers to provide installation solutions for new floor coverings that come on the market, as well as better solutions for older style installations.

These older style trims would still work fine if modern homes had remained static and if we only used vinyl and tile abutting to stretch carpet. But as we know floor coverings have become much more complex and diverse and are now having to deal with a collection of many types in any dwelling.

Traditional ripple bars and coverstrips are a prime example of a slightly dated installation product that could benefit from a modern update.

Polished timbers or ceiled concrete can butt to vinyl sheet, tile, plank or hybrid and all with different heights variations. Thinner floating floors cover entrance ways, while thicker ceramic tiles appear in kitchens, wet areas and sometimes flow into outdoor living spaces. Carpets and even carpet tile cover stairs, halls and bedrooms…. and the list goes on.

The rise of a greater number and variety of floor coverings used in modern homes creates more joins to cover and a wider variety of height steps to traverse. Every time a floor covering meets another there is a gap to be filled, floor covering edges to be protected, and a height step to be ramped and traversed.

Ripple bars and coverstrips have been widely used by a generation of installers as cover-all trim in domestic installations. They were originally designed to seal the joins between

Flooring June/July 2021

Because of the variety and diversity of the floor coverings we are consuming the transition between them has becoming more complex. It is increasingly difficult to maintaining optimal access, and managing any trip or slip hazards, if all you have to choose from were the traditional ripple bars and coverstrips.

As we look for solutions to this modern dilemma we also need to consider the rising

standards and public expectations for safer slip resistant products and for better access for the mobility impaired (i.e. those people in wheel chairs or who walk with assistance, or whose vision is impaired).

While standards are expressed commercially, and in institutional buildings, they are not heavily mandated in domestic homes. That doesn’t mean that the trend toward better and safer access should be ignored in the home - after all good mobility access is vital everywhere, and no one should trip or slip in any environment.

In theory the best technical solution would be to install broad flat ramps with shallow gradients at each and every floor covering join. As the height step between the floor coverings increased this ramp should need to get wider so that the gradient did not also increase. Such ramps would provide smooth access to the mobility impaired with little chance of creating trip or slip hazards.

But this solution is too bulky and impractical in people’s homes where most homeowners want to display their floor coverings while minimising the impact of the transition trims.

So here lies a critical contradiction that we need to resolve. On one hand we observe a growing variety of floor coverings at varying heights, and a greater need for safe transitions between them, while on the other there is a strong reluctance by many homeowners to use bulky trims.

Our way through this contradiction is to look for better design alternatives.

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But what standards should we aim for?

We feel that a P3 rating is the minimum acceptable slip standard for home environments, and that any new trim should also meet the design standards outlined in AS1428.1, Design for Access and Mobility.

The trim you choose depends on the height step you wish or overcome, with the narrowest of these trims used on the flat or with shallow gradients, and the wider trims for higher steps.

A rounded glass-bead was chosen as a non-slip insert for use in the home because it provides marvellous slip resistance (P5) without any aggressive sharpness that can pull at on socks or bare skin.

What we are aiming for then is a non-slip surface, rated P3 or greater, on gentle and straight gradient, (i.e. one that is non-ripped or curved), that can cope with height steps up to 12-15mm.

This range fits with the design principles documented in AS1428.1, Design for Access and Mobility, which enables people with mobility or visual impairments to traverse from one floor covering to another safely.

BBS’s solution was to design a new range of narrow transition strips shown below, that take a P5 non-slip insert in a variety for colours that blend in with the background floor covering.

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BBS Flooring Products

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RLA – Supporting the Australian made story

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n challenging times RLA’s invests in people, technologies and its manufacturing footprint; supporting the Australian made story and the future of local manufacturing for the flooring industry.

RLA Polymers reflects on the recent industry challenges faced over the course of the pandemic and the measures taken to ensure surety of supply for local production to keep pace with construction demand. RLA’s management team, led by Troy Hogan, have adapted and risen to the challenges presented. Troy summed it up this way, “Supply chains are challenging, however, every week we continue to invest and expand our Australian manufacturing operations, building capacity into our system”.

In addition to expanding capacity, RLA’s procurement teams continual work with its supply chain partners, ensured RLA maintained adequate levels of raw materials in a stressed supply chain environment.

Troy also commented, “The strength of our operations ensures we continue to manufacture a range of adhesives and SLC’s as well as many other building and construction products throughout our four Australian manufacturing facilities, meeting our customer demands both locally and internationally”.

recent acquisitions in WA and SA will also see further investment in these markets as well. Hogan commended the board for its support in investment and went onto to say; “these strategic investments shore up the future for RLA as a dominant local producer of cementitious and polymeric compounds delivering value to all Australian flooring industry stakeholders”.

Navigating its way through this challenging landscape, RLA Polymers continues to invest in its local manufacturing footprint. RLA’s national business flooring manager Brent Cartwright excitedly explains, “We’ve broken ground on our new Sydney manufacturing facility and the plant will be commissioned in Q1 2022”. Cartwright went on to say, our new Sydney site has both emulsion and powder mixing capabilities. The plant facilitates state of the art manufacturing equipment and allows RLA to double its current production output.

Brent also explained due to the company’s rapid growth rate, commencing 2022, RLA will also be upgrading its plant in Kilsyth as well as beginning a Greenfield development, replacing its current Brisbane facility. RLA’s

RLA also continues to invest in human capacity, Brent explains “our technical team has recently been bolstered with new editions that are experts in their fields. This includes epoxies and moisture cured technologies for moisture suppression systems, floor coatings, membranes, adhesives and sealants”. In addition, RLA’s marketing team has extensive expertise in design, print, merchandise and digital to ensure core activities are broadcasted to its growing customer base. RLA’s growing marketing team are an integral part of the business and play an important role in the growth and success of the company.

