The Stocklists - January 2012

Stocklists The

with

2 January 2012

FlooringNews

BRITAIN’S No. 1 FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE FOR THE RETAIL AND CONTRACT MARKET

Enter the CAREFREE Zone!

NEC • BIRMINGHAM • JANUARY 22-25

Visit us at Interiors, Hall 2 Stand F4 The CAREFREE Zone is an area where you can be confident that all your customers’ needs are catered for and where your business can benefit from the potential for excellent margins.

See our stunning range of carpets that tick all the boxes for quality, appearance, performance and price - supported by exciting, innovative point-of-sale.

See page 24 for the contact details of your local representative for the full story and samples.

• Advanced wipe-clean tecnology • 100% bleach cleanable • Afforable quality across all the price points • Innovative video POS • 10 year wear and stain warranty

Stocklists The

FIRST FOR FLOORINg NEWS AND DATA

Advertisers

FlooringFactsheets

Monthly ‘Stocklisters’ shown in BOLD Page No

Contact No

ADORE

—

01675 433075

—

AFS

19

020 8805 8620

July 2011

ASSOCIATED WEAVERS

—

01422 431100

—

BALTA

—

+32 55 335252

—

Index

Price List Date

BONDWORTH

20

01562 745000

June 2011

BRITISH WOOL

36

01274 688 666

—

BROCKWAY CARPETS LTD.

21

01562 828200

Mar 2010

BRM

—

01892 519400

—

CARPENTER

BC

01457 861141

—

COLUMBIA FLOORING

22

0208 443 3322

—

CORMAR

—

01204 881234

—

CROWN

37

0800 077 3301

—

EDEL TELENZO

23

01422 374417

—

F.BALL

4

01538 361633

—

FITA

55

01159 506836

—

FLOORWISE

18

01509 673974

—

FURLONG FLOORING

24,25

01772 696787

Nov 2010

HECKMONDWIKE

52

01924 406161

—

INTERFLOOR

35

01706 213131

—

INTERIORS

49

—

—

57

01704 536421

—

26

01562 754382

—

3

01422 373799

—

MOHAWK

27

01480 479830

—

NICF

53

0115 958 3077

—

NOVOSTRAT

39

00353 61 339287

—

RACKHAMS

28

020 85319225

—

UK

J2 FLOORINg MASTER WEAVERS new MERRYFIELD

monthly page

gROUP

SMg

9

0118 932 3832

—

SOLENT WHOLESALE CARPET

29

01243 774623

Jan/Feb 2012

STS FLOORING DISTRIBUTORS

30

0845 341000

July 2011

TAT

41

—

—

T & E DISPLAY GROUP

39

0121 585 7600

—

WESTON HAMMER

31

0845 644 9090

—

WOOLS

48

01943 603888

—

53

0870 0104484

—

CARPET

OF NEW zEALAND

VORWERK

Adhesives

Expertise advice from F Ball

page 4

Buying Groups

Choosing the right organisation for you

pages 8-9

Carpet Company Directory Our line-up of the leading players

pages 14-15

Carpet Trouble-shooter

All about stains, spots and shading

pages 12-13

Carpet Types

The starter guide for picking a pile

page 5

Underlay

Understanding underlay types and selection

Wholesaler Distribution Directory National & regional guide to distributors

Wool Fibre Page

A checklist of natural fibre characteristics

page 10

pages 16-18

page 11

Classified advertising................................................................................. page 59 carpets/rugs/tiles woods/laminates/smooths fibres underlay accessories/services/organisations wholesalers/distributors adhesives

Woolsafe: the carpet care guide How to protect and clean wool carpets

pages 6-7

UK manufactured Carpet Cutting Machines

WWW.CARPETCUTTINGMACHINES.CO.UK 2

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

ISSUE 442: 2 JANUARY 2012 Published by Mayville Publishing Co Ltd., 219 West Ella Road, West Ella, Hull HU10 7SD Tel: 01482 659396 Fax: 01482 659397 www.thestocklists.com Sales Director: Diane Martin. diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk Publication Director: David Spragg Founded by Roy Spragg in 1973. ISSN 2046-7338 © Mayville Publishing Co. Ltd. 2012. Every care is taken in compiling this magazine, but the proprietors assume no responsibility in the effects arising therefrom.

FlooringNews starts on page 33 Under new management New boss for Harrogate page 40

It’s all happening in Hannover!

Special preview of Domotex - the world’s greatest flooring show pages 42-47

Olympic year hurdles?

Flooring Forum: Retailers respond on their view of business prospects for 2012 page 54

Smooth & creative

Dennis Flower looks at the latest designs pages 52-53

British Wool flies the flag

Promotions in the US and Europe page 36

Voice of the Trade

Chris Latham of j2 - a new approach to LVT page 57

Interiors focus on flooring

Key companies exhibit in Birmingham pages 50-51

New Zealand Wool Centre

Domotex zone for key Euro carpets page 48

2012

The team at The Stocklists wishes all our advertisers and readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

3

Flooring Factsheet Adhesives

4

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Flooring factsheet Carpet types TUFTED

WOVEN

With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.

Woven carpet may be in a tiny minority of today’s production but still produces some of the finest carpets which are used for prestigious installations.

Axminster • The pile of the carpet is inserted into the backing as it is woven and cut to length, creating U-shaped tufts to give a velvety surface. The process locks in the fibre to create a carpet of high durability and performance retention as well as a luxury feel.

The process allows for intricate designs and colours to be used – although modern trends mean that the traditional patterned axminster has given way to current fashion trends for plain carpets.

LOOP PILE Berber • Berber carpets look like and are named after a handmade, bulky wool carpet made by the Berber tribes of North Africa and Asia.

The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres to give a cushioned effect underfoot. These carpets are available in an assortment of colours and may be flecked and can be either level loop or multilevel loop.

Wilton • Wilton woven carpets are produced in a similar way to axminsters – the principal difference being that a continuous fibre is woven all the way through. The carpet can be sheared to create a range of cut and loop textured effects. The result is a high quality carpet of unrivalled durability.

Level loop • When all the loops are of the same height, a highly flexible and durable carpet is created which has a natural, casual appearance even when (commonly) it is made from synthetic fibres.

The tight loop texture tends to hide marks so it’s a good blend between luxury and practicality.

Flat weave • Manufactured in the same way as wilton, flat weave is a loop pile which allows the yarn to be woven across a wider area to created a flatter, more textured effect.

Multi-level loop • The loops vary to two or sometimes three loop heights to create informal, random textures which are very forgiving for marks and stains and therefore very suitable for high traffic areas and busy family rooms.

ends blend together which then further enhances the overall finish.

These carpets tend to ‘shade’ with heavy use. Footprints show easily and the colour looks different from place to place because fibres lying in different directions reflect the light differently. A luxury for occasional rooms.

CUT PILE Freize • Frieze (pronounced free-say) carpets are similar to saxony, but the yarns are more tightly twisted and should always be heat set.

They have a dense, low pile surface which creates a coarse, pebbly texture. Frieze carpets are very durable and hide footprints, dust and dirt, which makes them suitable for heavy traffic areas.

CUT AND LOOP When some of the pile is cut and other left as loop, a variety of surface textures and patterns can be created (in a variety of colours). The multi-level surface is excellent for hiding footprints and stains so cut and loop is good for high traffic areas and general purpose rooms in the home.

Saxony • Saxony textures are made of twisted yarns, which should be heat set. The tips remain very distinct, rather than blending together to form a very elegant finish. Saxony textures show footprints and vacuum marks so are suitable for more occasional rooms in the home.

More textured variations improve the practicality of saxonies.

Shag pile • Shag pile has varied in popularity. The pile is up to 50mm long and the texture is casual and loose but the surface flattens easily and lacks durability.

Twist • The popular twist carpet is the cut-pile standard. The yarn is tightly twisted and often heatset to retain this feature and the result is a versatile, textured finish that is ideal for plain colours.

BONDED Bonded carpets (sometimes called ‘fibre-bonded’ or ‘fusion bonded’) are created by firing fibres into an adhesive material – the fibres are not stitched into the backing in any way. The technique is principally used for commercial carpet tiles.

Velvet • Velvet textures (sometimes called ‘velour’ or ‘plush’) all have a level surface pile of approx 5mm to 10mm height, which is then sheared to give a smooth finish. With very little twist in the yarn, the

Tip Sheared

Level Loop

Random Sheared

Multi-Level Loop

V

Saxony

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Sha

Velvet/Plush

Frieze

Twist

Berber

S Shag

5

Flooring factsheet Carpet care guide from WOOLSAFE Housekeeping Tips for Carpets and Rugs Entrance or walk-off mats The use of entrance mats at all outside entrances to the house is highly recommended, as they will significantly reduce the rate at which the carpet will soil. They should be of adequate size to allow street dirt to be removed from shoe soles and must be cleaned regularly themselves.

Services for Retailers Customer carpet care HELPLINE If you have trouble dealing with customer queries like “How do I get red wine stains out of my carpet?”

Just give them our HELPLINE 01943 850 817 and we’ll give them the correct advice. Simple.

Certified Operator Network For experienced, specialist wool carpet cleaners you can trust visit: www.woolsafe.org/find/aregistered-carpet-cleaner.

WOOLSAFE Registered Inspectors Solve disputes with customers with our independent carpet complaint Investigators. Just visit: www.woolsafe.org/find/a-registered-carpetinspector and call your nearest inspector.

WOOLSAFE Approved Products Have confidence in the cleaning product you recommend, use the WOOLSAFE Approved Products Directory it contains only safe and effective carpet cleaning products. For spot removers visit: www.woolsafe.org/spotremovers Carpet Care Leaflets We offer to help you develop custom carpet care literature and we also offer generic carpet care leaflets designed to be given away with each cut of carpet. Correct carpet maintenance should start from day one.

Web pages and Links We offer to help you develop custom carpet care pages for your website or you can link to our website’s carpet care pages for up-to-date and accurate advice.

Contact us by email, telephone or post to: The WOOLSAFE Organisation 49 Boroughgate, Otley, LS29 8NR Tel: 01943 850817 E-mail: office@woolsafe.org or visit www.woolsafe.org The WOOLSAFE Organisation – promoting quality carpet and rug care since 1991.

6

Regular Maintenance Regular cleaning will extend the life of a carpet and maintain its appearance. Vacuum clean regularly and thoroughly, which removes gritty dirt that can damage the fibres.

Deal with spillages as soon as possible, preferably the moment they occur.

Beware of products claiming to be safe on all fibres, including wool. It might be true, but if it does not have the WOOLSAFE Mark, it is not endorsed by most carpet manufacturers!

Never use any detergents such as dishwashing liquids, soaps or other cleaners recommended for general household use. Although they may clean the carpet satisfactorily they will almost certainly cause problems such as rapid re-soiling, colour bleeding or other damage to the pile or backing of the carpet.

Use only WOOLSAFE approved products WOOLSAFE-approved carpet care products have been independently and scientifically tested and are safe and effective for cleaning and maintaining all types of carpets and rugs.

The Green WOOLSAFE Mark identifies those products that not only are the most suitable for wool and other quality carpets, but also have the right environmental characteristics.

Periodic Cleaning When the carpet or rug reaches a stage where it could do with a really good clean, you can either do the job yourself, or you can call in a specialist carpet cleaning company.

If you are considering cleaning the carpet or rug yourself make sure to use only WOOLSAFE approved products. Look for the WOOLSAFE Mark on the bottle or package.

It is best to engage the services of a professional carpet & upholstery cleaning company. To get a really expert job done entrust the work to a WOOLSAFE accredited carpet cleaning company.

These companies are fully trained, have been in business for a considerable length of time, are members of one or more recognised professional trade associations related to the cleaning industry and have a reputation for top quality service. And they use only WOOLSAFE-approved cleaning agents on your wool carpets and rugs!

If you have a problem with a carpet or rug that requires an independent inspector, a network of carpet complaint investigators, trained and registered

by The WOOLSAFE Organisation is available throughout the UK and Ireland.

WOOLSAFE Registered Inspectors have extensive experience in investigating the causes for carpet complaints based on their practical involvement with carpets and rugs over many years.

They are fully qualified to investigate carpet and rug complaints on-site on behalf of carpet manufacturers, retailers, cleaning companies and carpet owners. They can carry out or commission tests where required, and will provide comprehensive reports.

To contact an inspector in your area call 01943 462127, email: inspector@woolsafe.org, or visit: www.woolsafe.org / Private Householder / Registered Inspectors

WOOLSAFE The Retailer's single source solution for carpet care advice and services.

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

maintenance • cleaning • spot removal • protection • inspection

General Rules for Spot Removal

WOOLSAFE Approved Carpet Cleaning Products www.prochem.co.uk

Treatments 1.

Blot with white kitchen roll or paper tissues

2.

Vacuum clean

3.

Cold water

Home of the Legendary Cleaning Product - Carpet Power www.ozkleen.co.uk

• Soak up liquids with white kitchen roll, tissues, toilet roll or clean cloth

4.

Warm water

• Scoop up or scrape off solids

5.

• Try to identify unknown spots prior to treatment – if unsure, use solvent first

WOOLSAFE-approved carpet shampoo solution (diluted)

6.

WOOLSAFE-approved spot remover for water-based stains

7.

WOOLSAFE-approved spot remover for greasy/oily stains

• Always work from the edge of the spot inwards • BLOT, do NOT rub • Use small quantities of spot remover at a time, applied to a cloth, NOT directly to the spot; work into the spot with a small, soft brush or sponge • Take care with applying solvents to bitumen-backed carpet tiles

8.

Absorbent paper or paper tissue and hot iron

9.

Chewing gum remover (solvent or freeze type)

Life inspired cleaning innovations www.bissell.com

10. Nail varnish remover or acetone 11. White spirit or turpentine substitute 12. Surgical spirit (ethyl alcohol or ethanol)

• When using solvents always ensure there is plenty of fresh air ventilation

14. Rub gently with coarse sand paper

• Always thoroughly rinse out water-based spotters with clean water

15. WOOLSAFE-approved disinfectant or deodorizer

• Dry the spot, if possible, with a hair dryer

16. Rust remover

13. Rub with a coin

17. Carpet re-colouring kit

The Clean Carpet you Expect... the Service you Deserve www.servicemasterclean.co.uk

(Treatments used by professional carpet cleaners)

More Difficult Spots Spot or stain

Easy Spots

Try 1st Try 2nd Try 3rd

Artificially coloured drinks 3

6

Bleach

3

17

C/heating radiator fluid

5

6

Coffee

4

6

16

Spot or stain

Try 1st Try 2nd Try 3rd

Blood

5

6

Felt-tip pen

7 or 11 12

Burn/scorch marks

13

14

Furniture polish

7

Butter

7

5

Glue/adhesive (plastic base)10

11

Candle wax

8

7

6

5

Chewing gum

9

5

15

6

5 15

3

Ink (fountain)

3

Ink (ballpoint pen)

12

5

7

6

Lipstick

7

Cola

3

5

6

Milk

4

Cream

7

5

Nail varnish

10

Egg

5

6

Paint (oil)

11

Rust

16

Soot

2

Tar (asphalt)

7

Urine (fresh stain)

3

5

Urine (old stain)

6

15

7

5

Fruit juice

3

5

Gravy and sauces

5

6

Herbal tea

3

6

Metal polish

5

Mustard

5

6

Oil and grease

7

5

Paint (emulsion)

3

5

Shoe polish

7

5

Tea

3

5

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

6

5

5

Chocolate/cocoa

Floor wax

Environmentally Aware for Superior Carpet Care www.envirodri.com

Vomit

5

6

Red wine

1

6

15

These may require repeated attempts with stronger spot removers. Some stains you may find impossible to remove completely in which case the assistance of a professional carpet cleaner is required.

Vacuum Cleaners the Choice of Cleaning Professionals www.sebo.co.uk

British Wool makes a Better Carpet... Naturally www.britishwool.org.uk

This information is provided with the support of WOOLSAFE members for the benefit of all carpet retailers and fitters.

7

Flooring factsheet Buying Groups Why join?

Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk Contact: David Kipping Tel: 01204 393539 dek@carpet1st.co.uk

Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains.

More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing.

www.smg-group.co.uk Contact: David Lewis Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk

While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers.

The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...

