FLOOR ED
Interview with Piet Dossche Piet, you are credited with starting a “rigid core revolution” in the LVT category. Can you tell us how you got the inspiration to totally disrupt the LVT category, and the floor covering industry, in general? Passion for great product that provides the solutions needed for the consumer and then flooring that is high quality and allows successful sales and profitability for our retailers.
Piet Dossche After a 20 year career with Beaulieu, Piet Dossche started USFloors. For the past 17 years USFloors has grown to be an industry leader in flooring. As one of the inventors of the patented COREtec Engineered LVF, Piet sold his company to Shaw and is now President of USFloors & Executive VP Hard Surface, Shaw Industries.
From your experience in talking with many dealers and distributors, what do you believe is the biggest misconception about rigid core, or as it is often referred to as MLF product? That it is all the same and isn’t. Style and quality must be consistently present. Innovation must be first in leadership. Commitment to service lays the foundation of loyalty. Reputation and relationships, understanding the needs at hand and working to provide the solution is the trust required.
One of the biggest areas of confusion with most people is understanding the difference between WPC and SPC product. Can you give our readers a brief explanation of the two and how they differ and is one better than the other? Both products are great, but they are engineered for different applications. Both are 100% waterproof and dimensionally stable. Both feature a wide range of beautiful decors and textures. Both install easily and straight out of the box with no need for acclimation. However, each is constructed to suit specific needs based on the requirements of the intended installation. While SPC will perform great in your mudroom or basement, it is tailor-made for commercial settings such as boutiques and offices — anywhere there may be a high traffic load. And although WPC flooring is frequently used in moderate commercial environments, it is better suited for residential use. The COREtec brand is perfect for expressing the originality and creativity that lives within retailers and consumers and is focused on providing an exceptional consumer experience throughout the new flooring purchase. Both SPC and WPC categories offer features and benefits that lend themselves to a wide variety of installation options and end-use. It comes down to customer preference, fashion, design, installation application and budget. The choice is the consumers.
18 Premier Flooring Retailer | Q2 2019