Emerging technologies are core to RLA’s continual innovation program and in more recent times, they have enabled a broad and extensive product and system offering.

Hogan summarised RLA’s innovation program by saying, “our technical team, design and engineer solutions (to support local conditions) with the latest advances in material science. This is recognised as RLA’s core competency and drives our competitive advantage, delivering value to all key markets.” Hogan also commented, “There is a very clear distinction between imitation and innovation!” web www.rlapolymers.com.au

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So, what’s the big deal about underlay?

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or most people it is looked at as an after though or just a necessary component of having carpet installed.

You don’t see it, but you certainly do feel it and the comfort it provides you under foot day in and day out. You can have the most luxurious carpet but unless the underlay supporting it will last and keep its shape, it is all for nothing.

It has become more and more challenging in today’s market to source raw materials but the team at Underlay King have partnerships in place with suppliers of high-quality materials. They are committed to supplying the highest quality product possible and put more foam into their rolls to consistently achieve the density required for a superior product.

Underlay King are very proud to be the only Australian owned and made manufacturer of underlay in the country. They stay true to their values of keeping locals employed and looking after the environment now and for future generations. They reuse and recycle wherever possible and offer their customers a scrap pick up service when delivering their new rolls so that nothing goes to waste or landfill.

Their foam underlay products are used extensively in high rise buildings, hotels, apartments, schools and of course in the residential building industry throughout Australia. They have an abundance of stock available across their standard product range for both domestic and commercial use.

Flooring June/July 2021

Integrity 7 Gold 7mm / 120kg m3 / 15mt roll Integrity 8 Blue 8mm / 75kg m3 / 15mt roll Integrity 9 Yellow 9mm / 90kg m3 / 15mt roll

Integrity 10 Green 10mm / 90kg m3 / 15mt roll Integrity 11 Gold 11mm / 120kg m3 / 10mt roll 5mm & 7mm dual bond

Great news, it is now even easier for you to get your hands on underlay.

Underlay King are very excited to announce that they have teamed up with Intafloors Trade Depot and partners to distribute their products in New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

Contact their sales staff directly on (03) 9408-9522 or info@underlayking.com. au if you would like further information on their products or to find your nearest Intafloors Trade Depot dealer go to www.intafloors.com.au web www.underlayking.com.au

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YOUR CARPET IS NOTHING WITHOUT HIGH QUALITY UNDERLAY SUPPORTING IT! EXPERIENCE OUR INDUSTRY LEADING COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC FOAM UNDERLAY RANGE

100% Australian Owned & Made Phone: (03) 9408-9522 www.underlayking.com.au

Fax: (03) 9408-9544 info@underlayking.com.au

Reclaimed Recycled Recyclable

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Godfrey Hirst Australian head office Godfrey Hirst showcases its Relaxing Floors Carpet Plank Collection at its head office in South Geelong.

The history of the Godfrey Hirst company dates to 1865, a textile manufacturing success story that grew exponentially from the 1960s, when the McKendrick family introduced local manufacturing of broadloom and modular carpet tile and the importation of on-trend hard flooring from around the globe.

In 2018, the Godfrey Hirst business was acquired by Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company, which positively expanded the product offering and capability of the company on a truly global scale.

Today, Godfrey Hirst has production, distribution and sales facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand supporting over 960 Australian and New Zealand employees and their families. One such site, is an

historical wool store, built in 1874 that sits within the South Geelong operations on the banks of the Barwon River. This incredible old wool store was operated as a very humble head office for Godfrey Hirst Australia.

After the challenges of 2020 and employees working from home for much of the year, the Godfrey Hirst team set out to revive

the beauty of the original wool store and transform their head office to maximise the collaboration, creativity, and innovation that work-from-work best provides.

Employee wellbeing and architectural integrity were mandatories in a finished design that features a Covid-safe open plan central hub, re-exposed brickwork and pitched wooden ceiling, accentuated original timber trusses, an array of living plant life, and the rediscovery of natural light that now reaches all corners of the building thanks to the refurbished external windows and floor to ceiling Manhattan-style black steel internal window framing for all offices.

With sustainability at the heart of Godfrey Hirst’s business, any hardwood, glass or other reusable or recyclable materials that were no longer needed in the building were carefully sorted and sent off for responsible disposal and repurpose. Godfrey Hirst is soon to announce its voluntary net carbon neutrality of all operations right across Australia, certified under the Climate Active program. 36

Flooring June/July 2021

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Designing for Education Environments With so many interior elements to consider in education spaces, let us be your experts in flooring.

Flooring can be used to support a multitude of goals within a space. Mix and match patterns to create zones for focused work and quiet time or use bold colours to enhance play zones or collaborative areas.

GH Commercial have been covering all areas of education facilities for decades. From classrooms, corridors and libraries to common rooms, computer labs and multi-purpose spaces, we offer high performance, healthy and beautiful flooring solutions.

Presenting practical features like acoustic performance, comfort, low VOCs and safety underfoot, our education flooring solutions include Declare Red List Free, Global GreenTag certified and Australian Made products for a locally sourced option.

Need Education Flooring Solutions?

Contact your local representative to order sampling and discuss your next education project.