Associated Carpet Group www.smartercarpets.co.uk Contact: Richard Moore Tel: 01942 825520 rjmoore65@googlemail.com rmoore@smartercarpets.com

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk Contact: Paul Phillips Tel: 01892 549050 paul@atbrm.com

Pick the right one • Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently • Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member of the committee

•

Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view

• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group

• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements, any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings

• Review all the extra benefits and services to see what you would actually use

www.greendalecarpets.co.uk Contact: Rob Harding Tel: 01432 852000 Fax: 01432 852005 rharding@greendalecarpets.co.uk

8

Increase margins • Group purchases to get beneficial rates • Rebates • Exclusive higher-margin products • Special promotions One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers.

Increase sales

• ‘Best of both worlds’ proposition • Wider ranges and exclusive products • POS, displays and merchandising support

Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group – this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with point-of-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer.

Access professional services

How to decide whether to join a buying group – and which one…

www.flooringone.co.uk Contact: Glenn Harding Tel: 0121 683 1426 glenn.harding@flooringone.co.uk

Key benefits

• Check out the product ranges offered including the own-label options and the UK/European mix

• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your

• Business services • Financial services • IT and internet support • Training and workshops • Professional bodies

Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business.

Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts.

Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings • Regional workshops • Supplier presentations • Helpline

A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.

flexibility to run your business the way you want

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Flooring factsheet Underlay In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and laminate flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high satisfaction levels with customers.

www.floorwise.co.uk

But 50% of carpet is still sold without new underlay!

Retailers should create an assumption that new underlay is always required, the only decision is which type. It’s also a good target-setter for sales staff.

Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results – some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units.

www.numa-online.co.uk

Benefits

Types

Good underlay will...

• Improve underfoot comfort • Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening • Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear • Improve thermal insulation and warmth • Increase sound insulation • Smooth out sub-floor imperfections • Last the lifetime of the carpet

Sponge rubber The market’s most popular underlay is available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention.

PU (polyurethane) foam PU foam is a relative newcomer to the market, typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options – and its light weight helps handling.

The product can be re-cycled again after use.

Crumb rubber Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall - offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).

Laminate underlay There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-surface.

Combination A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt.

Underfloor heating underlay Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating up to 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0.

Felt This traditional (but environmentally friendly) underlay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation.

Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.

Pre-tackified underlay A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.

Poor or old underlay will...

• Feel hard and unwelcoming • Reduce carpet life • Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots • Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly • Not meet British Standards How thick?

A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well.

Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.

Sponge rubber

Combination

Crumb

PU foam

www.carpenter.limited.uk

www.interfloor.com

www.interfloor.com

Specialists in pre-tacked underlays, soft fibre boards & Roberts Tools. www.estillon.co.uk

www.underlay.com

10

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Flooring factsheet Wool fibre THE BEST CARPET WOOL Wool carpets have a historic reputation for quality because as a fibre it is known to withstand pressure and have excellent appearance retention properties. The best wool for carpet production is ‘strong’ wool and this is grown on sheep breeds found in Britain and New Zealand. Most carpets will contain both British Wool and New Zealand Wool because British Wool is more bulky and resilient and offers texture and unique heathery shades to carpet, whilst New Zealand wool is softer and whiter and particularly good for plain, lighter shaded ranges. Combining the two within a blend for carpet yarn gives manufacturers the perfect qualities for carpet.

100% wool or 80/20 – 80/10/10 wool rich Wool has yet to be matched by any man-made fibre; it has superior strength and does not need other fibres to improve its performance. However manufacturers choose to use synthetic fibres within the yarn blend for a number of reasons. These include fibre flexibility, dyeing, heat setting, stain resistance, durability and cost.

These wool rich compositions offer industry standard carpets which will perform well in the home.

THE BENEFITS OF WOOL CARPET Practical Strong and Resilient – Wool carpet will provide superior performance over many years as it can offer unique resilience and long lasting durability. The natural crimp of wool offers valuable ‘bounce-back’ so that pile compression is resisted and the effects of tracking and shading are reduced – maintaining good appearance over many years.

Easy care – Wool is a natural fibre that has an inbuilt resistance to soiling due to its natural oils and its outer surface of microscopic scales and as a result additional anti-soil treatments are not necessary. Simply vacuuming the carpet will keep it looking good and whilst wool initially repels spills, prompt and complete blotting with white paper towels or an absorbent cloth is advised and will address many household spillages.

SAFE

DURABLE

Comfort Soft and Warm – Wool carpet adds luxurious underfoot comfort and warmth to the home and acts as an insulator improving heat retention and energy efficiency.

Peace and Quiet – Wool carpet absorbs sound and cushions the home against echo and room to room noise transfer.

Safety Fire Retardant – Wool is naturally fire resistant, has a slow ignition rate and tests show that it is self extinguishing within seconds. It meets many safety regulations without additional treatments and is favoured in contract locations for this reason.

Fall Friendly – Carpet cushions and so provides a softer floor which protects against serious injury in falls by the very young or the elderly.

Internal Environment Indoor Environment – As a natural ‘smart’ fibre with a complex physical and chemical structure, wool helps to create a balanced atmosphere in the home. It breathes and absorbs humidity in the air, releasing it when the atmosphere becomes dry and helps improve air quality by absorbing airborne toxins in indoor air.

Anti–allergy – The minute scales on the fibre’s surface will hold fine dust until vacuumed which helps to reduce floating particulate in the atmosphere. Wool does not give off harmful emissions or promote the growth of bacteria and wool is not a food source for dust mites.

Eco/Environmental Natural and Sustainable – Grown on sheep, which graze freely, wool is both 100% natural and fully sustainable. As shearing is a necessary part of animal husbandry this means that every year there is a fresh supply of wool available for the carpet manufacturing industry.

Energy Efficient – Wool is energy efficient in the home and also in carpet production.

Biodegradable – Wool fibre is biodegradable in soil and will produce nitrogen, sulphur, carbon dioxide and water which are all plant nutrients.

Environmentally Assessed – Wool is an environmentally responsible fibre that has been measured in terms of its ecological impact. A Life Cycle Analysis study carried out by Leeds University to ISO 14040 standard for British Wool concludes that it compares favourably when measured against man-made fibres.

EASY-CARE

COMFORT

British Wool The Planet Friendly Fibre for Carpet aboutwool.com THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

11

Flooring factsheet Carpet trouble-shooter COLOUR MATCHING

SPROUTING

Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch.

However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial tolerance’.

Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand proud of the rest of the pile. This is probably due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other i.e. J shaped tuft instead of V shaped. Remedial action merely requires that the offending tufts be scissor trimmed level with the rest of the pile. They should never be pulled out.

This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience.

Shading occurs because the pile of the carpet has become crushed, flattened or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile whilst in situ. This causes light reflection at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the carpet. This will occur on all pile fabrics but can be more noticeable on plainer carpets because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy pattern or design.

A greater level of tolerance is required on blended colours (Heathers etc). To ensure perfect colour matching it is advisable that a single width be used in any installation requiring exact colour matching.

N.B. Carpets which are laid with the pile travelling in different directions, even though they be from the same batch will appear not to match.

For further information please check with the manufacturers recommendations.

SAMPLES The samples held by individual retailers may not be from the same batch as current production and therefore should be used as a guide and not an exact colour match.

SHEDDING The original carpet tile

All cut pile carpets will lose short fibre, which is created during production when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation. These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile and appear as ‘fluff’.

The effect varies with yarn type and may be removed without detrimental effect upon the carpet by vacuum cleaning. This excess fibre is only a small fraction of the total fibre contained in the carpet.

PULLED LOOPS

This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.

12

• shedding • pulled loops

Pulled loops occur only in looped pile carpet where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled through the primary backing of the carpet. This is usually due to some local condition, possibly some sharp object which has caught in a loop in situ and has resulted in a pull. Pulled loops are easily dealt with by trimming the offending end level with the rest of the pile.They should not be left as this could result in further loops being pulled and developing into a ladder.

SHADING

STATIC Carpets do not produce static but like other household fabrics and objects have the capacity to store it. Static is caused by the build up of static electricity upon personnel in a dry environment and is discharged when a person makes contact with an object which can conduct electricity (i.e. door handle or filing cabinets, etc).

The static charges will vary in intensity depending upon the individual, air humidity and the contact materials. Static is more usually associated with synthetic materials as they do not retain moisture very well but it can and does occur with wool in very dry room conditions.

Preventative measures include the introduction of moisture into the room or in situ carpet treatment.

FADING ON WOOL Carpets made from wool can and do fade in use.

The degree of fade can vary depending on the colour chosen and the local conditions to which the carpet is subjected.

Fading can be caused by exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight, but is accelerated when sunlight shines directly onto the carpet. This has the effect of lightening or “Bleaching” the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Wool is after all animal hair.

Protection should be given to carpets exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other furniture or fabrics.

A complaint on fading would be considered justified if it failed to meet the required shade standard when tested to the British Standard BS1006 (1990).

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

• sprouting • shading • static • fading • pile reversal • shedding • flattening • soiling

PILE REVERSAL

FLATTENING

(SEE SHADINg)

Flattening will occur as a result of traffic which eventually flattens the pile particularly in the main areas of use. All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of traffic to which it is subjected and the construction (tuft density/pile fibre/height/weight) of the product concerned.

Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive.

There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.

INDENTATIONS When a carpet is subjected to a heavy point load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the carpet not to indent.

Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover. In the case of very heavy loads in place for a considerable time, the recovery time can be very considerable.

It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. the underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay.

Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc.

The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet.

The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay.

Often normal maintenance (vacuum cleaning with a rotating brush machine) will speed up recovery but in the case of serious indentations the use of an iron and damp cloth or a steam iron together with a blunt darning needle to carefully tease up the pile can be beneficial. Care must be take not to over wet the carpet, of course.

SOILING Soiling is usually the result of some local condition to which the carpet has been subjected to, or maintenance, or lack of maintenance programme.

There is nothing we as manufacturers can do to prevent soiling in use. There are several types of soiling which are quite common:

Spillages - Liquids such as soft drinks, cordials or

any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, is likely to leave a stain. In such instances, professional help should be sought.

Shampoo - if incorrectly applied, can leave

sticky soap residues in the fibres which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly.

Dust - which is carried on draughts can soil carpets in various ways, apart from the obvious soiled edges, at gaping skirting boards for instance, dark lines appearing on surface might suggest airborne dust vacuum-drawn through poorly fitted floorboards. Sometimes the shape of floorboards can be seen quite clearly. Air borne dust sometimes shows itself as spots on the carpet, this is due to the air carried on a draught under the carpet escaping through minute holes both in the underlay and the carpet, leaving dust deposited on the pile much like a filter action. In such installations, the use of a lining paper is essential as a preventative measure.

It is the responsibility of the retailer to advise the consumer when the carpet is measured of any poorly fitting doors, skirtings, or floorboards and the consumers responsibility to ensure any remedial work to seal draughts, is carried out before the carpet is fitted, if a resulting complaint is to be avoided.

INSTALLATIONS Telephone National Institute of Carpet Fitters (NICF) for further information – 0115 958 3077.

This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

13

The Stocklists Carpet Company Directory Abingdon Flooring

01274 655694

Adam Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W Ww

01562 829966

Alternative Flooring

01264 335111

Associated Weavers Tw Tu Avena Carpets Ltd Tu Ww Axwoven Carpets Ltd Ax Be Axminster Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tw

Bronte Carpets Ltd 0121 550 5788 01297 32244

Balta Industries NV Tu Tw W Ww

+32 56 62 2211

Beaulieu International Group Be Pr Tu Tw +32 56 67 66 11

Belvedere Carpets Belvedere Carpets

BIC Carpets Be Tw W Bizspoke Custom Carpets Be Tw W

020 8800 0740

+32 56 23 54 10 01924 488882

0113 380 5333

14

01562 745000 0800 505055

01737 830301

Dan-Floor UK W

01454 858014

Domo International Be Pr Tu Tw W

01254 296829

E & WE Carpets W

01562 825952

01924 262525

Cavalier Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

01254 268000

Tu Tw W sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk

019078 308777

Enterprise Weaving Co Be Ww

Christy Carpets Tu Clarendon Carpets Tw Classis Carpets Tu W Ww

Tu Tw W info@cormarcarpets.co.uk www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

0870 020 1725 +31 38 4778911

01204 881 234

Craigie Carpets Be

01294 558400

Mohawk’s Cherbourg Check

01422 374 417

01562 745030

Fells Carpets Ww cummings@btinternet.com www.fellscarpets.co.uk Fetcham Furnishings Ltd Tw

800 223 6186

Creatuft Carpets Tu W

Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd

01675 433066

Couristan Carpets Ax Tu W Ww

Creative Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

+32 92 41 4511

Drury Lane Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

Burmatex Tu

Cormar Carpets Ltd

BMK

Edel Telenzo’s Bakerloo

01282 862 736

+31 383 861 060

020 7823 3040

Brintons Ax Tu Tw W Ww

Be Tu Tw W office@brontecarpets.co.uk www.brontecarpets.co.uk

Condor Carpets BV Tu

Blenheim Carpets Ax Be Tw W Ww

Bond Worth Ltd Ax

01562 828200 www.brockway.co.uk

01422 330261

+32 56783250

Betap Tufting BV Tu Tw W

Tw W sales@brockway.co.uk

01422 431100

Bajong Carpets NV Tu Tw W

Tu W sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk

Brockway Carpets Ltd

Custom Carpet Company Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

0116 284 1455

Fletco Taepper A/S Tu W

01977 662211

020 8944 6220 +45 96 60 3000

Furlong Flooring Tw W enquiries@furlongcentral.co.uk www.furlongflooring.co.uk

01772 696 787

+32 56 35 4444

Brockway’s Vogue

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk

Every time you see a web or email address in The Stocklists, you can click straight to it from our online edition at www.thestocklists.com

KEY TO CODES: Be: Bespoke • Pr: Printed • Tu: Tufted • Tw: Twist • W: Wool • Ww: Woven Wilton

Gaskell Wool Rich Tu Tw W

01827 831525

Lusotufo Tu

Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd Ax Tu Tw W

01429 892525

Manx Carpets Tw W

01827 831 434

The Grosvenor Wilton Co W Ww

01562 701456

Georgian Carpets Tu Tw W

01827 831430

Master Weaver W Ww

01562 754 382

The Sultana Carpet Co Ax

01299 822300

Mayfield Carpets Tu Tw W

01706 639 866

The Wilton Carpet Co Ax W Ww

0845 296 8850

Thomas Witter UK Ltd Tu Tw

0870 1128318

Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd Tu Halbmond Teppichwerke Be Pr Tu Heckmondwike FB ITC Be Pr Tw

0800 526696 +49 037 421 420

Joseph Hamilton & Seaton W Kingsmead Carpets Tu Tw W

0032 51 424 411

0161 368 2563 01827 831400 01827 831 424

Lano NV Ax Pr Tu Tw W Ww marketing@lano.be www.lano.com Le Tissage d'Arcade Ax Ww Lecaflor Ltd Ax Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww Leigh Spinners Ltd Tw Louis de Poortere W

MID NL Be

+31 38 851 8700

+32 56 65 4300

marinagooch@mohawkeurope.com www.mohawkinternational.com Mr Tomkinson Tw Ww

+32 52 499600

01480 479830 01480 471304

01827 831 450

+41 71 791 0111

Trendy Tuft Designs Be Tu Tw W

01274 855080

Ulster Carpets Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww

02838 334433

Ossfloor UK

01675 433031

United Carpets & Beds Tw W Ww

Penthouse Carpets Tu Tw W

01706 341231

Victoria Carpets Tu Tw W Ww

01562 749300

Phoenox Textiles Pr Tu

01484 863227

Vorwerk

08700 104484

Westex Carpets Tu

01274 861334

Pownall Carpets Tw W

+32 05685 4747

Ryalux Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W

0800 78 33 712

Sans Frontieres Ltd Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww

+32 56 393 386

Tisca Tiara Tu Ww

Mohawk Europe

Roger Vanden Berghe.NV Tu Ww

01942 673232

Tasibel NV Tw

Timzo Tufting Industry BV Tu +31 38 385 4477

01924 410544

John Lanham Watts Carpets Ax Tw Ww 01937 588511 John Evans Ltd Ax Tu Tw W

01388 664101

Shaw Home Foundations Tu

0845 6528811 +32 56 73 57 11 0845 652 8811 0844 5611977 01675 433 501

TAT Carpet

07976 607657

Tapibel NV Pr Tu Tw

01623 481 221

Weston Hammer W Whitestone Weavers Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww Wilkies Carpets Tw Woodward Grosvenor Ax Tu Tw W Ww Wool Classics Tu Ww

01709 732 666

0845 644 9090 01429 892555 0113 307 9955 0800 526696 0207 349 1560

Woven Carpets of Kidderminster W 01299 827477 Tollgate stand

Bronte’s stand

Cormar’s Berwick

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

15

Are you a Wholesaler?

If you’re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.

The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory National Fells Carpets goole 01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

North East Carpet & Flooring gateshead 0191 482 7373 gateshead@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Fells Carpets goole

01977 662211 sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Floorwise (North East) Ltd Birtley - see Floorwise p18 Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

North West A&A Carpets Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk D. M. Miller Ltd Manchester 0161 205 9949 dm.miller@btconnect.com www.dmmillerltd.spaces.lives.com

Fells Carpets goole

Midlands

East

01977 662211

Carpet & Flooring Birmingham 0121 421 9131 birmingham@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

sales@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk Kellars Ltd Stockport 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk Lee Floorstok Ltd Liverpool - see Floorwise p18 Lee Floorstok Ltd Manchester - see Floorwise p18 MCA Floorwise Ltd Morecambe - see Floorwise p18 Mytton Flooring Norwich - see Floorwise p18 Millbrook Carpets Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies Northampton 0845 643 5601 dmsnorthampton@ dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk Floorwise D & J Ltd Southam- see Floorwise p18 J J Wholesale & Distribution Ltd Birmingham 0121 765 4994 jjwholesale@gmx.com RPS Flooring Mansfield Woodhouse - see Floorwise p18

Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors Watford

Carpet & Flooring Manchester 0161 786 6800 manchester@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk

Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

08454 342000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 31 for details

Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise p18

Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Cambridge Tel: 01954 781142 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com See page 31 for details Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@ carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

South East Acorn Carpet Accessories Bromley, Kent - see Floorwise p18 AFS Middlesex 020 8805 8620 info@afsenfield.co.uk See page 19 for details Ashmount Flooring Supplies Ltd Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooring.co.uk continued overleaf....

16

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Are you a Wholesaler?

If you’re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396.

The Stocklists Wholesale Distribution Directory Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

Faithfull Floorcovering Suffolk 01473 822341 sales@faithfulls.co.uk www.faithfulls.co.uk

Carpet & Flooring Bow 020 8525 5691 bow@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Kent Flooring Supplies Ltd Chatham 01634 668668 sales@kentflooring.co.uk www.kentflooring.co.uk

Carpet & Flooring Camberley 01276 672100 camberley@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk

Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com

Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd Brighton 01273 557211 pwwflooring@fastnet.co.uk www.pwwflooring.co.uk

Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com Columbia Flooring Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk See page 22 for details DMS Flooring Supplies Hemel Hempstead 0845 643 5344 dmshemel@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk DMS Flooring Supplies Milton Keynes 0845 643 5320 dmslaser@dmsflooringsupplies.co.u Faithfulls Service Centre Kent 01322 285001 Faithfulls Service Centre Walthamstow 0208 498 3040 sales.walthamstow@faithfulls.co.uk

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Rackhams London 020 8531 9225 sales@rackhamsltd.co.uk www.rackhamsltd.co.uk See page 29 for details

Wessex Flooring Amesbury - see Floorwise p18

C. K. Davie Ltd Aberdeen - see Floorwise p18

Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

C. K. Davie Ltd Dundee - see Floorwise p18

South West Carpet & Flooring Bristol 0117 316 0555 bristol@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth - see Floorwise p18 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abott - see Floorwise p18 Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk See page 30 for details

Salesmark Lancing, - see Floorwise p18

STS Flooring Distributors Thame (Oxford) 01844 213555 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 31 for details

Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk See page 30 for details

Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors Orpington/Croydon 0845 434 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk www.stsflooring.com see page 31 for details Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk

Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Scotland

Headlam Scotland North Lanarkshire 01698 831 000 sales@headlamscotland.co.uk www.headlamscotland.co.uk Neil Smith Ltd glasgow - see Floorwise p18

Wales Carpet & Flooring Bristol 0117 316 0555 bristol@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk Roma Flooring Neath - see Floorwise p18 Vanguard Carpets Redditch 0845 601 1189 customerservices.redditch@carpet andflooring.co.uk www.vanguardcarpets.co.uk Wood Floor Sales Redditch 01527 511888 help.redditch@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.woodfloorsales.com

Ireland Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin - see Floorwise p18 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast - see Floorwise p18 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick - see Floorwise p18

Carpet & Flooring glasgow 0141 427 8456 glasgow@carpetandflooring.co.uk www.carpetandflooring.co.uk

17

floorwise National Network of Floorwise Distributors Acorn Carpet Accessories 16 Bromley, Kent Tel: 020 8462 0422 Fax: 020 8462 0927

Neil Smith Ltd 3 Glasgow Tel: 0141 552 1141 Fax: 0141 552 0623

C. K. Davie Ltd 1 Aberdeen Tel: 01224 820077 Fax: 01224 822344

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 4 Belfast Tel: 028 9075 3202 Fax: 028 9075 3901

C. K. Davie Ltd 2 Dundee Tel: 01382 226533 Fax: 01382 226544 Fitwell Flooring Ltd 20 Redruth, Cornwall Tel: 01209 214344 Fax: 01209 211162 Fitwell Flooring Ltd 19 Newton Abbot, Devon Tel: 01626 835935 Fax: 01626 834334 Floorwise D & J Ltd 13 Southam, Warks Tel: 01926 814922 Fax: 01926 817899 Floorwise (North East) 5 Ltd Birtley, County Durham Tel: 0191 410 7070 Fax: 0191 410 6116 Lee Floorstok Ltd 8 Liverpool Tel: 0151 708 7420 Fax: 0151 708 7241 Lee Floorstok Ltd 7 Manchester Tel: 0161 231 8080 Fax: 0161 231 8787 MCA Floorwise Ltd 6 Morecambe, Lancashire Tel: 01524 33517 Fax: 01524 381852 Mytton Flooring 14 Norwich, Norfolk Tel: 01603 624387 Fax: 01603 612888

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 9 Dublin 10 Tel: 00353 (0)1 626 3913 Fax: 00353 (0)1 626 3960 LoCall: 1850 445 746 (ROI)

1 2 3

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd 10 Limerick Tel: 00353 (0)61 227 100 Fax: 00353 (0)61 227 000 LoCall: 1850 445 745 (ROI) Roma Flooring 15 Neath, West Glamorgan Tel: 01639 633001 Fax: 01639 646116 RPS Flooring 11 Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire Tel: 01623 624198 Fax: 01623 620931

4

7 10

8

9

11 12

Salesmark 17 Lancing, West Sussex Tel: 01903 750522 Fax: 01903 851111 Wessex Flooring 18 Amesbury, Wiltshire Tel: 01980 625888 Fax: 01980 676969 Woodall Brothers Ltd 12 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Tel: 01743 441584 Fax: 01743 441629

5

6

13

15

18 19

14

16 17

20

HEAD OFFICE Floorwise group Limited, Floorwise House, 22 High Street, Kegworth, Derby DE74 2DA, UK. Tel: 0044 (0)1509 673974 Fax: 0044 (0)1509 674841

Award-Winning Flooring Accessories

gRIPPER

UNDERLAY

ADHESIVES & SCREEDS

PROFILES

www.floorwise.co.uk • www.carpetunderlay.net www.floorwise.co.uk • www.carpetunderlay.net www.signaturewoodfloors.com • www.siennawoodfloors.com www.signaturewoodfloors.com • www.siennawoodfloors.com 18

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

UNDERLAYS

CARPETS NATURAL/LOOPS NOMAD

50/50 Nat Loop Roll Size Full Roll EQ* Description

SAXONY DEVOTION NOBLESQUE SUMPTUOUS SENSATIONAL

30oz PP Saxony 45oz PP Saxony 55oz Saxony 58oz Saxony

80/20 WOOL TWIST NEW KILDARE BELMONT TWIST BELMONT SUPREME

50/50 30oz Twist 80/20 40oz 80/20 50oz

PP TWIST VIVA TWIST SALT N PEPPER

PP Twist PP Twist

LOOP PILE AND CORD PINCH FELT PINCH FOAM ROCKY HB ROCKY FB TITAN CORD

Needle Punch Cord Needle Punch Loop Pile Cord Loop Pile Cord Loop Pile Gel Back

CORMAR STOCKED APOLLO BERWICK 40 BERWICK 50 FOREST HILLS SUPER FOREST HILLS ELITE HOME COUNTIES HOME COUNTIES MALABAR NATURAL BERBER SUPER NATURAL BERBER ELITE NATURAL BERBER DELUXE NEW OAKLANDS NEW OAKLANDS NEW OAKLANDS PRIMO PLUS PRIMO ULTRA PRIMO TWEED PRIMO SAXONY WEST COUNTRY 50

Excellon Twist 80/10/10 40 oz Twist 80/10/10 50 oz Twist 50/40/10 32oz Twist 50/40/10 42oz Twist 42 oz Twist 50 oz Twist 100% Natural 80/10/10 35 oz Twist 80/10/10 45 oz Twist 80/10/10 55 oz Twist 80/10/10 32 oz Twist 80/10/10 42 oz Twist 80/10/10 50 oz Twist Excellon Twist Excellon Twist Excellon Twist Excellon Saxony 80/10/10 50 oz Twist

CORMAR CARPETS AVEBURY LINDISFARNE TOWN AND COUNTRY WEST COUNTRY 60

3/5 DAYS DELIVERY 100% Pure New Wool 100% Pure New Wool 80/10/10 60 oz Twist 80/10/10 60 oz Twist

BRANDED TOP END RUBBER SPONGE RANGE ELITE 11 m2 129lb Textured Rubber Underlay MAJESTIC 11 m2 135lb Waffle Rubber Underlay COLOURS RED 11 m2 135lb Waffle Rubber Underlay WILLOW GREEN 15 m2 90lb Waffle Rubber Underlay CRUSADER SUPREME 15 m2 100lb Waffle Rubber Underlay SUPREME LIGHT 11 m2 101lb Waffle Rubber Underlay UNBRANDED TREDAIRE SPONGE RUBBER AFS CLASSIC GOLD 15 m2 95 lb Rubber Underlay AFS SUPER GOLD 15 m2 80lb Rubber Underlay AFS STANDARD GOLD 15 m2 60lb Rubber Underlay GRAPHITE 15 m2 Light Weight PE WOOD FLOOR UNDERLAYS BOARDWALK (Timbermate) 15 m2 3.75mm ALL IN ONE 10 m2 3mm COMFORT SILVER 15 m2 2.5mm

23dB Moisture Barrier 20dB Self Adhesive Strip 18dB PE Foam + Foil

TREDAIRE PU UNDERLAYS ALPHA 15 m2 OMEGA 15 m2 BRIO 15 m2 ZEST 15 m2 SOFTWALK 15 m2 DREAMWALK 15 m2 CONTRACT 9 15 m2 SENSATION 15 m2

Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Tredaire PU Contract PU Contract PU

8mm 10mm 8mm 10mm 9 mm 11 mm 9 mm 11 mm

DURALAY CONTRACT UNDERLAYS TREADMORE 11 m2 8.0mm SYSTEM 10 11 m2 10mm DURAFIT 650 15 m2 6.5mm DURAFIT 500 15 m2 5.0mm DEFENDER 15 m2 100lb HEATFLOW CARPET 15 m2 6.0mm HEATFLOW WOOD 15 m2 2.75mm TECHNICS 5 15 m2 5.0mm

Crumb Crumb single stick under 40m2 Double stick crumb Double stick crumb Flat sponge 0.80 TOG 0.75 TOG sponge carpet 0.35 TOG sponge laminate U/L Double stick sponge

FELT UNDERLAYS FELT 28 FELT 42 KENSINGTON DELUXE

Wool/jute felt 8mm Contract wool/jute felt 11mm Felt crumb rubber

15 m2 28oz 15 m2 42oz 11 m2 74oz

AFS Unit 4 Baird Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 1SJ Tel: 020 8805 8620 Fax: 020 8805 6840 Email: info@afsenfield.co.uk

PLUS A VAST RANGE OF ACCESSORIES AND TOOLS FOR CARPETS AND LAMINATES Contact our sales office or your area representative for prices on any of the above ranges.

We also offer a fast service on non stock items. Phone our showroom manager for prices and samples. Our latest price list is dated July 2011.

REP DETAILS: Ashley Best Nick Hart Karl Goult Zac Marsh Steve Feher THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Tel: 07976 916752 Tel: 07771 967609 Tel: 07957 685428 Tel: 07828 663325 Tel: 07771 616018

Surrey , Hampshire, South London Essex, East London North London, West London, North West London, Middlesex, Herts.

Kent, South East London Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire 19

Townshend Works Puxton Lane Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 5DF Sales: 01562 745000 Fax: 01562 732827

BOND WORTH CONTRACT AXMINSTER

New trade price list Effective 1st June 2011

Berkeley Axminster

A UNIQUE LUXURY HOTEL IN THE HEART OF LONDONS WEST END

80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m & 4.57m Range comprises 8 Designs 6RÂż\D P ZLGWK (QG RI -DQXDU\ Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Variations Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 12 Designs 1-9073- Green Valencia - End January 1-9077- Jade Mirage - End January 4-9079- Mikado - End of January 9-9100- Khalabar - Early January 1-9016-Green Khyber - End of January Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Precious Gems Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 5 Designs All Items Stocked Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Wensleydale Axminster

Bond Worth worked closely with ‘10 Manchester Street’ to carpet guest suites and public areas in sumptuous 11 row axminster.

80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 8 Designs 6-3528-Willowdale Corn - Early December Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

Cornell & Stanford Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 4.00m Range comprises 7 Colourways in 2 Designs 2-9301-Cornel, Venetian Red - End January 3-9301-Cornel, Indigo Storm - End January Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

The hotel boasts a Hunters & Frankau Humidor as well as an all weather outdoor cigar smoking terrace.

Camargue Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Range comprises 10 Designs All items stock.

Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

New Afghan Axminster 80% wool / 20% Nylon available 3.66m Please Refer to Works Stocked items Delivery 14 Days from Order

20

FOR BESPOKE CONTRACT ENQUIRIES TELEPHONE 01562 745 000 THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

• • • • • • •

40 colours on superb lectern 3 qualities – Diamond, Silver & Gold 80% Wool, 10% Nylon, 10% Polyester 4m and 5m widths 4 stacks of 18” x 9” samples 2 colour swatch books 9 coordinating stripes now available

This fantastic range is available for immediate delivery.

Contact respective Brockway sales personnel for further detail.

C U UK SALES MANAGER: Steve Glover 07896 871 502 SALES TEAM: Dan Milstead

07841 565 349

Jon Ormrod

07918 081 782

David Moran Richard Venn

07710 882 421 07968 835 206

Steve Perks S Simon Stead A Andy Finch Stuart Pollock

07968 835 205 07968 835 204 07970 693 752 07854 580 658

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Essex, Suffolk, South Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Beds, Hertfordshire, North London Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales, Merseyside, North Staffordshire, North Shropshire, Derbyshire Northern Ireland & Eire Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset & Avon, West Hampshire, Channel Isles SouthMidlands, Wales, Leicestershire, Herefordshire, SouthWorcestershire, Shropshire, South West Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, MidStaffordshire Wales South Wales, Leicestershire, Herefordshire, South Norfolk, Shropshire, South Staffordshire Lincolnshire, Notts, North Cambridgeshire Yorkshire, North Humberside, Lincolnshire, Notts, Norfolk, North Cambridgeshire Sussex, South & South West London, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, S.E. London Scotland, Cumbria, North East England

21

The Leading Country Wide Carpet & Flooring Suppliers We can supply you with virtually any make of carpet and flooring at GUARANTEED maker’s list price.......

Delivered direct to business premises FREE OF CHARGE. For a Speedy and Efficient Service

CALL US NOW!!!

020 8443 3322 Columbia Flooring plc

Trade Show Rooms Available • Specialist advice and terms available on contract enquiries • TRAFALGAR TRADING ESTATE JEFFREYS ROAD ENFIELD MIDDLESEX EN3 7TY

22

Tel: 0208 443 3322 Fax: 0208 805 2346 Opening Times: Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am to 12 noon THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Tel: 01422 374417 or 01422 371226 Fax: 01422 377452 Email: sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk Edel Telenzo Carpets, 2- 4 Southgate, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 0BW.

OUR NEW WEBSITE IS UP AND RUNNING We’re very excited about the launch of our newly designed website – which, we hope you agree, is much clearer, more informative, easier to navigate and generally livelier and nicer to look at than the old one!

We have divided our product sections simply into products most suitable for domestic use; and those which can span a whole raft of contract applications.