AU: 1300 444 778 | NZ: 0800 500 210 ghcommercial.com

Earthen Carpet Tiles - Made in Australia

Feature This includes all activity at its new head office, where the carbon emitted by every laptop, every employee commute, every lunchbreak and more is offset each year by way of local reforestation, and renewable energy projects abroad.

Naturally, the carpet and flooring were an integral aspect of the design. Godfrey Hirst set out to recognise the well-known power of biophilia and link the space with the natural environment. And what better floor to achieve this than the carpet tiles from the Relaxing Floors Collection available from GH Commercial (the commercial flooring arm of Godfrey Hirst in Australia and New Zealand).

Relaxing Floors are specially designed to incorporate fractals, a term for the infinite and random patterns found in nature such as leaves and trees. Fractals have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve the wellbeing of those around

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36 them and in this case gives occupants eyes a break from the digital world and deliver the essence of nature to the office. This visual language is the core of Relaxing Floors, a Declare Red List Free certified carpet tile system designed by 13&9 Design in collaboration with Fractals Research and the team at Mohawk Group.

With four products, each with eight distinctive colourways, Relaxing Floors offers seemingly limitless layout options to transform workplace and multi-residential spaces. Godfrey Hirst’s Australian design team did just that, with a custom-coloured

compilation of ChillD, MellowD and RestD carpet tiles in a bespoke layout that also incorporated Fractal Ground to provide a visual break from the complex cohesion of hero patterns. Inspired by the plumage of owls, Flight in Western Screech from the Mohawk Owls Collection also cleverly delineates offices from the central open plan hub with a series of visually seamless walkways. All tied off with wet areas adorned in a terrazzo inspired Mysto vinyl plank from IVC Commercial.

Now manufactured and stocked locally, the Relaxing Floors Collection provides greater pattern capability and colour placement, pinpoint stitch accuracy for a durable and custom tile and plank offering. Visit www.ghcommercial.com or contact your GH Commercial representative to order sampling and discuss your next commercial project. web www.ghcommercial.com

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Introducing the Makinex top three

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he Makinex flooring range provides products that assist flooring contractors achieve improved efficiencies and quality in floor removal, floor filling and floor levelling. There is a product available to support you at every stage of your flooring job.

Removal With many flooring jobs there is often an element of removal before the job starts and no one wants to lay flooring onto a rough uneven surface.

Stop struggling or bending when handling heavy jackhammers with the Jackhammer Trolley. The Trolley carries the majority of the jackhammers weight with you positioned behind it. It is suitable for most 16kg jackhammers and removes existing flooring or underlayment to begin preparation of the base.

The Vinyl Floor Stripper is an industrial machine designed to remove a variety of flooring materials. It is a great addition to the Jackhammer and removes cementitious screed or flexible adhesive.

Both of these products have been known to reduce fatigue, increase speed of removal and preparation and minimise damage to the substrate.

Filling and levelling The Makinex Mixing Station is the ultimate mixing solution for self-levelling cements, compounds and epoxies, producing a perfect mix every time. It is extremely maneuverable and enables efficient hands-free mixing and fast precision pouring of materials. It can mix up to 100kg (220lbs) batches in as little as three minutes and includes a dust/splash reduction cover for safer use and less mess. web www.makinex.com.au R

Flooring products that save you time and money

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Flooring June/July 2021

makinex.com.au

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Spotlight On

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Andersens – the perfect choice for floorcoverings Who we are and why would an existing flooring store join Andersens?

Andersens CEO, Rowan Hodge “Contact with our network face to face is especially important, with me personally visiting stores 2-3 times a year and our support staff visiting more often” says Hodge.

“Buying a new business is risky and stressful. That’s why business owners deserve such a lot of respect. And it is why we want to do whatever we can to help. We really believe that it is our job to help franchisees grow their wealth. Joining a franchise is a great way to reduce risk, and to profit from systems, processes and brand power. But we never let ourselves forget that it is the

Flooring June/July 2021

support and camaraderie of a community of like-minded individuals that franchisees love. When we look out for one another and support one another, we all win. This is something everyone in the Andersens family whole heartedly believes.”

“As franchisors, we can be a trusted advisor, or coach, or even servant!” he says with a laugh.

“Because at the end of the day, a Franchisor can only exist because of its franchisees. It’s in our interest that our franchisees are successful. It helps that the flooring category is performing strongly in the short term due to the home improvement boom, and the long-term outlook is excellent based on forecast

population growth, but trust and loyalty are critical in any climate.”

Buyer power With 50 stores and growing nationally, Andersens delivers exceptional buying power and supply chain support for the network to ensure that stores are competitive whilst maintaining profitability Real advise and quality products With over 60 years’ experience in the business and over 50 conveniently located stores, Andersens are the biggest flooring retailer in QLD and Northern NSW. An additional 5 stores are currently either under construction or in the design phase and all will open by October with additional units 40 opening by years end.

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Spotlight On

With Queensland’s biggest warehouse at their disposal, and the only Franchise Network to have its own Warehouse you can be sure you will get the product you want, when you want it.

Every budget is catered for at Andersens.

Thanks to their outstanding buying power, they won’t be beaten on price. And, for complete peace of mind, they have a full suite of guarantees in place, including their exclusive ‘100 Day Peace of Mind’ and ‘Life of Your Carpet Installation Guarantee’. No wonder they are one of the most respected names in floor coverings.

Guarantees If you are not satisfied with the product, the team at Andersens are not satisfied. So, they have put in place some special guarantees to give you peace of mind, ranging from the 100 Day Peace of Mind Guarantee to the life of the carpet installation guarantee.