Brand new for the site is our Stockist Finder, so if people visiting the site like what they see, they can find out where their local stockist is based, with a simple post code search function.

Customers can also use the site to request up to three carpet samples and will receive an automatic acknowledgement of thanks for their interest in our ranges.

Registered stockists will also be able to access technical specifications for all the product ranges in a private area of the site. All stockists will be given details of how to access this area of the site.

Please do go and have a look and tell us what you think!

HAPPY NEW YEAR We’d like to wish all our customers and colleagues very best wishes for 2012.

Our New Year’s resolution is much the same as last year’s: we’re going to stay focussed, keep positive and continue to do our best to deliver good customer service and saleable products. We’re sure you’ll all be doing much the same!

ALL CHANGE FOR PADDINGTON Our latest new range, Paddington, is now available in rolls and cut lengths. It’s a chunky high-low loop pile in 100% three-ply wool, Scotchgarded and in six versatile colours: cafe au lait, mink, tan, khaki, gravel and saffron.

We will also be unveiling several new polypropylene qualities at Domotex.

SEE YOU IN HANNOVER! Don’t forget to come and see us if you are coming to Domotex (January 14-17). We’re in a brand new location this year in Hall 5, stand C18. As always, it’s a great opportunity to see what’s in the pipeline (come and have a proper look at our new wools, Paddington and Barbican; plus we’ve some new polypropylenes), to talk to our design and marketing teams from Holland and generally tell us what you’d like from us in 2012.

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Barbican

OUR SALES TEAM Greater London as far as N. Circular on north side of Thames and as far as M25 on south side, Surrey, Middlesex, Sussex, Kent John A Constable T: 01622 685397 M: 07836 734322 E: john@jcagencies.co.uk Yorkshire & North Lincs John Alsop T: 01904 762471 M: 07860 572220 E: alsopagencies@yahoo.co.uk Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset Brendan Hart M: 07850 130221 E: a.b.hart@btinternet.com Lincs, Leics, Northants, Notts, Derbyshire Jim Osborne M: 07738 642934 E: jim.osborne@sky.com Hampshire, Berkshire, Bucks, Oxfordshire Niall Martin M: 07866 735772 E: niallmartin@msn.com South Wales, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire Andrew Jefferies M: 07831 457102 E: adj.agencies@btinternet.com Lancashire, Cumbria & Isle of Man John Rostron M: 07973 733208 E: johnrostron@aol.com East Anglia, Bedfordshire, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Suffolk Jonathan Hart T: 01621 817992 M: 07889 264466 E: jonathanhart66@hotmail.co.uk West Midlands, South Wales (Wholesalers) Paul Brewer T: 0121 4277117 M: 07798 745181 E: paulbrewer1@hotmail.co.uk Greater Manchester, Cheshire, North Wales Philip Hambleton T: 01925 740050 M: 07966 397676 E: carpetphil@aol.com North East Rebecca Gibbons M: 07970 491215 E: rebann2@btinternet.com Scotland Tim Tindal T: 01436 671421 M: 07836 705620 E: ttcarpetagencies@aol.com Channel Islands, Isle of Wight John Eastlake T: 01323 896141 M: 07885 398858 E: john_eastlake@hotmail.co.uk Northern Ireland Gary O’Boyle M: 07831 220675 E: goboyle@ntlworld.com

YOUR HEAD OFFICE TEAM CONTACTS Paddington in cafe au lait

Operations Manager: Lesley Inman M: 07703 337989 E: l.inman@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk 23

We all try harder. We k Scotland

GEORGE WISELY M: 07967 148665 SCOTTISH SALES DIRECTOR george.wisely@furlongflooring.co.uk

COLIN RICHFORD M: 07970 163372 WEST SCOTLAND colin.richford@furlongflooring.co.uk

ALAN CAIRNIE M: 07976 311434 EAST SCOTLAND alan.cairnie@furlongflooring.co.uk

North West

ALAN CHEETHAM M: 07966 263571 GREATER MANCHESTER alan.cheetham@furlongflooring.co.uk

BOB CHRISTIE M: 07980 786264 MERSEYSIDE, WIRRAL & N. WALES bob.christie@furlongflooring.co.uk

TO BE ANNOUNCED CUMBRIA, CHESHIRE & FYLDE COAST

Wales & South West

BEN THOMAS M: 07794 048809 MID & WEST WALES bthomas@furlongflooring.com

JASON BRIMBLE M: 07794 041266 AVON & GLOUCESTERSHIRE jbrimble@furlongflooring.com

TIM BAILEY M: 07794 048414 S.E. WALES & HEREFORDSHIRE tbailey@furlongflooring.com

STEWART WAITHMAN M: 07794 048413 DEVON & CORNWALL swaithman@furlongflooring.com

Wood Floor Specialist

JOHN POWERS M: 07792 477312 SALES MANAGER BEDS, BERKS, BUCKS, HAMPSHIRE, MIDDLESEX, NORTHANTS, OXON, W&S LONDON, SURREY, DORSET johnpowers@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

RICHARD RICHMAN M: 07791 891044 AREA SALES MANAGER NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, CAMBS, N&E LONDON, ESSEX, KENT, SUSSEX & HERTS richardrichman@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

The Regency range of stain-resistant carpets ticks all the boxes:

24

quality choice availability service price THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

know you have a choice!

CAREFREE Carpets are distributed by

Yorkshire & North East

DES BEST M: 07968 828516 NORTH EAST/EAST COAST des.best@furlongflooring.co.uk

RAY ANDREW M: 07973 719801 EAST LANCS/W.YORKS ray.andrew@furlongflooring.co.uk

REG SYKES M: 07973 403450 SOUTH YORKSHIRE reg.sykes@furlongflooring.co.uk

Midlands

CHRIS ALLCOCK M: 07872 964685 NOTTS, DERBYSHIRE & LINCS chris.allcock@furlongflooring.co.uk

MIKE SHUTT M: 07970 158594 BIRMINGHAM/ STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE mike.shutt@furlongflooring.co.uk

MARTYN REA M: 07968 324598 LEICESTER/WARWICKSHIRE martyn.rea@furlongflooring.co.uk

London

JOHN AKIEN M: 07791 891024 S.W LONDON, SURREY (INS. M25) johnakien@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

IAN COLLACOTT M: 07816 217550 MIDDLESEX, W. LONDON, BERKSHIRE iancollacott@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

DARREN SPENDIFF M: 07791 890861 KENT darrenspendiff@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

RAYMOND SMITH M: 07816 217565 ESSEX raymondsmith@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

DAREN STEDMAN M: 07816 217548 N, N W & E LONDON, HERTFORDSHIRE darenstedman@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

South East

PAUL LOVELL M: 07816 217549 NORFOLK, SUFFOLK & CAMBS paullovell@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

IAN ROBERTSON M: 07816 217563 E & WEST SUSSEX ianrobertson@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

TONY CONWAY M: 07791 891025 BEDS, NORTHANTS, OXON & BUCKS tonyconway@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

Seeing is believing

Central contacts

Customers can buy with confidence when they see the Carefree cleanability in action with the new video units for your existing Regency POS systems. See our range selection in next month’s issue...

London Sales tel: 01322 628707 fax: 01322 698733

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Preston Sales tel: 01772 696787 fax: 01772 311921

PETER FLETCHER M: 07816 217561 HAMPSHIRE, DORSET & SURREY (OUTSIDE M25) peterfletcher@furlongflooringltd.co.uk

Newport Sales tel: 01633 283959 fax: 01633 275454

Email: enquiries@furlongflooring.co.uk

www.regencycarefree.co.uk 25

Tel: +44 (0) 1562 754382 Fax: +44 (0) 1562 861 074 Sales: sales@masterweaver.co.uk Info: info@masterweaver.co.uk

Introducing the UK’s newest weaver, now open in Kidderminster with high levels of stock for rapid delivery.

Wilton Sandhurst

Modern carpets manufactured using traditional values

Sandhurst Range The Wilton Sandhurst range is woven with 24 beautiful and modern colours. This plain twist is a great choice for both domestic and commercial markets.

• Wilton Hardtwist Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1458 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear

Contrast Range A cut and loop range weighing in at 47oz comes in 6 modern and exclusive colours. Unique contrast pattern provides this Wilton range with a vibrant and strong presence.

• Wilton Cut & Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1594 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Honeycomb Range This cut and loop range features in 6 natural and warm colours. Made out of 100% new wool, the bee hive type of texture our Honeycomb range adds additional warmth.

• Wilton Cut &Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1187 g/m2 • 4m • Heavy Wear/Medium Commercial

Chequers Range A loop range weighing in at 35 oz and comes in 6 colours with a unique chequers board like pattern.

100% new wool ensures high quality texture feel.

Wilton Contrast

• Wilton Loop Pile • 100% New Wool, 1187 g/m2 • 4m • Extra Heavy Wear

Marble Planet Range This range is made of 80% new wool and 20% nylon and is ideal for commercial and heavy domestic use. It features 8 strong and passionate colours.

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Merlin Range Our Axminster Merlin range features 10 vibrant and light colours and is made out of 80% New Wool and 20% Nylon, ideal for commercial as well as domestic markets.

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1187 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Baroque Cameo Range With the 10 strong commercial colours, the medallion pattern in combination with pindots makes this range ideal for ballrooms, function rooms and public areas.

Axminster Contrast

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1356 g/m2 • 3.66m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Baroque Pindot Range The traditional pindot pattern makes this range ideal for hotel rooms and receptions. Weighing in at 40oz our Baroque Pindot range, this Axminster range has 10 strong commercial colours.

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1356 g/m2 • 3.66m • Extra Heavy Wear/Heavy Commercial

Trellis Range The range features 8 soft and natural colours which makes it extremely pleasant and warm. Made in 80% New Wool and 20% Nylon for the commercial market.

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Tartan Range MasterWeaver AxminsterTartan range features 6 modern and vibrant colours, combining traditional Tartan design with modern and vibrant colours.

• Axminster Cut Pile • 80% New Wool, 20% Nylon, 1255 g/m2 • 3.66m • Very HeavyWear/Medium Commercial

Axminster Marble Planet

MasterWeaver LTD. Stourport Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DYl17QL. England 26

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

27

‘It’s 2012, and the year is already looking good! Start the year the way you mean to go on, by placing an order with the distributor that really packs a punch!’

GRAPHICS / CONTRACT GELS

TWISTS - STAIN RESIST

VINYL / SMOOTH FLOORING

Arena Endurance Scala Sentinel

Balmoral Chislehurst Clyde Desert Twist Deluxe 4&5m Dublin Twist 2011 Easy Heathers Fairfield Supreme 4&5M Heathertwist Design Heathertwist Supreme 4&5m Helmsley Moorland Twist Pembridge Twist Rhapsody Salt ‘n’ Pepa Startwist / Startwist Supreme 4&5M

Blackjack Casino Royale Chequers Eclipse Mojo Puregrip XL Suregrip XL Thunderball

NATURAL EFFECT Agadir Ancona Autumn Sunset Cashmere 4&5M Country Treasure 4&5M Challenger Berber Gold Fields Hopscotch 2012 Houndstooth Tweed Ivory Coast 2012 London Life 4&5M Promenade Rustic Treasure San Salvador 4&5M Shetland/Shetland Design 4&5M Woolweave 4&5M

SAXONY / SHAG PILE Chamonix Cleopatra Eminence Half Century New Century Nobility Supreme Elegance Tennessee

CORD, NEEDLEPUNCH & ENTRANCE MATTING Bedford Gel Bolero Explorer Hippo Mat Gala Linea Magnum Mat Magnus Mat Scorpio Supacord

TWISTS - WOOL Citation Twist Discovery 4&5M Eden Twist 30/40/50 4&5M Iconic Twist 40/50 4&5M Paramount 30/40 4&5M Rosemount Twist 4&5M Super Sixty 4&5M The Berber Twist Collection 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Textures 4&5M Ultimate Berber Twist 4&5M Ultimate Twist 40/50 4&5M Ultimate Luxury 4&5M

VELOUR / VELVET

CARPET TILES Bedford Cord Capital Plus Heuga 727 Magnesium Neutron Positron Proton Quark

Call now to receive a copy of our latest Winter special price guide!

Designers Dream

WILTON Parallel Lines Renaissance Ultimate Wilton Oakland

We also stock Ball & Young Underlays, Accessories, Entrance Matting and offer a Special Order Service on products from virtually every flooring manufacturer in existence! 48 hour Delivery Service on all Balterio Laminate Ranges.

Stop preSS – ‘LaSt month we had the excitement of the re-Launch of iVorY coaSt, and thiS month it getS eVen better! we haVe the re-Launch of hopScotch, another miLLion SeLLer, re-coLoured and re-StYLed for 2012, with new coLourS and a new deSign. then hoLd on…… we haVe the new Linea readY for Launch, inexpenSiVe and high faShion, thiS iS the Stripe for the maSS market! come on, check it out! – Stop preSS

Area Sales Executives Ian Pullinger London N, EC & E postals, Essex & Middx (within M25) 07881-502506

Paul Henson Essex (Outside M25), Cambs & Suffolk 07837-295379

James White Herts, Beds, Essex (west of M11) & North West Middx 07881-502508

Anthony Stapleton Sales Director 07881-502505/020-8498-2845

28

Opportunity exists London W & NW postals, South Middx, Western Surrey, Berks & Bucks 07875-714269 Opportunity exists London SE & SW postals, Kent, Surrey & Sussex 07881-502507

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Solent Wholesale Carpet Company Ltd CARPET, FLOORCOVERING & ACCESSORY WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Telephone: 01243 774623 Fax: 01243 533636 E-mail: sales@solentwholesale.co.uk Website: www.solentwholesale.com Zola Park, Barnfield Drive, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6UX.

CHECK STOCK, PLACE ORDERS AND MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT 24/7 ALL THROUGH OUR WEBSITE Oxford, Berks, Bucks, Beds, Hants, Middlesex & Herts . . . . Ian Cardrick, i.cardrick@solentwholesale.co.uk, Sussex E & W, Surrey, South London & Kent. . . . . . . . . . . . John Robson, j.robson@solentwholesale.co.uk, Hants, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucs, & I.O.W.. . . . . . . . . . . Adam Ayling, a.ayling@solentwholesale.co.uk, Accessary Sales and IT Specialist (All Areas). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke Crooks, luke@solentwholesale.co.uk, VICTORIA Berber Stripe Castillion Celtic Heathers Crown Twist Duchess Elite EasiCare - Full Collection Gaelic Heathers Imperial Velvet Kelso Natural Accents Natural Companions (Sisal, Chenille, Ridge) Regal Twist Rustic Jewels Tudor Twist Coll Tudor Manor LANO Bolero - New Colours Campus X-treme Chiselhurst Heather Twist Design Heather Twist Supreme Pembridge Twist - New Colours Sentinel Startwist Coll Wilton Naturals BALTA Colorado Springs Desert Twist Deluxe Diva Fiesta Fusion Happy Days High Flyers Gala Cord-all options in stock Moorland Twist Nobility Rosemount Shetland Shepherd Twist Stainsafe Favourite Super Wiltax Techno Twisty LUSOTUFO Celtic Horizon Mandaly Safi Sintra Boucle Tangier Titan & Tital Diagonal Twist Berber Unique Valencia

CORMAR Apollo Berwick 40/50 Home Counties 42/50 Malabar Oaklands 32 Oaklands 42 Oaklands 50 Primo Plus - New Colours West Country BROCKWAY Amore Stripe Collection Avanti Cavendish Craftsman Elite Cresta 40/Cresta 50 Orion/Orion Major Radnor 30/Radnor 40 DOMO Absolute Luxury Auvergne Cabaret Festival Twist Heather Twist Mountain Peaks Legacy Playground Portofino Scorpio

mobile: 07973 406329 mobile: 07973 898453 mobile: 07973 406799 mobile: 07966 664379

BEAULIEU carpets Adventure Twist Athena Dublin Durham Twist Explorer Endurance Fashion/Gallery Grass Collection Heavy Tread Mars Motor Car Pronto Selections Sweet Homes Yucatan vinyls Arte Del Ceramic Celtic Stone - New Colours Chess Comfort Grip Jazz Sherwood Oak Studio Sonata Texalino Supreme Urban laminates Essentials (previously Casa) Cottage IVC Comfylux Extra Expressions Fantasy Fusion Master Grip Planet Precious Metals Presto Ultimate Oak Victoria

ITC Belgravia Concerto Consul Heritage Collection Kreta Palace

MOHAWK CARPETS Century Collection - Century - Half Century Presidential Collection - Independence - Liberty - Freedom (4&5M) - Splendor

TAPIBEL Cachet Melody Nevada Reeds Sysoltex Homested/Aran/Crofter Toscana

MISCELLANEOUS CAVALIER Country Collection Hamlet Parish and Village LEIGH SPINNERS Atlas Velour THOMAS WITTER Innovations C&H Homestyle LVT - planks and tiles PARAGON Toccarre Carpet Tiles

News Flash...