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Every budget is catered for at Andersens. Thanks to their outstanding buying power, they won’t be beaten on price.

And, for complete peace of mind, they have a full suite of guarantees in place, including their exclusive ‘100 Day Peace of Mind’ and ‘Life of Your Carpet Installation Guarantee’.

AR visualiser App Want to make your inspiration a reality?

Download the Andersens augmented reality visualiser and start designing from home today.

What customers say The staff are extremely friendly and responsive to your requirements. Cannot fault their service. I am very happy with the end result; the layers were very.

David Blake Would highly recommend Andersen’s Aspley for all your flooring. The professionalism shown from the manager Donna to Darren who quoted and the wonderful and friendly.

Vicki Donovan My husband and I have had the best experience at Anderson's Aspley. Donna was amazing, nothing was too much trouble.

Pam Ellsum For more information on how to become a member of the Andersens Network, please reach out to Dean Lightfoot on 0408 067 439 or email dlightfoot@andersens.com.au

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Company Profile

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Flooring with a Passion Story by Philip Ashley Australian FloorStyle group started in 1984 as the ‘Blue Ribbon’ Group. Australian FloorStyle is a co-operative of independent flooring retailers that have joined together to network; and enjoy better pricing from suppliers.

Today, 52 members operate 65 independent stores across Australia.

Australian FloorStyle is a co-operative of independent flooring retailers; it is not a franchise. It exists for the benefit of its members and as such, for the benefit of their

customers. What sets Australian FloorStyle apart is that every store is independent and is able to buy and sell any product at any price. It offers its members the opportunity to conduct their business the way they want, and for their benefit. While there are guidelines, there are no hard and fast rules.

Since changing their name from Blue Ribbon in 1996, Australian FloorStyle has offered members exceptionally low joining costs and low membership fees. All profits in excess of operating costs are returned to members. As Australian FloorStyle approaches 40 years’ service in the flooring industry, the cooperative continues to grow,

adding five new members over the last twelve months of often difficult trading for the industry. The group is managed by David Wicks, Australian FloorStyle’s Executive Director and supported by the board of directors. The current Chairman is Brian Fitzsimmons of Alpha Floors in Roseville Chase in NSW. Today, the board of directors also includes David Quilty, Scott Jones, Joe Basha, and John Elasi. Board members are elected by Australian FloorStyle members and serve three years, but invariably serve much longer terms. Their combined knowledge and understanding of the industry benefit

L-R: Brian Fitzimmons, David Quilty, Scott Jones, David Wicks and John Elasi.

Flooring June/July 2021

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44

Floor coverings for your lifestyle

Enquire

Special Offer

0 2 9 6 0 0 9249

sales@australianfloorstyle.com.au

Please quote code : FMJun/July21 to receive a 40% discount off your joining fee.

*Offer expires 31st July 2021

Would you like to be part of one of Australia’s largest flooring cooperatives? enquire 02 9600 9249 The Australian FloorStyle Cooperative is a well-established group with over 50 members and 65 stores across Australia.

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

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LOW 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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ACCESS TO MAJOR SUPPLIERS ACCESS TO A BESPOKE RANGE OF PRODUCTS LOW OVERHEADS OWNED EQUALLY BY OUR FULL MEMBERS SUPPORT & ADVICE HIGHER REBATES PAID TO MEMBERS

contact : sales@australianfloorstyle.com.au

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02 9600 9249

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Company Profile both Australian FloorStyle and its members.

Decisions are made democratically, and assets are used for mutual, rather than individual benefit. Left to right in the image are Brian Fitzimmons, David Quilty, Scott Jones, David Wicks and John Elasi.

come through word-of-mouth references; the best reference you can achieve.

Australian FloorStyle is different from most of the other groups in the flooring industry, especially franchise models. Each of their members still manage their own business and continues to run it under their company name. They are committed to offering the best flooring service in their area and have the added advantage of maintaining their local identity. No-one works harder for locals, than locals. Australian FloorStyle members attest to uphold the highest level of Integrity, Ethics, Service and Standards.

44 Australian FloorStyle continues this tradition of co-operation for mutual benefit. It’s a company built on providing value for money for their customers.

Above: John Elasi Above: Brian Fitzimmons Australian FloorStyle offers its members the advantage of great buying capacity; and great pricing through relationships with all of Australia’s major flooring suppliers. Members gain access to Australian FloorStyle’s range of bespoke products, manufactured on their behalf, largely in Australia. However, members can source product from whoever they please and so, their ability to offer any solution to their customers need, is second to none. Every member of Australian FloorStyle and everyone who serves on the board owns and operates their own independent flooring business and have full autonomy in how they operate.

Australian FloorStyle has been a successful company since the beginning and thrive watching their membership numbers grow throughout Australia. Australian FloorStyle members service all types of clients both commercially and domestically in urban and regional areas of the country. Many stores have been serving their locals for generations!

They are well-known in their local communities and of course, their sales mostly

Flooring June/July 2021

Above: David Quilty New members pay an extremely small joining fee to become affiliate members.

After twelve months, should they have met the co-operatives business criteria, they are invited by the board of directors to become accredited members and shareholders. All members are provided with support and networking opportunities, most importantly, there is always someone to talk to and offer guidance.

The first documented consumer cooperative was founded in 1769 in a barely furnished cottage in Fenwick, East Ayrshire. Local weavers manhandled a sack of oatmeal into John Walker's whitewashed front room and began selling the contents at a discount, forming the Fenwick Weavers' Society.

Scott Jones said, “Members base their reputation on local support, and high levels of service and delivery, supported by the power of one of Australia’s largest flooring cooperatives, Australian FloorStyle.”

David Wicks added “If you’re a flooring retailer, large or small, and want to have or maintain your own 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, please call me and have a chat.”

Above: Scott Jones www.flooringmagazine.com.au

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Software

46

Integrate your financial software with a flooring specific system Story by Chris Ogden The majority of small to medium businesses run on off-the-shelf financial solutions. Two such packages dominate the market, providing excellent tools for facilitating and recording financial transactions. However, as good as these tools are, they don’t cater to the specific operational needs of a flooring business, and their sole use as a business management system might be constraining your flooring business.

How can you tell if reliance on your financial software is holding you back?

1. The need for multiple systems Off-the-shelf financial packages do not address the complexity of flooring. In a flooring business, we inevitably see a host of systems, some digital and some manual, to manage the various aspects of the business. We might see as many as five or six different systems to manage samples, quoting, installation, inventory, and financial reporting. Multiple systems

that don’t talk to each other will hamper your business. How many can you count in your business?

2. Double (and triple)-handling Repeatedly typing in data as a job moves through its various stages is inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to omission and error.

3. Use of workarounds To accommodate the needs of a flooring business within an off-the-shelf financial solution requires workarounds; ways to overcome the limitations of the software for the user. Workarounds can be tenuous, challenging to train and maintain, and they can create unnecessary complexity.

4. Access to business data is difficult and slow With data siloed in numerous systems across the business, it is difficult to quickly get a picture of how the business is doing and where it might be heading.

5. Business feels unscalable As hard as you work, you can’t get the growth you are looking for; your business is the same today as it was three years ago. Disparate and manual systems can work for businesses while small, but they can put a cap on the growth of a business; there comes the point beyond which these systems used on their own will constrain growth.

As good as off-the-shelf solutions can be, they don’t cater to the specific operational needs of a flooring business.

6. Inconsistent revenue recognition When a financial system recognises purchases as a cost of sales in the month of purchase instead of the month of installation, profit and loss reporting will be lumpy and unreliable. For a business with sales and installation components, purchases should be recognised as a sales cost in the month the job is installed, not the month purchased. While a business is small, it might be possible to make allowance for these irregularities, but it becomes difficult, if not impossible, as the business grows.

7. Unreliable data hampering good decision making All but the most inconsequential decisions 48 should be made based on accurate data.

Flooring June/July 2021

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YOUR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR FLOORING BUSINESS

Layers Diary Financials Debtors Quotes Stock

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Australia: 1800 229 427 New Zealand: 0800 643 012

Software Gut decisions have a place in a business, but even good gut decisions can be undermined if later we can’t justify that decision. Good data gives us the confidence to stick to our guns.

How many of these symptoms do you recognise in your business?

RFMS now integrates with Xero and will shortly integrate with MYOB. The purpose of this article is not to undermine the value of generic financial solutions. While RFMS comes with a

BE ACCURATE.

48 full financial reporting and analysis functionality, we recognise that dedicated financial solutions have sophisticated features some business owners would be reluctant to give up. Added to that, accountants often prefer clients to work in one of the mainstream packages in the market.

There is good news for flooring dealers; you no longer have the stark choice between an off-the-shelf financial package versus the benefits of a fully integrated system such as RFMS. RFMS now integrates with Xero and shortly will similarly integrate with MYOB. If you recognise your systems are holding your business back, we would like to show you how you can get the best of both worlds.

BE EFFICIENT.

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.

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

Safety

49 Enhancing stair safety in your workplace

B

y ensuring stair safety in your workplace, you can minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls on stairways.

Above: Classic Tredfx Solid Brass

Flooring June/July 2021

With intuitive design and access solutions, you can minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls on your workplace stairways.

to 2015, slips, trips or falls led to 23% of serious claims and caused the death of 386 workers.

Whether you’re working on a new project or performing renovations and refurbishments on an existing building, it’s crucial that the design addresses workplace health and safety risks.

How many of these accidents happen on stairs?

Out of the thousands of injuries occurring each year, Safe Environments reports that “falls on stairs account for over 60% of slip, trip and fall deaths in buildings”.

According to Safe Work Australia, slips, trips and falls result in thousands of preventable injuries every year. While the most common injuries are related to musculoskeletal, cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations, more serious injuries have occurred. Between 2003

Under building regulations and your general duty of care as an employer, you need to work closely with qualified builders and architects to ensure a safe workplace with ease of access – for your workers and the general public.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Safety

50

Slips: Where loss of traction occurs between a person’s foot and the floor, usually due to inappropriate footwear or a slippery surface.

Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) Tactile indicators provide cues which, when combined with other environmental information, assist the visually impaired with their orientation. Accounting for an approximate 330,000 Australians who are blind or vision impaired, TGSIs are commonly used in high traffic areas of built environments, such as stairways, ramps, escalators and moving walks.

Trips: When a person’s foot catches on an object or surface, such as low obstacles, floor cracks and loose mats.

Falls: This includes falling from low heights and can also occur as a result of a slip or trip.

Here are some of the most common reasons why stairs often pose a safety hazard: • Poor maintenance • Too narrow • Non-uniform structure and surface • Inadequate landing area • Obstructions • Insecure handrails • Lack of lighting and visibility • Inadequate traction • Poor definition From cables lying around to spills or cracks on the landing, it’s vital that employers and building managers are diligently identifying potential hazards, assessing associated risks and introducing controls to eliminate or reduce those risks as far as practicable. By tending to stair safety risks promptly, the risk of preventable accidents can be minimised.