PRESIDENTIAL COLLECTION NOW IN STOCK

We carry other products not listed above, and can also provide a swift special order service on non stock lines.

Our reps and sales office would be pleased to answer all enquiries. Our last Price List is dated January/February 2012.

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

29

DID YOU KNOW? STS Flooring Distributors Ltd stock a large range of carpets and carpet tiles via our 5 depots ORPINGTON • CROYDON • WATFORD • CAMBRIDGE • OXFORD (THAME) 08454 341000 08454 342000 01954 781142 01844 213555

NEXT DAY DELIVERY STS GOLDLINE STOCK CARPETS Abbey Twist 30/40 Aston Twist Bernwood Twist Bernwood Supreme Bernwood Heather Supreme Blenheim Twist 40 Blenheim Twist 50 Cherwell Cord Chislehurst Fairfield Supreme Gladiator Supreme Harrier Felt Harrier Gel Harrier Supreme Gel Heathdale Medicare Multicare Classic New Valley Twist Orinoco Opus Twist Ravensbury Twist 32/40/50 Scala Serenity Supersava Elite BALTA STOCK CARPETS Gala Cord New Shepherd Twist EDEL TELENZO Fleur Hercules Lawrence Lima Puma

PRICE GUIDE DATE JULY 2011 LANO STOCK CARPETS Bolero Chislehurst Fairfield Supreme Heather Twist Supreme Pembridge Twist Sapphire Scala Startwist Startwist Supreme CORMAR STOCK CARPETS Apollo Berwick 40/50 Forest Hills Malabar Textures Natural Berber Twist New Oaklands 32/42/50 Primo Delight Primo Plus Primo Tweeds Primo Ultra Town & Country BEAULIEU INTERNATIONAL Bellini Dublin Elite Ranger FIBRE BONDED Ecocord Supacord

CARPET STOCK TILES Ascot Beckenham Cheltenham Clipper II Croydon Croydon Stripe Heuga 727 Keston Latour Saturn Selsdon STOCK UNDERLAYS Blue Heaven Cirrus Cloud Nine Contract Cloud Nine Super Contract Cosi 8mm & 10mm Cumulus Durafit 500 Durafit 650 Goldtred Collection Heatflow Collection Nimbus Willow Green Roma Silver Lining STS Express 8mm Tredaire Elite Treadmore

STS Area Managers Regional Manager Rachel Sherwood 07801 762724 Area Manager Dave Lowman 07500 847758 Area Manager - Retail Phaedra Duncan 07738 329714 North/East London, Berkshire, Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middlesex, Northants, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire 30

Steve Osman 07919 128401 Essex, Cambs, Suffolk, Norfolk

Paul Jones 07801 762719 Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol & Birmingham

Paul Jeffery 07717 218024 South/East London, Kent, E Sussex

Sales Area Managers Dana Baldock 07801 762725 South/East London, Kent, E Sussex, Part Essex

Mirka Mihulcova 07500 847566 South/West London, W Sussex, Berks, Hants, Surrey

Vicky Langley 07962 646847 Surrey, W Sussex, Hants, Berks, South/West London

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Weston Hammer UK 16/17 Byford Court Hadleigh IP7 6RD Tel: +44 (0)845 644 9090 Fax:+44 (0)845 644 9191 info@westonhammer.com www.weston-carpets.co.uk

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our latest display stand showing all our collection on one compact unit.

If you are interested in having one of our free stands please contact our Sales Office or your local Sales Agent.

Jacs Designer tonal loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Natural Lines Super luxurious 100% Wool loop pile available in 4m and 5m widths.

Tunis A heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Queen Tweed A fine heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Denver A stylish heavy domestic tonal loop pile in 100% Wool, available in 4m and 5m widths.

Oklahoma A heavy domestic berber loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Supreme Stripe A heavy domestic tonal stripe in 100% Wool loop pile.

Supreme Boucle Our best selling level loop 100% Wool product available in 12 up to the minute colours in both 4m and 5m widths.

Imperial Boucle A heavy domestic loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Las Vegas A chunky luxurious loop pile in 100% Wool available in 4m and 5m widths.

Royal Velour A luxurious velour in 80% Wool/20% Nylon in 5m wide.

Sisal Boucle and Sisal Berber Natural fibre textured loop pile ranges in two styles.

The Stone Fibre Collection Our unique flat woven quality in many fashion styles and colours available in 4m and 5m widths.

Orlando A chunky loop quality with a thick latex backing for a luxurious feel.

Bespoke Design carpet from Hammer Carpets You may not have heard of them but Hammer Carpets in Denmark are the worlds largest manufacturer of Colortec bespoke design carpets in the world.

Colortec is a state of the art tufting machine that uses computer controlled technology to manufacture any design in a maximum of 8 colours.

This tried and tested manufacturing method is up to 10 times faster than Axminster and exactly replicates the appearance, unlike a printed design carpet.

If you would like more details of this type of carpet and to find out how competitive and easy to use it can be then please call your Sales Agent or our Sales office who will be happy to help.

OUR UK SALES TEAM Mr Ron Fewery Tel: 07976 244892 London, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire.

Mr Steve Acton Tel: 07957 836207 Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset.

Mrs Jac Hayman Tel: 07815 785801 Contract Sales East Anglia.

Mr Gary Foster Tel: 07515 283872 East Anglia, Northamptonshire.

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

Mr John Hinchliffe Tel: 07774 990359 North Wales, Cumbria, Manchester, Liverpool.

Mr Derek Boyd Tel: 07940 320708 Scotland.

Mr Lee Palmer Tel: 07774 101640 Channel Islands.

Mr Jonathan Gorman Tel: 07815 121660 Northern Ireland.

Mr Mark Garbett Tel: 07840 664757 Bristol & the West Country.

Mr Steve Fletcher Tel: 07831 818989 Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Tyneside.

Mr Keith Stevens Tel: 07710 160166 Midlands & South Wales.

Please visit our website at www.weston-carpets.co.uk for online cutting requests and more information on our products, or telephone 0845 644 9090 (local rate) to speak to one of our telephone sales team

31

You can create a carpet website for your business in

5 minutes.

We’ll have it online for you within

5 days.

If you don’t like it, it will cost you

nothing.

If you do like it, it will cost you

£390 + £90/year.

Fill out a form for five minutes and we’ll have a good-looking flooring industry website online for you within 5 days*.

Then you can update it, add to it or ignore it for ever!

Flooring stores don’t generally need anything too fancy – most of the time, visitors are just trying to find out your phone number, your opening hours or where they can park! Or they’re just checking if you look professional.

The Floorsites package from The Stocklists offers:

7 ready-made pages of flooring industry content covering the key sectors of carpets, vinyls, laminates, etc.

Instant online editing – if you can type, you can customise these pages yourself anytime to add latest offers and news… or leave them as they are – we put all your contact information in there anyhow.

Choose photos from our library to make your site unique – or upload your own images.

Link to Google Maps – let visitors find you quickly and see where to park

Auto-email form to let customers contact you direct

* The site takes a bit longer to set up if you already have a website or address.

A Floorsite from The Stocklists costs £390 for the set-up and the first year – and £90 per year thereafter (exc. VAT).

Check out what your site would look like at www.thestocklists.com/floorsites or contact David Spragg at davidspragg@thestocklists.com or call 01845 573241.

NO OBLIGATION ‘TEST DRIVE’...

We set up your site free-of-charge for a month. If you don’t like it, you don’t pay. There’s nothing to lose!

32

THE STOCKLISTS January 2012

2 January 2012

FlooringNews Luxurious soft sell The epitome of luxurious twist pile carpet, Wakehurst Place brings the desirability of British wool to the Crown Floors label.

Using a wool-rich 80/10/10 construction for the ideal combination of lasting looks and softness, Wakehurst Place manages to strike a balance between decadent comfort and great value, making it a sure fire hit among homeowners looking for quality carpet that doesn’t cost the earth.

Available in 12 natural shades ranging from foggy grey through to moss green and a deep rose red, Wakehurst Place is part of the 10 range strong Crown Floors portfolio that provides retailers with a highly marketable collection of carpets for the home.

Suitable for use in bedroom to lounge and anywhere in between, Wakehurst Place comes in both four and five-metre widths to minimise wastage and seams. The carpet benefits from the natural and rapidly renewable qualities of wool to make a good choice for those looking for a more sustainable floor too.

“Sitting at the top of the Crown Floors collection, Wakehurst Place is a carpet of true regal elegance,” explains James Caldwell, sales co-ordinator, Crown Floors. “That’s why we've employed the finest materials to make the range. Consumers will take confidence in the British Wool and Woolmark logos and 15 year wear warranty, while retailers will appreciate the excellent in-store POS and display, making Crown Floors a natural ‘go to’ brand in any store.”

T 0800 0773301 www.crownfloors.co.uk

Bellisimo broadloom A deep and inviting pile that consumers will want to sink their hands into mark out Bella Villetta as a carpet of luxurious appeal and as part of the SmartStrand collection, it is also a carpet of impeccable environmental credentials and performance.

Made from SmartStrand carpet fibre, which features 37% rapidly renewable content derived from corn, Bella Villetta also delivers outstanding stain resistance, incredible softness and a durability to compete with the most enduring carpets. With a Lifetime Stain, Soil and Pet Warranty, Bella Villetta is proving an irresistible choice for homeowners and retailers: As part of the SmartStrand collection, we’ve seen Bella Villetta go from strength to strength,” says Howard Lindsay, vice president for UK, Ireland and South Africa. “The collection’s reputation for style, substance and value, backed with a great environmental story, is proving itself an excellent mix in flooring retailers across the country. As our network grows, Bella Villetta is marking itself out as a carpet for those on the hunt for a real feeling of complete unadulterated luxury.”

Thanks to the stain performance of SmartStrand even light colours become less of a challenge and so the range is available in the off white of Contessa and a range of natural shades including sand, earth and rock tones and the lavish deep plum of Winery. Available in a 3.66m width, Bella Villetta can be used in living and dining spaces and the bedroom and comes with a 15 year wear warranty.

The SmartStrand collection is now available on a tombola with innovative built-in display to highlight SmartStrand’s pioneering performance and comfort levels.

T 01480 479830

from The Stocklists

www.themohawkgroup.com

January 2012 33

News

Museum set to open

Design with a twist Heathertwist Design is the latest carpet from Lano Carpets’ Easy Care collection, providing fuss and worry free performance in a striking geometric tonal design.

Kidderminster Carpet Museum has celebrated its 30th anniversary and set a date for its opening in October this year at the Stour Vale Mill site in the town.

Using Lanoset two-ply yarn for durability, Heathertwist Design takes 10 of the most popular colours in its sister range Heathertwist Supreme to provide homeowners with a contemporary design carpet that balances perfectly with plain styles, providing freedom of choice throughout all parts of the home.

On December 2, 1981, a trust was founded after carpet manufacturer Ken Tomkinson contacted Charles Talbot and Stephen Quayle with the vision of creating a museum in the town for the industry.

“Whether creating a more dynamic living space or using the advantages of pattern in the hallway, homes can use Heathertwist Design to introduce a fresh contemporary twist to an otherwise plain landscape,” says Birger Karlsson, UK and Ireland Area Sales Manager, Lano Carpets.

The years since have seen mixed fortunes for the trust and a struggle to secure premises but that all changed in 2006 when Morrison Supermarkets acquired the former Woodward Grosvenor factory in Green Street and offered Grade II listed Stour Vale Mill to the trust.

Thanks to its 100% polypropylene Lanoset fibre, the 40oz Heathertwist Design is bleach cleanable and comes with Lano’s famous Easy Care 10-year stain resistance warranty for peace of mind. Along with a 7-year warranty against wear, Heathertwist Design meets the expectations of today’s modern consumer: Available in a 4-metre width, the 1/8th gauge twist pile Heathertwist Design is made specifically for the most demanding areas of the home, with enough durability and resilience for use as a value-driven option in hotel guestrooms.

T 00800 5266 5266

By September, 2010 funding of £1.97 million was secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund and work began on the site in August, 2010.

The museum is set to feature two working looms - a Wilton Jacquard loom and a Spool Axminster loom. www.carpetmuseum.co.uk

www.lano.com

Vinyl in bloom Currently the only commercial rated sheet vinyl available in a stunning tile décor, Penta from Itec Contract Floors is gracing the houseplant department of Syon Park Garden Centre.

Selected by contractor Trevor Wharton Carpets in Matai 698, a unique and Itec-exclusive 40 x 40cm slate tile effect, Penta provides the garden centre with an R10 slip resistant surface.

“The garden centre is built around the beautiful 16th Century stable block of Syon Park, the London residence of the Duke of Northumberland, and so it was vital that the floor embraced this with a style befitting of such a building,” explains Trevor Wharton, contractor responsible for the installation. “So what could be a better way than pay homage with a stone design installed over the building’s original flagstones. Penta is the only commercially rated vinyl sheet that could do this for us. Yet it was equally important that the floor provided a safe as well as a durable surface and with slip resistance and Class 33 wear, Penta ticked all the right boxes.”

Penta also features Superguard PUR technology that makes the floor easier to maintain, facilitating easier wash down and reducing the need for cleaning chemicals. Some 250 square metres of the floor were installed throughout the houseplant department in a two-metre width to accommodate the complex layout of potting benches. Installed with a specialist system directly upon flagstones, Penta was hot welded at the seams to provide an impervious surface.

T 00 32 5665 3211 34 January 2012

www.ivcgroup.com

FlooringNews

The British Wool column British Wool at Domotex Domotex is a kick start to the carpet industry, bringing in the New Year with the reality that only a major trade show and its promise of new products and promotions can do.

The British Wool Marketing Board will be at the show and is exhibiting with the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO). Together they will be promoting the Campaign for Wool – which is now the industry’s unified programme for wool promotion across the world.

The stand will continue to operate as a meeting place for the UK textile industry and will provide an area to hold a small and informal meeting.

Richard Poole of the BWMB said, “We set out to offer a space that was useful to our wool partners at this important show because increasingly we were seeing fewer and fewer carpet manufacturers exhibit here. We wanted to enable those that did visit to have a spot to meet up and this facility has proved good for that.”

The BWMB will also promote British Wool and deal with enquiries about the fibre.

“This show still gets great attendance from across the world and British manufacturers and retailers do gain from seeing the ranges and trends that are shown here.”

Visit the BWMB at stand D53, Hall 5.

British Wool attends the North American Flooring Show The land of Stars and Stripes may be feeling the same economic pains as the UK but Surfaces - the largest flooring show in North America is holding up despite many industry players relaying the tough market conditions – but Las Vegas, where it is based - is a town where the show always goes on.

British Wool will The Campaign for Wool will exhibit on the British Wool stand at exhibit at the event but Surfaces 2012 in Las Vegas. will lead for the first time completely on the Campaign for Wool (CfW) – showing its commitment to the USA roll-out of the programme.

“This year, the Prince’s campaign is at the centre of our activity because we will commence a meaningful wool promotion in America this year,” Bridgette Kelly of the CfW said.

“British Wool has spent two years building the CfW’s profile there and we now have support from many of the key industry players. The reality is that the simplicity of the generic wool message is very attractive to them. Many feel that they would benefit from having a united message for wool carpets so that the consumer is not confused by too many selling messages at point of sale.”

“It is of course appealing to them that we have a royal patron – it is no surprise that they love that connection – Americans generally like the Royal family and this offers added value to them.”

“We will promote wool in partnership with the industry and look to create events that stimulate interest at retail level and in the press. They view this as a very exciting prospect for their businesses.”

The US retail flooring industry is experiencing the same problems as the UK – with property prices having fallen in most areas and property movement largely stagnant. Retailers are having to focus on redecoration but many retailers have commented that wool has not suffered as much as other floorings because people are investing more in their refits and choosing quality to improve their living space.

Industry forum gathers at Wool House A large group from the British flooring industry gathered at Wool House in late November to learn about potential plans for the CfW in 2012 and to see the way that British Wool is hand graded at the BWMB’s new wool grading depot in Bradford.