How can you enhance the safety of stairs in the workplace?

In terms of enhancing stair safety in your workplace, Classic Architectural Group offers two practical solutions, being stair nosings and tactiles.

Stair Nosing The nose of a step is where people tend to put their feet and weight on the stair, resulting in quicker wear and tear which leads to slips and falls. Considering the tremendous amount of foot traffic in a building, installing safety and visibility-enhancing aids, such as stair nosings, can optimise your access while adding beauty and character to your décor.

Flooring June/July 2021

Above: Classic Tredfx Solid Brass Problem solvers and problem preventers, stair nosing can also prolong the wear of both the stair tread and the floor covering product used on the stairs.

With stair nosings, they are profiled strips of material, commonly aluminium, that are fitted on the edge of steps to assist in providing an anti-slip surface. Depending on the application area, level of pedestrian traffic and the pedestrian type, the type of nosing you will require will differ.

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) adopts Australian Standards AS1428.1, which specifically addresses requirements for stairways and stair nosings, focusing almost entirely on promoting luminance contrast at the leading edge of step treads together with the avoidance of overhang at the front of the stair treads. As such, this means compliance is mandatory and enforceable by law.

Textured surface features that are applied to the walking surfaces, warning tactile indicators function much like a stop sign. On the other hand, directional tactile indicators consist of directional bars applied to walking surfaces for directional orientation.

Installation is required across the full width of the path of travel, enabling them to be felt underfoot or with the tip of a cane.

However, it’s important to note that tactiles alone will not make an unsafe environment safe. As such, the Australian standards have developed a set of initiatives and guidelines to improve access to built environments.

Together with good design and planning, tactiles play a secondary role in providing vital warnings and directional information.

Above: Classic Tredfx TGSI’s For more information on the safety standards on tactile ground surface indicators refer to AS/NZS 1428.4.

Above: Classic Tredfx Stair Nosings For comprehensive information on the mandatory requirements, please refer to Australian Stair Nosing Standards AS/NZS 1428.1.

Everyone deserves easy and safe access To learn more about the Classic Architectural Group’s product range and how they can help you achieve your project’s public access and safety goals, please visit their website.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Safety

51

CleanSpace urges employers to double down on silicosis protection

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CleanSpace Respirators CleanSpace Respirators are unique in the field of respiratory protection because while they provide all the protection of a PAPR, they a free from belts, battery packs and hoses making them more comfortable and easier to deploy.

eading respiratory protection designer and manufacturer CleanSpace Technology is urging the industrial sector to double down on protecting their workers from silica dust.

Dangerous silica dust can be formed on site from concrete cutting, grinding, or polishing and using power tools on stone. Breathing the silica dust can result in irreversible, untreatable diseases, including silicosis and lung cancer.

A report released last year from Monash University in conjunction with WorkSafe Victoria, found one in three stonemasons screened had an identified case of silicosis.

Whilst state regulators have made recommendations to address exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the workplace, the report findings highlighted the scale of the issue and reinforced the importance of employers proactively addressing employees’ health.

“This is a wake-up call not just to stonemasons but to anyone working with crystalline silica. Regardless of whether you see the dust or not, silica is a hazard you simply can’t afford to ignore,” said CleanSpace CEO Dr Alex Birrell.

“I implore all employers to review their current respiratory protection program to ensure the exposure to silica dust is minimised, and check employee training includes silica-specific information,” said Dr Birrell.

When used in hot or humid conditions, CleanSpace Respirators provide cool, clean air to the user and eliminate fogging and moisture. CleanSpace respirators are light, easy to put on, reliably safe and comfortable. These smart powered devices are easily operated using a one-button smart system. These unique features mean more workers wear these respirators for a full shift every time. CleanSpace assists their clients to be safe and compliant when working around silica dust.

Since the release of the report, CleanSpace Technology has ramped up its commitment to educating the industrial sector on the occupational hazards of silica dust and is urging all employers and sub-contractors to review their current respiratory protection program.

CleanSpace Respirators are available in different models with a range of particulate and combination gas filters depending on the task requirements. CleanSpace EX is intrinsically safe approved and can be worn in potentially explosive environments.

CleanSpace Ultra is IP rated 66, making it water tolerant and the go-to for Stonemasons. CleanSpace2 is the standard model suitable for those that do not require the aforementioned features. The newly launched CleanSpace HALO is designed specifically for the healthcare sector, laboratories, and testing facilities.

“As Australia’s only respirator company, we are committed to supporting all those on the frontline in industry and healthcare stay protected from airborne contaminants.”

CleanSpace Technology team of product specialists can assist with on-site product training, fit testing, trouble shooting and instructions on maintenance.

Retailer of the Month

52

Jagers Carpets Story by Philip Ashley

Jagers Carpets is a familyowned and operated business, one of only a few remaining independent flooring retailers in greater Melbourne. It’s a business with a long history; built on personal service, high quality workmanship based on decades of experience; and affordable products.

He set out to create a business that sourced affordable flooring products and offered professional installations from in-house staff.

Several of the people working for Mick have been with him for well over twenty years, such is the high regard for which Mick is held. This decades-long experience flows through to the quality of work Jagers Carpets delivers to their customers.

Below: (L-R) Caitlyn, Mick and Helen

Over the years Mick has been well supported by his wife Helen, who has gone from full-time at the store to one day a week. More recently, his daughter Caitlyn has become a partner in the business. Mick, now nearing 70 years of age, is said to work harder now than he ever did, such is his passion for the industry and of course, his customers. Mick is highly regarded not just as a hard worker, but as someone who does things properly, doesn’t cut corners with quality product or installation, and as a person his customers can rely on.