The Carpet Foundation and British Wool jointly hosted the event to encourage feedback from manufacturers and buying groups on key CfW plans and messaging/activity for promoting wool carpets in-store.

Inevitably there was interesting opinions from the three focus groups and POS remained a key factor for some with window displays proving a topical discussion.

Richard Poole of the BWMB will be at Domotex to talk to visitors at the British Wool/CfW stand.

36 January 2012

“The mixed group of manufacturers all took part in the topics and gave their opinions openly, which is precisely what is needed, so we are very positive about this consultative process. It was a very good start to getting the wool carpet industry on the same page in promoting the fibre in the most effective way,” Ian Hartley, CEO of the BWMB said. Further meetings will be held in the coming months.

Members of the UK carpet industry visited the British Wool depot at Bradford to see wool being graded.

FlooringNews

from The Stocklists

January 2012 37

News

Liquorice allsorts Bringing pop pinks and cool chromatics, Bubblegum and Liquorice is the latest collection from Avenue. Defining urban living and a bold new generation, the collection is geared towards a young and vibrant audience.

Featuring decors that will spark the imagination and will get consumers to think of floors in a fresh way, Bubblegum and Liquorice includes stripes, abstract designs and realistic wood and stone decors that appeal with fizz and energy, setting a new agenda for cushion flooring.

“Cushion flooring is a great fuss free floor that naturally appeals to a young audience,” says Caroline Wille, product manager for Avenue Floors. “That’s why we’ve decided to bring together some of our most energetic designs into one collection that will undoubtedly appeal to first time buyers and shoppers looking for something a little out of the ordinary.”

Low maintenance and with great underfoot comfort, Bubblegum and Liquorice styles are backed with Easy Clean technology that will endure everything life has to throw at it.

Available in two, three and four-metre widths and with a seven-year guarantee, the collection also hits a price point that will suit a young audience.

Not only offering a striking, colourful option for kids bedrooms, Bubblegum and Liquorice is also great for use in areas prone to spills and standing water, such as kitchens, while the Thermoback provides a level of underfoot comfort to satisfy the most comfortable of living spaces. The perfect allround floor for anywhere in the home, Bubblegum and Liquorice is sure to become a favourite among retailers looking to capitalise on a new generation of buyer.

T 00 32 5665 3211

www.ivcgroup.com

Top retailer recognised Woolsafe educates The WoolSafe Organisation recently held an Educational Conference for its industrial partners, members and associates. A fantastic turnout of WoolSafe Certified carpet cleaners attended the event, along with representatives from several chemical companies and representation from the carpet manufacturing sector. The conference encouraged shared learning and networking among members and provided a deeper understanding of the carpet cleaning industry for all present at the day-long event.

The conference began with an in-depth discussion of the various ways that WoolSafe works with its partners to promote the WoolSafe brand to the wider community. The session covered joint marketing and promotion and social networking, stimulating lively debate among attendees.

This was followed by two sessions of an educational nature, which began with a training seminar by Chemspec Europe on insect infestations and a newly developed control system. This growing problem requires specialist knowledge of treatments and training in pesticides regulations. An exam-based certification took place and a permit to use this new product and offer a treatment of textile insect pests service was awarded to WoolSafe Certified cleaners who took part.

The second session took a close look at the cleaning of sisal and other cellulosic floor coverings. WoolSafe Certified Operator and Registered Inspector, John Bryden has been very successful in dealing with these troublesome flooring types and demonstrated how to achieve the best cleaning result.

The conference also covered WoolSafe’s latest and ongoing research projects that it hopes will collectively identify the parameters for the ultimate cleaning result. Aspects such as how pH impacts dirt removal and colourfastness and how different fibre types respond to cleaning agents generated interest from all in attendance. The conference was concluded with a threecourse banquet, providing the perfect opportunity to cement friendships and forge new relationships with like-minded colleagues.

T 0800 731 5688

38 January 2012

www.woolsafe.org

One of the UK’s most distinguished carpet and flooring retailers, T Nutt & Sons Limited, is celebrating its success after receiving an honour at a prestigious awards ceremony.

T Nutt & Sons Limited was crowned Runner-Up in the Best Small Family Business category of the Midlands Family Business Awards.

Judges recognised and praised the Chesterfield-based company Sue Carr of award sponsor V Formation, for its “exceptionally strong David Nutt (centre), Kevin Nutt family values” and for its “outstanding service to all customers”. In addition, plaudits were bestowed on the firm for its “loyalty to customers”.

Collecting their trophy on the night, brothers David and Keven Nutt said they were “thrilled” at their award. The Nutt brothers, who were accompanied by their wives Fran and Milena, said: “We are regularly assured of our excellent service by our customers and well-wishers. But to be recognised by an independent panel of judges means so much to us.”

“We treat each customer as a family member. We believe that it is the goodwill of our customers that has enabled us to win this award and we attribute this honour to them. We pledge to continue to serve our ‘family’ customers with sincerity, loyalty and tremendous pride.”

The multi-award-winning company, based in Clay Cross, is run by David, Keven and Patrick Nutt, and was founded in 1869 by their great grandfather, Thomas Nutt.

It employs 12 staff, of which five are part of the immediate Nutt family. The firm is a popular supplier and fitter of carpets, wooden floors, vinyls and laminates. Its customer base is scattered mainly across the Midlands, but has repeat clients across the country.

The firm’s claims to fame include their appearance on a DIY show screened by the BBC. In addition, David and Keven Nutt were selected by the Carpet Foundation to head a specialist marketing campaign, which featured in leading national trade magazines, including Ideal Home and BBC Home & Antiques.

The company, which is a member of the National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers, as well as of the Greendale Carpets & Flooring Buying Group, strongly believes in giving back to the community and displays its commitment by frequently sponsoring local carnivals, school activities and sporting contests.

T 01246 863148

www.nutt.co.uk

FlooringNews

News

Salesmark appoints SalesMark UK, a member of The Floorwise Group, has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Lee Smart as Managing Director.

Lee, 44, brings 23 years experience within the flooring trade, including retailing and working on behalf of European manufacturers to promote and sell products within the UK. He joins SalesMark from Western Cork Ltd where he has been sales director for the last three years.

Speaking about his appointment, Lee said 'it is time to push SalesMark forward to the next level, gain new customers and introduce new products that will sit well alongside their existing portfolio.

T 07976 180950

from The Stocklists

E lnsmart@salesmark-floorwise.co.uk

January 2012 39

News

Let’s get behind Harrogate The businessman who brought The Harrogate Flooring Show back to life in 2009 has urged the industry to show more support for the sector’s only full trade show if it is to succeed in challenging economic times.

“The flooring industry needs one great event to maintain its commercial edge and fight for new business, “ says David Wildman. “But while we have a huge amount of support and goodwill out there, the industry needs to invest in its future and avoid the ‘bunker mentality’. We need to show more confidence if we expect any return of consumer confidence.”

David Wildman was speaking as he handed over the show, without charge, to a new company headed by Wendy Adams, the highly experienced events organiser who helped David re-launch the event two years ago and secure an increased audience last year.

“I was asked by the trade to re-launch a national show at Harrogate and I have delivered on that with the help and loyalty of a committed core of exhibitors,” said David. “Now the industry must take more of the initiative and work with Wendy to sustain and develop the show they want and need.”

David backed the show’s re-launch at considerable personal risk financially and by year two, the gamble paid off with a creative and lively event that was applauded across the industry and attended by more than 3,000 visitors. He will continue to support Wendy Adams informally.

Wendy Adams has run a successful Harrogate-based events business for the last 20 years – organising shows in Harrogate, London and Europe for the fashion, interiors and bridal industries.

“We can build on David’s success if we get the commitment from the companies that make up the flooring industry,” said Wendy. “2012 isn’t going to be easy for anyone but there is business out there to be won and events like Harrogate help find new opportunities and protect existing relationships.”

Wendy will be meeting with key exhibitors early in the New Year and wants to give the industry more say in shaping the event to meet their needs.

The line for the event already includes many industry leaders including Abingdon, Associated Weavers, Moduleo, Cavalio, Cormar, Crown, Edel Telenzo, Fells, Furlong, Headlam, Lano and Mastercraft Rugs.

David Cormack of Cormar Carpets commented: “The flooring trade in the UK needs an exhibition to be proud of and it should be a positive year for the Harrogate show.

“According to my father, it is the 50th Anniversary of the Harrogate Flooring Exhibition - 1962 was the first. For us, Harrogate is not about the return on our investment based on one year’s experience but about building a brand by meeting customers, new and old, over those years - 50 in fact!” he said.

The Harrogate Flooring Show takes place September 2, 3 and 4, 2012.

T 01423 779967

www.harrogateflooringshow.net

Editor’s comment Harrogate is the only time the industry really gets together and fires itself up to fight the battles on the High Street.

The industry needs to unite behind one great occasion and retailers need to see what’s on offer across a highly creative, diverse and innovative sector. A retail store is a lonely place to be in a recession, Harrogate isn’t.

I defy anyone to return from the show without one new idea to make a little extra margin – and that’s what business is about.

40 January 2012

FlooringNews

DOMOTEX 2012 Hall 3 Stand C53 • Hall 5 Stand F04

DOMOTEX 2012 Hannover promises to be a beacon of hope in the troubled European market as flooring shows its finest - with flair and enthusiasm

World leaders roll out for the world’s top flooring fair The top flooring trends and fashions for the 2012/2013 season will be on show at Domotex, the world’s foremost trade fair for carpets and floor coverings, from 14 to 17 January 2012. “Domotex is a business platform and flooring lifestyle show in one, a powerful mix that makes it the most important annual event for the international carpet and floor coverings industry,” commented Deutsche Messe Management Board member Dr. Andreas Gruchow.

“All indications are that it’s going to be a great success. The global market leaders will be out in force, plus there’s the hotly anticipated premiere of the Wood Flooring Summit, a new, improved site layout and a range of new online services. With features like these, our exhibitors and visitors know they will be in pole position for new business.”

Themed “Customized Living,” Domotex 2012 is where 1,400 exhibitors from over 60 nations have chosen to exhibit their new collections and design developments. The range is truly comprehensive, encompassing everything from hand-knotted and machine-made carpets, parquet and laminated flooring through to textile and resilient floor coverings.

Architects, interior designers, skilled tradespeople and wholesalers and retailers of furniture and interior furnishings can look forward to a multitude of exciting new products, trends and developments for both the domestic and contract furnishing sectors. They will be able to gain a complete overview of the international carpet and floor coverings market because Domotex draws some 83 percent of its exhibitors from outside its host country – a level of international participation that most trade fairs around the globe can only dream of.

Trade visitors can compare different manufacturers, products and prices, negotiate directly with suppliers and learn about the latest trends – all under one roof. Domotex is equally advantageous for exhibitors, who benefit from the highly international composition of the fair’s trade visitors (with 63 percent coming from beyond the host country). “The international visitors who come to the fair tend to be highly motivated buyers, as they see Domotex as an opportunity to do all their buying for the entire season and eliminate the expense of further business travel during the year,” Dr. Gruchow said.

“Customized Living” the keynote theme at Domotex 2012 Personalisation is one of the defining trends of the current market and has an enormous bearing on interior design. Carpets and floor coverings in particular offer almost unlimited scope for individual design. The customer can choose from a rich palette of off-the-rack materials, colors and formats, not to mention the customized products that a growing number of providers are now offering.

Dr. Gruchow commented: “Increasingly, our human desire for greater individuality and self-realisation is finding direct expression in the design of our own four walls.” These trends are reflected in the lead theme chosen for Domotex 2012, “Customized Living.”

The theme symbolizes the leading design trends among the carpets, textile and resilient floor coverings and parquet and laminated flooring products that will be on display at the fair.

Domotex 2012 will also feature highly targeted special displays, speaking events and panel discussion on interior décor and design that will yield new ideas and insights for visitors from the wholesale/retail sector, the skilled trades, architecture and interior design. For instance, the fair is continuing its Souk Deluxe partnership with renowned carpet designer Jan Kath, and will feature the new Wood Flooring Summit with its strong focus on product design. www.domotex.de 42 January 2012

FlooringNews

DOMOTEX 2012 The World of Flooring

TIME &

PLACE

Show date Show venue Opening hours

14 - 17 January 2012 Exhibition Grounds, 30521 Hannover, Germany Daily - 9am to 6pm

DISPLAY CATEGORIES Hand made carpets/rugs.

Halls 19, 20, 21, 23 Woven carpets (machine-made) and mats. Halls 2, 3, 4 Textile floorcoverings/woven carpets fibres and yarns. Hall 5

Wood & parquet flooring, outdoor coverings, laminated floor coverings., wood flooring summit.

Halls 8, 9

NORD 1

WEST 3

Contractworld. Hall 6 Textile & resilient floorcoverings.

Hall 6

NORD 3

NORD 2

20

3

2

19

21

Laying skills, cleaning and application technologies.

Hall 7

23

4 IC 5 CC 6

Hall 6, Stand C46

Hall 7 Stand A45

Robert Witherington +44 7917 100505

Tony Capon (Export Director) +44 7711 019060

6

7 8

Stocklists The

OST 3

9

Diane Martin and David Spragg will be at the event on January 14 & 15 - call us on +44 (0)7595 89 5177

Hall 6, Stand D30

Hall 5 Stand C18

Highlights of Domotex 2012

Jack Thomson +44 7860 911748

Lesley Inman +44 7703 337989

Floorforum: Arranged in the display categories – Natural, Classic and Fashionable - this showcase led by leading designer Ulf Moritz will offer fascinating insights into trend-setting colours, materials and patterns.

Souk deluxe: The trend display for handcrafted rugs, Souk Deluxe, is a real eye-catcher. This special display presents a broad spectrum of handmade rugs for the benefit of visiting professionals.

Hall 7, Stand B45 Hall 6, Stand A30 from The Stocklists

Richard Harris +44 7710 182945

Events program: A forum for dialogue between professionals’ - a broad range of special events, trade association meetings and conferences offers you the chance to learn more about the key issues affecting the industry today.

Here you can compare notes, benefit from expert knowhow and strengthen your position in your everyday business dealings. www.domotex.de January 2012 43

DOMOTEX 2012

Lano Carpets is taking an environmental approach to this year’s Domotex as it builds upon the philosophy of its Green Signature, showcasing products that bring reduced impact on virgin petrochemical resources.

With an expansion to the Bamboo collection, made in part from the fastgrowing renewable resource, as well as the introduction of brand new Opera, a Brussels weave carpet made from 100% recycled Econyl100 yarn, Lano Carpets will be a destination for all visitors looking for innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact.

Avenue and Leoline will be proving their position as a force to be reckoned with in cushion flooring as they exhibit at Domotex with a range of floors designed to appeal to consumers looking for the ideal combination of style, performance and value.

With Leoline presenting new innovations geared towards delivering homes floors that deliver affordable style and Avenue bringing the latest on-trend styles and subtle nuances, the IVC Group stand is promising to deliver visiting retailers a broad overview of cushion flooring: “Domotex is an ideal opportunity for us to prove that both Avenue and Leoline can deliver cushion flooring that innovates and continues to deliver excellent value,” comments Francis Debrabandere, commercial director, IVC Group. “We can also use the show as a platform to trial new concepts and to gauge feedback.”

Highlights will include product introductions for 2012 as well as various new display concepts. Designed to support Avenue stockists with striking displays removed from the tombola style of commonly used for cushion flooring, the display will be available to premium level retailers.

T +32 5665 3211

www.ivcgroup.com

Hall 6 Stand C26

“As part of our Green Signature, we not only commit to reduce the footprint of our operations through reduction in energy consumption and greener energy sources such as our solar panel installation, but also to improve the ingredients within our carpets to make them less demanding on precious and non-replenishing resources,” says Birger Karlsson, UK and Ireland Sales Manager, Lano Carpets. “These new developments in our portfolio represent a significant step towards reducing the impact of our processes and we are looking forward to telling visitors to this year’s show also how they can add value to their business.”

Bamboo has natural anti-bacterial and humidity regulating properties and when turned into carpet fibre it is exceptionally soft to the touch. Further to this, the easily harvestable crop can grow up to 60cm per day, making it a rapidly renewing resource from which to source carpet yarn.

Made entirely from post industrial and post consumer recycled polyamide, Econyl yarn is 100% sustainable without any loss in performance over virgin polyamide. Providing a highly durable carpet with long lasting appearance retention, Econyl ensures the Opera performs as well as it cares for the environment.