A large percentage of Jagers Carpets work comes from word-of-mouth, or referrals from people who are either customers, or know someone else who have had a great experience with the outlet. Some customers have been back multiple times over the years and without a doubt, Mick will invariably know them by name, and in most cases can still remember the carpet and layout of their house.

Founded over 45 years ago, Jagers Carpets, located in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, specialises in all things flooring, including the sourcing of quality flooring materials, installation, and flooring maintenance. The business is run by Michael Jager, who started in the flooring industry in his late twenties.

After a year or so laying carpets for the Burwood store, Mick took over the business and made a start, developing a flooring retail store based on honesty, reliability, and value for money for his customers.

Back then, Mick realized that people were overpaying for flooring, including both the cost of the product itself, and the installation.

Flooring June/July 2021

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Retailer of the Month

53

warehouses. Many shops sell off samples and get the carpet in after the sale is made.

Mick’s philosophy is to have the carpet in store at the best possible price. This way of thinking pays off, Jagers Carpets does a high number of measures every week throughout Melbourne and they are always busy. Mick and his team are involved in a lot of work on rental properties and some insurance work. Like all small to medium flooring businesses, regular bread-and-butter work is important.

The showroom and warehouse in Burwood is not your run-of-the-mill flooring outlet.

It can best be described as a place where you feel as a customer, that they know their craft.

It’s a practical looking place that conveys a sense of purpose, a sense that these are real people, genuine people; able to look after you as a customer, whatever your needs.

It doesn’t look like it’s all about sales but concerned with the whole job because you will invariably be able to see the actual carpet that’s going into your home. Jagers Carpets use a massive network of trusted manufacturers, and is able to maintain a significant, high-quality, and affordable inventory of flooring products at their Burwood store, and at their warehouse in Moorabbin.

Mick seeks out the best value for money for his customers. He will source stock at competitive prices and hold this in their two

Jagers Carpets have installed thousands of square metres of flooring in houses and apartments; offices and some moderate commercial projects; churches, and schools.

Their services are trusted by homeowners, real estate agents, and rental property owners all across Victoria. They’ve built their reputation by taking immense care with everything they do, from sourcing the flooring to installing it. Mick is very particular and will not cut corners on any job; all seams are completely hidden. It’s this attention to detail that allows Jagers Carpets to achieve the cleanest and most elegant appearance possible with every project.

Outside of the store, one of Mick’s passions is his modest collection of old cars that include a Studebaker and a Mustang, among others.

He plays some golf; and enjoys sitting by the open fire with his extensive family that

includes seven grand-children. He’s no plans to retire any time soon and can still be found either working long hours at the store, the warehouse, or out on site either measuring or making sure his clients are completely satisfied with their work.

Mick’s early years were spent doing many things, Helen says, “He’s always been a hard worker.” As a teenager he sold vegetables and newspapers; worked part time as a home renovator and carpet layer, and managed to complete a degree in Youth Work, before entering the flooring industry in Burwood.

Over the following years Mick has always worked hard to make sure his customers are completely satisfied. This, and his personal touch have ensured the success of Jagers Carpets, a business that is unique in its presentation, commitment to the craft, and interactive customer relations.

Look what’s NEW! Welcome to Airstep Online Ordering, where you can now order both Underlay and Hard Flooring products at your convenience, 24/7.

We invite you to register using the link below: https://eorder.airstep.com.au/Account/RegisterAir For more information, please contact your Airstep Account Manager.

www.airstep.com.au 1800 803 545

www.imaginefloors.com.au 1800 803 545

Overseas News

54

Winners of the 2021 Carpet Design Awards announced

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t a virtual event on May 20 a total of nine designers were honored at the annual Carpet Design Awards in Hannover, Germany. The winners had previously been selected by a jury of experts from the design and carpet industry.

With a new category, Best Emerging Designer the 2021 Carpet Design Awards together with the Scottish NGO Turquoise Mountain honored outstanding young designers, for the first time The coveted awards, presented for the 16th time in collaboration with the magazine’s COVER and HALI, have celebrated the best in contemporary carpet design for more than 15 years and reflect the industry's innovation and trends. Selection criteria included design and design concept, material, execution, structure and quality, as well as sustainability and branding.

TILE TODAY F U L LY E N D O R S E D B Y T H E A U S T R A L I A N T I L E C O U N C I L

NOW DIGITAL! Tile Today magazine is designed to promote new products and technologies to virtually every tile outlet, tile fixer and specifier in Australia.

Visit www.elitepublishing.com.au/free-subscription for your free subscription

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au Flooring June/July 2021

The 2022 Carpet Design Awards will once again take place during DOMOTEX in Hannover, Germany, from January 13 - 16, 2022.

Winners of the 2021 Carpet Design Awards Category 1: Best Studio Artist Design Original small-scale production design from an artist or designer Experimania, Studio Bahlner Category 2: Best Modern Design Essentiell Original contemporary designs showing optimum use of materials Machine ki Duniya, Jaipur Rugs Category 3: Best Modern Design Superior Modern designs showing optimum use of materials Azure Rug, Obeetee Private Limited Category 4: Best Modern Design Deluxe Original contemporary designs showing optimal use of materials Carpet blue / green, Ashatari Carpets Category 5: Best Transitional Design New carpets showing classic modern design Her Highness, Selam Carpet & Home

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Overseas News

55

Category 6: Best Flatweave Design Original rug design demonstrating the flatweave technique Stripes Olive, Creative Matters Inc

Category 8: Best Interior A high-end customisation project or rug installation demonstrated with highquality images Isokon Building for the 19-19 collection, Floor Story

Category 7: Best Collection Contemporary traditional or transitional design collections demonstrating a common theme 19-19 Collection, Floor Story

Category 9. Best Emerging Designer, presented in cooperation with Turquoise Mountain Original rug design by a current design student or recent graduate My Story, Milad Sediqil, Kabul

Overseas News

56

Wagner Meters announces Distributor of the Year award winners

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agner Meters, a leading manufacturer of wood and concrete moisture measurement technologies, is pleased to announce several deserving recipients for the company’s 2020 Distributor of the Year awards including Australia’s very own, Kevmor.For 2020, outstanding distributors have been chosen in four, distinct categories: 1. Top overall sales: E. J. Welch Company 2. Top international distributor: Kevmor Trade Supplies 3. Top forest products distributor: BoiFor Equipment, Inc. 4. Largest dollar increase: TEquipment E. J. Welch Company The development of a close partnership proved to be a key factor in the company’s high level of sales in 2020. “EJ Welch/T4F and Wagner Meters have been

partners for many years,” explained Jason Spangler, Sales Manager for Wagner Meters. “Their desire for continued fostering of the distributor and manufacturer relationship makes for a successful partnership for both of us. We look forward to great things in 2021.”

This successful, long-term partnership has been driven in large part by a strong customer commitment on the part of both companies.

“Wagner Meters has been instrumental in helping our customers and the entire flooring industry understand the importance of moisture testing,” commented Nick Jannett, Category Manager of Installation Products. “Wagner Meters provides innovative, user-friendly products, and we have the utmost confidence in their ability to manufacture products that our customers will love.”

“We’re honored to receive this distinction,” added CEO Mitch Jolley, “and look forward too many years of continued growth and success in our partnership with Wagner Meters.”

E.J. Welch is a wholesale distributor committed to offering the most innovative flooring and installation products to installers, retailers, and commercial flooring contractors. The company was founded in 1962 and currently has 25 storefront locations across the Midwest and Mountain states, as well as an eCommerce store exclusively for E. J. Welch customers.

Kevmor Trade Supplies A big factor in Kevmor’s remarkable success as a Wagner Meters distributor has to do with shared company values. "The people, dedication, and enthusiasm for an industry are what separate Kevmor from many in the business,” emphasised Jason Spangler. “It’s not just about making money; it’s about making a difference. This is one of the reasons Wagner and Kevmor have created such a strong partnership in the Australian market; we have many common business philosophies.”

The Kevmor team acknowledged: "Kevmor is thrilled to receive the Top International Distributor Award from Wagner Meters. We are privileged to be distributing Wagner, a respected world leader in concrete and wood moisture meters that are a quality product and meet the current Australian standards for moisture testing."

Flooring June/July 2021

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Overseas News Kevmor is a proud Australian family business that, for over 40 years, has provided high-quality products to our valued customers in both Australia and New Zealand. Their highly professional and experienced staff provide the industry with competitively priced, quality products and expert advice both in-store and online.

Kevmor strives to find the best, most viable solutions for their clients through understanding client needs and stocking a large range of quality products, allowing for immediate delivery. They endeavor to help their customers succeed.

BoiFor Equipment, Inc. BoiFor Equipment works closely with its customers in the forest products industry to find solutions and provide outstanding service. “I am proud to have worked with Marc Lepage and David Marion for years,” stated Ron Smith, Forest Products Division Manager for Wagner Meters.

57 contributed to their significant sales growth for Wagner’s products in 2020. “The team at TEquipment has really proven to be a great addition and fit for the distribution network,” affirmed Jason Spangler. “Not only do they have the processes and platform in place to make for a great user experience, but they also have extensive knowledge in instrumentation. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership.”

“BoiFor is an outstanding Wagner distributor, providing great service and support to our joint customers in eastern Canada.”

“In the end, it’s all about the hard work BoiFor Equipment does in supporting Wagner, not an award we get for the work,” commented the sales team at BoiFor. BoiFor has 35 years of experience working in the field of forestry (lumber, OSB, bioenergy, 2nd transformation, and flooring). They enjoy working with dedicated and qualified people and finding solutions for their projects and job-related challenges. The company’s reputation is built on many years in the industry coupled with their commitment to excellent service for their customers. With the team’s extensive knowledge, they aim to maximize customer satisfaction and optimize productivity.

“TEquipment is extremely honored to be receiving the award, and we look forward to growing our partnership with Wagner Meters,” responded staff at TEquipment.

TEquipment is a leading distributor within the test and measurement industry.

The company’s mission is to provide the ultimate customer experience, ranging from customer support and technical expertise on staff to product demonstrations and competitive pricing. They truly believe in their slogan, "Buy from people, not just the internet."

TEquipment Staff expertise, combined with an emphasis on customer satisfaction,

A U S T R A L I A

Congratulations again to each Distributor of the Year recipient.

On-line sales: www.floorsafe.com.au Email: sales@floorsafe.com.au Phone: 1300 717 769

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Advertisers Index Airstep Australia

52, 53

Andersens Floor Covering

39

Australian Flooring Supplies

41

Australian Floor Style

43

Berry Alloc

17

BBS Flooring Products

29

Classic Architectural Group

49

Cleanspace Technology EC Carpets Floorcovering Institute of Australia (FCIA) Floorex Products Flooring Association of Victoria (FAV)

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