Lano Carpets will also reveal new developments in its Ultimo, Easy Care, Technic and Landscape concepts, as well as details on commercial products under the Lano Flooring Solutions brand.

T 00800 5266 5266

www.lano.com

Hall 5 Stand B18

Mohawk Alongside the stunning EverStrand and SmartStrand® residential carpet ranges, Mohawk will also use Domotex as a platform to showcase its Bending Earth collection, a range of high performance modular carpet taking inspiration from science, technology and modern architecture.

Available in three stunning designs - Datum, Caliber and Sector – the collection comes in 11 tailored colourways and will be supplied directly from UK stocks. With UltraSete RC 35% recycled content backing, Bending Earth is CRI Green Label Plus certified and constructed from solution dyed nylon for ease of maintenance and long-term appearance retention.

“With a range of solutions tailored to meet the needs of both domestic and commercial environments, Domotex is a natural proving ground for Mohawk,” comments Howard Lindsay.

Mohawk will also reveal further developments to its popular SmartStrand® collection that has taken the UK residential carpet sector by storm, introducing a new tonal cut pile collection to broaden the appeal of the Bio-PDO content range T 01480 479830

44 January 2012

www.mohawkflooring.com

Hall 5 Stand B40

FlooringNews

DOMOTEX 2012 The World of Flooring

Domotex 2012 looks set to be successful for Interfloor as it establishes new partnerships to expand into high-growth markets around the world. The company already has customers in more than 70 countries worldwide including China and South East Asia, and has been particularly successful this year in the Middle East. Another successful market where Interfloor has become the preferred underlay supplier, is in the major international hotel chains worldwide, with their largest ever single export order of more than 150,000sqm of underlay.

“Our international success has been based on the enduring strength of our brands, product quality, customer service and growing range,” said export director Tony Capon. Interfloor is the largest British-owned underlay manufacturer but which also provides a complete one-stop shop of underlay and accessory products. With a portfolio of more than 800 flooring accessory products including carpet gripper, profiles, adhesives, tapes and fitting tools, in addition to its highly successful underlay business, Interfloor is the only manufacturer that can offer a complete solution.

Interfloor is also the only manufacturer of carpet gripper in Europe, through its Gripperrods product. The company has recently improved the product’s appearance and quality to maintain its position as the leading carpet gripper in the UK. Interfloor will be exhibiting the extended range of Stikatak adhesives at Domotex, along with its market-leading brands of Tredaire and Duralay underlays, including the award winning Technics and Durafit double stick underlays for the international contract market. Interfloor will also be showcasing their new flame retardant PU underlays: Tredaire FR7 and FR9, 7mm and 9mm ultra high density (145 kg/m3) underlays.

T. 01706 213131

www.interfloor.com

Hall 7 Stand A45

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. will be showcasing the latest addition to its product range, new Stopgap FastTrack 30 Rapid Set, Rapid Dry Smoothing Underlayment, at Domotex 2012. With a genuine working time of 10-15 minutes, Stopgap Fast-Track 30 can be trafficked after just 30 minutes and allows textile and resilient floorcoverings to be installed over absorbent subfloors after only 45 minutes.

Brockway has once again teamed up with Wools of New Zealand to produce a concept carpet showcasing the potential of eco-friendly Laneve wool.

The carpet, called Fantasia, will be seen for the first time on the WNZ stand at January's Domotex show in Hannover. It is a neo-natural tweed incorporating four colours - Raven, Buckskin, Lint and Luna - in two 3-ply 100% Laneve stipple yarns, resulting in a contemporary marled broadloom product.

Brockway has also used the yarn in combination with the four plain yarns to create an inspirational co-ordinating stripe.

The concept was developed at Wools of New Zealand's Centre of Excellence in Ilkley, and the carpet manufactured by Brockway at its Kidderminster factory.

Brockway's managing director Charles Annable believes that the collaboration of leading-edge design with the company's British manufacturing expertise is creating a stir with its retailers and customers.

"Since the launch of our Vogue range and Designer Collection over the past few years we've found a real appetite for 'carpets with an edge' - something a bit different from the norm," he said.

"Our working relationship with Wools of New Zealand's Centre of Excellence has proved incredibly successful and we're delighted to be pushing this even further with another stunning concept for Domotex."

Wools of New Zealand's Joanna Ramsden, who designed the new carpet, said: "Fantasia offers the consumer a new direction for fashionable stripes and coordinating carpet. By combining plain shades with a creative marled yarn, the stripes and stippled broadloom give a multi-textured tweed with a 'neo-natural edge'.

"The colours of Fantasia reflect the trend towards a mellowing of the monochrome look. Black remains a dramatic accent but when combined with new shades of vintage white, a blue cast charcoal, a silver grey and a subtle herbal green makes a stunning carpet with a natural and contemporary twist for the floor.

"It's an approach that can be interpreted in many ways, not least by blending wool with other fibres for both traditional, comforting and glamorous effects - the concept holds lots of exciting possibilities."

T 01562 828200

www.brockway.co.uk

from The Stocklists

Hall 5 Stand B12

Using the latest cement binder technology, Stopgap Fast-Track 30 is ideal for fasttrack projects as it combines both rapid setting and rapid drying characteristics. The product also has excellent self-levelling and self-smoothing properties.

In addition to the new product launch, F. Ball will also be revealing its 2012 Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG). The industry’s most trusted guide to adhesive and floorcovering compatibility, the F. Ball RAG features over 5,500 adhesive recommendations for floorcoverings from over 200 leading international manufacturers. As well as being produced as an A5 booklet, the RAG is now accessible through a range of digital and interactive formats, including the new smartphone app.

Commenting on Domotex, Marketing Manager at F. Ball, Richard Harris, explains: “F. Ball is continually expanding its international operations and Domotex is key to the company’s strategy to further develop its business within the global flooring market. The show allows us to meet with existing customers and build new relationships, as well as showcase the new additions to our comprehensive product range.”

A team from F. Ball’s sales, marketing and liaison departments will be on stand at the show to discuss the company’s latest developments and answer any questions.

T 01538 361633

www.f-ball.co.uk

Hall 7 Stand B45

January 2012 45

DOMOTEX 2012 Edel Telenzo Is a stalwart at Domotex and returns for 2012 at a new, improved location – stand C18 in Hall 5, alongside other broadloom producers.

The manufacturer’s strength lies in its depth of offer, with expertise in both wool and wool mix qualities and polypropylenes on gelbac, thus covering both retail and contracts markets comprehensively.

Visitors to the stand will be able to see the latest additions to the wool collections, earmarked to be a real winner in 2012. Barbican is 100% two-ply multi-level loop pile suitable for Heavy Domestic and General Contract applications. It’s Scotchgarded and vigorously tested for colour fastness, against light, wet and shampoo. It’s also insect and rot proof. The range comes in a fabulous new multi-stripe design and a co-ordinating two-tone plain in six fashionable earthy tones: Ashes, Cappuccino, Smoke (shown) Aspen, Wheat and Parchment. Paddington is a chunky high-low loop pile in 100% three-ply wool, Scotchgarded and in six versatile colours: Cafe au Lait, Mink, Tan, Khaki, Gravel and Saffron.

Several new polypropylenes are also in the pipeline for launch at the show.

T 01422 374417

www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk

Hall 5 Stand C18

Wools of New Zealand will again be hosting the Wool Centre, the focal point of which will be Laneve, the only fully traceable carpet wool which is going from strength to strength in the marketplace worldwide.

Co-exhibitors on the stand include Brockway, Westex, Bronte, Ryalux and Flock from the UK, as well as Angora and three international spinners. Brockway and Ryalux are already Laneve partners in the UK while Flock will be showing their 12 new ranges designed and developed with Wools of New Zealand which are aimed at architects and designers in the luxury market. Wissenbach will be releasing Laneve/Rubia dyed rugs as well. In an innovative move, even the chairs on the stand will be covered in innovative eco-wool fabric.

David Hammond, Market Manager, Europe and North America for Wools of New Zealand said: “Domotex is a pivotal event for Wools of New Zealand and this year promises to be the most exciting yet, with new partners, new products and new marketing opportunities. Laneve has really struck a cord with the industry, designers and consumers and the new ranges from Flock and Wissenback will only further fuel interest. These are exciting times.”

Pictured is the headquarters of the ZLTO, the Dutch farmer cooperative in which every element of the installation had to be sustainable and so used Laneve.

T 01943 603888

46 January 2012

www.woolsnz.com

Hall 5 Stand B12

FlooringNews

DOMOTEX 2012 The World of Flooring Balta Group will be bringing its residential and commercial carpets to the halls of Domotex with the ITC, Domo and Balta Broadloom brands, underlining its position at the forefront of the broadloom carpet sector.

ITC will present new BCreative® products made with latest Chromojet technology, which enables digital printing on commercial rated carpet to give complete artistic freedom and adding weight to the trend for using the floor as a canvas of creativity. In its residential portfolio, Lakeland delivers a beautiful optical effect in a ‘cracked ice’ pattern with a palette that presents an elegant and timeless sensibility.

Several new carpets will join the Domo portfolio for 2012, as it introduces new Exelto® polypropylene carpets to its collection. The chunky berber loop pile of High Flyer gives the carpet a natural quality, with rustic overtones enhanced by a beautiful nine-strong natural palette. Suitable for use anywhere in the home, High Flyer is available in a four-metre width.

Another loop pile addition comes in Thunderbird, from the Nature’s Writing collection. Using 100% Exelto® yarn, Thunderbird mixes tight and loose loops for a heavily textured appearance in six colourways. Available in a four-metre width, the carpet is an ideal low maintenance choice.

For Balta Broadloom, Domotex will see new launches under the Stainsafe® brand, an update to the top of the range Woolmaster® collection, the relaunch of the famous face-to-face woven Wiltax and the introduction of Sensit®, a newly developed branded polypropylene fibre.

This fibre is extremely soft and has a silky lustre, but still retains the resilience and easy to clean bleach cleanable performance that makes polypropylene such a popular choice in the home. It will feature on three new ranges in Trésor, Euphoria and Serenity. The new Saxony and twist introductions to the Stainsafe® collection will come to UK shores at the beginning of 2012 and will include Urban Legend, Saxon King and Somerset; three Saxony qualities with pile weights ranging from 625 to 1,700gm/m2.

T +32 56 62 22 11

www.baltagroup.com

Hall 6 Stand A30

Custom made carpet manufacturer Bronte Carpets are delighted to announce that they will be co exhibiting at Domotex for the first time in their 30 year history.

Bronte will be showcasing their recently launched all new 100% Wool and 80/20 Twist colour pallets along with their full range of qualities and exciting Hand Crafted Borders. All available in any colour and any width upto 12m with no seams.

Sales Manager Andrew Broughton said: “These are exciting times for Bronte following the launch of our new ranges and the appointment of several overseas sales agents. We are delighted to be at Domotex for the first time in our history and also with our Wools of New Zealand partnership” T. 01282 862736 Hall 5, Stand B12

www.brontecarpets.co.uk

from The Stocklists

January 2012 47

Domotex preview

Wools of New Zealand are leading the way to a Natural Future for Carpets Wools of New Zealand will have a bigger and more diverse stand at Domotex in January 2012. The Wool Centre will be promoting both Laneve and Wools of New Zealand branded yarns and carpet ranges as well as playing host to 10 co-exhibiting partners: • Angora Carpets, Turkey (axminster and wilton producer) • Brockway Carpets, UK (tufted carpet manufacturer – including the Designer Collection and Laneve ‘Akaroa’ range) • Brontë Carpets, UK (manufacturers of high-quality custom-made carpets) • Chromatone, UK (international colour referencing system for wool carpets) • Danspin, Denmark (Laneve-branded woollen spinning mill)

• Flock, UK (marketing distributor of Laneve tufted and woven carpets) • Grentex, India (Laneve-branded spinner of woollen, worsted and semi-worsted yarns) • Martinelli, Italy (Laneve-branded woollen spinner) • Rubia (100% natural dyes), Netherlands (Laneve) • Westex, UK (vertical manufacturer of luxury tufted carpets)

Wools of New Zealand has once again teamed up with Danspin (Denmark) and Brockway Carpets in Kidderminster to produce a co-ordinating concept carpet collection showcasing the latest yarn styling and design trends in Laneve wool. The plain broadloom/stripe collection called ‘Fantasia’ will be seen for the first time on the WNZ stand B12 in Hall 5. The broadloom carpet is a neo-natural tweed incorporating 4 shades from the WNZ 2012 colour forecast – ‘raven’, ‘buckskin’, ‘lint’ and ‘luna’ – in two 3-ply 100% Laneve stipple yarns, resulting in a contemporary marled product. This tweed yarn has also been used in combination with the 4 plain yarns to create an inspirational stripe.

“The colours of ‘Fantasia’ reflect the trend towards a mellowing of the monochrome look. Black remains a dramatic accent but when combined with new shades of vintage white, a blue cast charcoal, a silver grey and a subtle herbal green makes a stunning carpet with a natural and contemporary twist for the floor. It’s an approach that can be interpreted in many ways, not least by blending wool with other fibres for both traditional, comforting and glamorous effects – the concept holds lots of exciting possibilities”, explains Joanna Ramsden, WNZ Creative Manager.

Other carpets also on the floor of the stand include: ‘Mariana’, the Ultimate Laneve saxony collection from Ryalux, is laid in the Martinelli and central areas. Westex have their Ultimate Twist Collection on the floor of their area, and Brontë Carpets feature ‘Patrick’ from their luxury deep pile (2370gms) 100% wool bespoke saxony range.

The key focus for Wools of New Zealand will be the presentation of the three Laneve carpet ranges launched into the UK retail market during 2011. Over 250 independent retail partners in the UK have signed up to the Premier Partner membership and have Laneve lecterns and point-of-sale material in store. The lecterns, housing Laneve-branded ranges, will be prominently displayed on the stand.

Ryalux have become the latest manufacturer to sign up to become part of the unique Laneve collection from Wools of New Zealand.

They join Brockway and Ulster in introducing the first-ever fully traceable carpet back to source. ‘Mariana’ a 60oz Saxony in 12 standard colours and available in any custom colour up to 7 metres, joins ‘Akaroa’ - a twist pile from Brockway - and ‘Auckland’ and ‘Queenstown’, loop piles in 6 colours each from Ulster, to form the Laneve Collection.

“Provenance and authenticity are key for today’s consumer. The Laneve Collection ticks all the boxes for the environmentally conscious carpet buyer”, says David Hammond, European Market Manager for Wools of New Zealand.

Each carpet sold comes with a unique trace code enabling the consumer to trace its origins back to the farm where the wool was grown.

T 01943 603888 48 January 2012

www.woolsnz.com

Hall 5 Stand B12

FlooringNews

from The Stocklists

January 2012 49

Flooring at the heart of furnishing Interiors UK, the UK’s largest trade interiors event returns in 2012 with additional investment to ensure the changing demands of both the retail and contract buyers are met.

Interiors UK is an all encompassing event, you can not only expect the cream of the industry under one roof, but also additional elements that will inspire, inform and create an indulgent experience for all who attend. This year, in line with the product categorisation of the event that has been taking place over the last few years, sub-branded areas will be named to bring to life the different parts of the show, giving an individual identity to each area. These areas will be Fabric, Modern Elegance, Décor, Living Lifestyle, Contemporary Design, Flooring and Lighting.

The show will lead with a British Heritage theme, with the entrance to the show and each of the halls providing their own twist on this concept. The entrances will all provide inspiration for the visitors, using different colour hues and a host of products from the companies you can see inside the halls. Interiors stylist and journalist, Diana Civil, who has worked for many of the UK’s leading interiors magazines and is famous for creating fabulous on-trend rooms, has designed all of the six hall entrance spaces. Interiors UK is very excited to have Diana working with them to create these wonderful areas of creativeness, design achievements and all that is British.

TIME &

PLACE Show date 22 - 25 January 2012 Show venue NEC, Birmingham, Opening hours 22 - 24 9am to 6pm 25 - 9am to 5pm

From traditional to modern and www.interiorsuk.com contemporary interior products, interiors UK not only offers a fantastic buying opportunity, but as ever comprises an increasing number of enhancing features, collaborating with some of the best in the industry to create an improved experience around the halls. Over 500 exhibitors will be present at the show including big industry brands alongside the smaller independent companies and design students. Flooring brands include Cavalio Floors, Furlong Flooring, Mastercraft Rugs, Panaget, Rama Carpets, Rockford, Topcret, and the Unnatural Flooring Company..

Interiors UK is the definitive interiors exhibition, the first chance of the year to source, network, socialise and do business with the industry. Visit www.interiorsuk.com for more show highlights, industry news and to pre-register for your complimentary ticket to the show, saving £25.

Call in at the Carefree Zone Furlong call it the Carefree Zone - their stand at Interiors where buyers can be confident in the knowledge that the extensive Carefree range will tick all the boxes with consumers for price, quality and practicality.

The Carefree range includes all carpet styles in contemporary colours with an advanced wipe-clean technology - demonstrated to great effect on the video lecterns that form part of the innovative POS package.

“Carefree has had a tremendous response from the market because it offers the fullest mix of benefits with competitive pricing - the ideal business proposition for the current market conditions,” says Neil Valentine, Northern Sales Director of Furlong.

T 01772 696787 www.regencycarefree.co.uk

50 January 2012

Stand F4 in Hall 2

FlooringNews

22-25 JANUARY 2012 NEC BIRMINGHAM

Silk to sisals

Debut collections for Cavalio

Established in 2000 Stainshield are now combining their highly competitive range of stain protection products with the internationally acclaimed allergy and hygiene product Actigard.

Building on the success of their recent launch at the Harrogate Flooring show, Cavalio are taking their three new collections, Lightline, Conceptline and Projectine to Interiors UK.

Safe and compatible on all fabrics and fibres Stainshield offer the best of protection with support from a dedicated customer help line.

Lightline is ideal for those that place great value on comfort and contemporary design. Its 30 harmonised stone and wood effects combine the fascination and aesthetics of natural materials with the advantages of technically well-engineered flooring. Lightline is the ideal floorcovering for any home; it’s affordable, hard wearing and its polyurethane (PU) surface treatment ensures easy ongoing maintenance. Lightline fulfils every design requirement with a variety of borders, inlays and feature strips to choose from.

Quality and safety compliances include the prestigious standard OKO-TEXT 100 Class 1 V and BSEN 24940.

Introduced at Interiors will be a new high density water and alcohol based stain and allergy protector, a moth proofer (concentrate) for long term protection as well as a cure for infestations and two DIY products covering stain protection of fabrics and rugs and allergy protection suited to all soft furnishings and bedding.

T 01372 841467 Stand 65 Hall 5

www.stain-shield.ltd.uk

Conceptline is a superb choice for housing interiors and light commercial areas.

With a 0.3mm wear layer, Conceptline ensures lasting beauty and offers floors with fascinating finishes; stone effects from some of the most stunning natural stone and slate designs in the world and beautifully grained wood effects ranging from subtle familiar designs to innovative works of art. Both styles deliver the utmost in authentic design and elegance and offer virtually unlimited options for creative floor design through the use of borders, inlays and feature strips.

The Projectline Collection is designed specifically for heavy commerical and residential interiors and is ideal for covering large spaces with flooring that is both durable and extremely stylish.

Projectline offers realistic surface textures with a large range of stone and wood effect finishes and features a heavy-duty 0.55mm wear layer. An array of borders, inlays and feature strips all provide stunning visual options to enhance any room or space and the polyurethane (PU) coated surface treatment assists with ongoing maintenance.

T 01782 569840

from The Stocklists

www.cavaliofloors.com

Hall 2 Stand F8

January 2012 51

Flower on Flooring News News Exploration and innovation Laminate flooring is combining the use of improved technology with designer's imagination to provide consumers with a depth of options that match the latest trends.

While many in the UK flooring sector view it as somewhat conservative and reluctant to embrace change, others find that they are able to indulge their creative talents and bring something different to the table.

While this is viewed as a brave step by some, those achieving success with this approach find that they are able to stand apart from the competition and enjoy less competition on price as a result. Among those adopting this innovative attitude are Parador, which has challenged conventional design methods with its latest introductions.

Creating something dierent in design lets companies stand apart and be more compeitive.

The company's Oak Mix laminate is a relevant example, as it utilises different widths and length of plank, as an alternative to those using uniform sizes. Parador describes the effect as "captivating precisely because of the irregular arrangement and different widths or lengths of the planks". The company also recognises the appeal of natural materials that have become worn with age. Its Walnut Antique design originates from a chancery floor made from engineered wood and more than 100 years old.

New designs for Quick-Step Go

This was meticulously reproduced to create a technically-advanced laminate floor. Home furnishing trends are also used for inspiration

by Parador, resulting in the creation of designs such as White Elm and Ash Tropic, alluding to the fashion for elegant furnishings.

Alternatively, the company's brushed and rough sawn surface designs match the trend for natural, rustic effect.

Unilin finds that its Quick-Step Classic and Go collections continue to remain popular and states that this is because they combine competitive pricing with ease of installation. These attributes are further extended by constant updating that sees the introduction of new colours and wood grains to ensure the ranges continue to reflect the latest fashions.

This year the Classic range was further extended with the introduction of White Ash, Midnight Oak Natural and Midnight Oak Dark.

The Quick-Step Go range has benefited from five new designs, including Chocolate Oak and White Ash. Consumers are also attracted to the company's ranges by the variety of additional benefits that complement its cutting edge designs.

These include a 20-year warranty for domestic use, plus the company's Scratch Guard technology, which makes laminate floors up to 10 times more scratch-resistant, it states.

Parador Classic 1040 oak grey-brown

52 January 2012

The company also offers matching skirting boards, finishing and stair profiles for all floors in identical colours and finishes. Quick and simple laying of floors is provided by the Uniclic installation system.

FlooringNews

by Dennis Flower

Pergo states that it will be launching a total of 90 new products, design features and concepts in 2012, a year which will be all about design, says the company. Amongst the new features, NaturalVariation and EndlessPlank are the most innovative.

The former produces up to 700 different-looking planks by giving each a rustic look. This technique elevates laminate flooring to a new level, says Pergo. EndlessPlank is designed to introduce matching decors and textures that flow continuously from the end of one plank to the start of the next, embracing the trend for longer planks.

The company will also be introducing 39 new decors and five new surface textures, including Embossed In Register (EIR) for a more genuine feel, plus facette embossing for a more artistic expression.

For more information about featured products: Parador • www.parador.eu • 01805 667668 Quick-Step - Unilin • www.unilin.com • +32 5667 5211 Quick-Step Classic continues to be very popular

from The Stocklists

January 2012 53

Survey

Fortune favours the brave?

Retailers respond on prospects for business in 2012 Retailers are expecting a bumpy ride in 2012 with 42% expecting no growth and 39% expecting a decline in sales.

Our latest survey asked readers how bad was 2011 and was it going to get any better in the foreseeable future – 56% of respondents expect no return of consumer confidence within five years.

Looking back at 2011, 44% said last year was worse than the year before with 30% saying it was about the same. But 25% saw some improvement.

On pricing, a third of our retailers said they had increased prices by more than 10% and almost three quarters had increased prices to some degree. 12% had marked down their goods. For most, margins remained steady but 18% reported an improvement.

We asked about consumer behaviour overall in 2011 and 67% of retailers said their customers were trading down and 65% agreed that more people were asking for discounts than in previous years. Despite the hard times – or maybe because of them – there was less appetite for credit among buyers.

While our respondents were split on whether higher quality sales were holding up, 64% said wool sales had been hit by the higher prices. “I do feel although wool prices have increased, the increases passed on to the retailers have been harsh,” said one business owner.

Retailers are bracing themselves for big price hikes by their suppliers this year. 53% expect prices to go up more than 5% while a further 34% fear rises in excess of 10%. But retailers are getting more supplier savvy. One North East retailer commented: “There is business to be had out there and there is value if we look carefully at suppliers, rather than cruising on auto-pilot! We are far more selective and demanding with suppliers now than we were a couple of years ago.”

Another commented on the current product range: “Manufacturers need to bring out more products in a budget range to help first time buyers and also cash strapped Britons buy the things they need.”

Asked if the Government was doing enough to encourage consumer confidence, a massive 85% of our sample said no.

But negative media comment and internet sales came in for the greatest criticism. “The biggest obstacle that we need to overcome is the media - it is my belief that customers DO have money. Interest rates have been at an all time low for years now, but because of the negative media folk are scared to spend.”

But confidence starts in the retail store: “Those businesses that say they will have a decent year will go out and make it happen, those who say times are hard are probably sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring.”

“We are far more selective and demanding of our suppliers now than we were a couple of years ago”

54 January 2012

Fit for purpose?

39% expect sales to decline 56% expect no upturn for five years 74% increased prices last year 87% expect big supplier price hikes 12% dropped prices in 2011 67% see customers trading down 85% say Government isn’t doing enough The Stocklists polled 672 retailers throughout the UK during December 2011. Replies and comments are recorded anonymously.

Many thanks to all those who took part.

The banks came in for a lot of criticism with some retailers saying they could not borrow from their banks anymore. More than 78% of our retailers said they did not generally run an overdraft.

“After 50 years I’ve had the best out of the carpet trade, but then I’ve put a lot in,” said one retailer. “But as my father once said… in the carpet trade you will always make a good living but you'll never get rich.”

“We need more budget range products to help hard pressed Britons” “There is business to be had out there!”

FlooringNews

Reasons to be cheerful There is an alternative to the downward price spiral...

“Wool price increases passed on to retailers by manufacturers have been harsh.”

One of the anonymous comments posted to our survey site caught our attention in particular as a valuable comment on the current situation - so we reproduce the text here in full:

“Early in 2011, I sat in my shop feeling sorry for myself wondering when, no if, the next customer would ever walk through the door. I had fallen into the trap of accepting that everyone was in the same situation and that it wasn’t just me.

“We all blamed the bankers for ruining the economy, the politicians for not doing anything about it and the media for spreading doom and gloom. I came to work one morning with the intention of closing my business down and doing something else, just what I had no idea.

“After some debate, my partner and I decided to take responsibility for ourselves.

We rebranded, decided exactly what sector of the market we were in and really concentrated on quality and service, not price. If you want it cheap, we asked customers which part of our service don’t you want!!

“We haven’t looked back since. November was our 3rd best month in eight years.

Business is out there. Stop devaluing the products with all these discounts and charge the right price. Customers will pay the correct price for flooring as long as they perceive the package to be value for money. It is not all about being the cheapest.”

from The Stocklists

“Because of negative media, folk are afraid to spend.”

“If customers asked for cheap, we asked which part of our service they didn’t want!”

January 2012 55

Business News

UK flooring’s top spot Internet sensation UK Flooring Direct has once again featured in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 that lists Britain’s fastest growing private companies.

For the second year running the internet retailer has joined brands such as Jack Wills, Cath Kidston and Go Outdoors as one of fastest growing companies in the UK and still remains the only flooring retailer to appear on the list.

With sales growth of 50% a year, from £2.7m in 2008 to £9m in 2011, UK Flooring Direct has maintained consistent growth through online sales of wood, laminate, bamboo and cork floors. 2011 has seen the highest growth levels in the company’s history and with plans for expansion of the retailing model into new sectors, UK Flooring Direct is establishing itself among the topflight of interiors-related retailers.

“To appear in the Fast Track 100 for two years in a row proves that our model is heading in the right direction,” says Jason Ashby, managing director, UK Flooring Direct. “Despite very difficult trading conditions, which have seen overall flooring sales drop, we have increased our sales and continue to grow year on year. We are delighted once again to be joining some of the most recognised brands and some of the most innovative companies in the UK.” The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100, published annually since 1997, measures sales growth over three years and considers privately owned companies with sales in excess of £250,000 and employee numbers of 10 or more.

T 0845 287 5623

www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

Mixed fortunes in UK market

Retailing in a recession

The volatility of the UK flooring sector was demonstrated by polarised results from key players at opposite ends of the market - Victoria doubled its profits while Carpetright finally slid into a loss.

Fear and greed are two of life's great motivators, and in the current economic climate, the former is winning hands down, says an new report on the interiors sector.

Victoria Carpets reported first half profits doubled in 2011 to £1.27 million on global sales which had risen 17 per cent to £39 million. UK sales were up almost 11 per cent to £13.8 million, turning a £0.5m loss in the previous year into a profit of £0.16m.

For an industry that - for the most part - is all about selling discretionary items such as furniture and homeware, the victory of fear over greed is not terribly comforting. But demand, though pent-up, remains. Consumers need a reason, and the confidence, to part with their money. 2012 will present many opportunities, say analysts for business intelligence service furnishingreport.

“Against a backdrop of ongoing and extremely challenging economic and market conditions, the group has delivered a solid and satisfying increase in both revenue and profitability across all of its operations,” said chairman Nikki Beckett.

Group MD Alan Bullock added: “The markets are going to continue to be very difficult. We are continuing with investment into new ranges and channels into the market, which is a measure of our confidence.”

Victoria announced it had completed the closure of its trading business in Ireland during the first quarter, with businesses and brands in Ireland of Munster and Navan Carpets reported upon as part of its UK operation.

Carpetright plc reported it’s worst first half trading performance on record after a year of profits warnings by the listed company. The UK’s largest floor-coverings retailer dropped from a £9.8m first-half pre-tax profit last year to a £800,000 loss in the 26 weeks to October 29, on revenue down 3.9 per cent to £238.4m.

Profit margins fell by 4.3 percentage points as it put on more promotions amid "volatile" trading conditions but UK like-for-like sales still declined 2.4%.

Although it said the conditions would remain "challenging", Carpetright said it was optimistic that its trading performance would improve in its second half after a recent increase in mortgage approvals, which traditionally drives sales.

The company is reducing its property portfolio of 503 stores with 36 closures in the first half and a further 93 sites under review.

Carpetright is focussed on improving its beds and laminates business in 2012 as well as strengthening its online position.

Unlike other consumer oriented industries, furniture remains one of those trades driven by demographics and the property market, with every man, woman and child needing a bed to lie and a sofa to sit on.

To be successful, all four components of the marketing mix will have to be just right. We can expect some of the multiples to focus, as ever, on place, promotion and price, as we've seen in the past year with heavy discounting and a reluctance to open new stores unless they are sure the location is right.

But single store independents will remain reliant on product, and making the right choices when it comes to January's key buying season will be crucial in ascertaining the true winners and losers of 2012.

Fortunately, furniture stores still have an advantage over independents in other industries. The depth of supply in the furniture trade is paralleled perhaps only by the food sector, making product differentiation easier for retailers.

Consumers will be ever more discerning in 2012: keen for value, and parting with money only if they are sure the product is right for them. But retailers hold the trump card. It is they who decide the look, feel and balance of the product flooring in their stores. www.furnishingreport.com

56 January 2012

FlooringNews

Voice of the Trade Chris Latham Director J2 Flooring

“

Do consumers know enough about the products to pay a premium for better quality?

No, not really. They have heard of the major players from the sheer volume of advertising spend – the reality is they will like a particular style generally irrespective of price. Most consumers appreciate the time taken to explain about the wear layer, importance of correct installation etc.

Switch selling in the LVT market is relatively simple compared to carpet.

What do retailers like least about the established big players in your sector?

So many complain about poor customer service, dictation of terms, different divisions – retail, contract, housing sector, all from the same player – you can’t have a retail account but you can have a contract account – if you sell it on the internet you must do x or y or not do this or that. Having to supply consumers details to manufacturers can rankle and therefore crops up from time to time as an issue.

Are there more opportunities for smaller, service-oriented companies in this difficult market?

Very much so. What small companies lack in marketing muscle, they more than compensate for with personal service. The fact that J2 can be professionally “own branded” to make it exclusive to a retailer and therefore not able to be “googled” easily makes it very appealing.

Above all, price flexibility – no area managers, regional directors, marketing support - all have a cost that impacts on the price.

“…look after the customers, keep the prices fair, keep asking the customers what they want, thank them for their custom. Help them grow.“ Do you think there are too many people making LVT products now?

The answer is no….. and yes. How many people actually make LVT?!!

Are we counting in the UK – if so I believe the answer is 1! In the far east there are many. Selecting the right ones, with designs for the European market can be quite daunting. Separating the good from the bad is a tricky exercise.

Are retailers too carpet-oriented to sell vinyl benefits as well as possible?

Many retailers have embraced the LVT concept, some may have had a bad experience and walked away. Working with the new, smaller companies like us, I believe retailers should re-consider as there is some excellent profit potential to be had for minimal outlay.

Are wood decors getting darker or lighter?

I would say darker woods are edging into the market, but you still cannot beat a traditional mid shade English oak.

from The Stocklists

Is the UK ever going to move away from oak as its favourite floor colour?

Who knows, I think we value oak as one of our intrinsic traditional woods, we may not be as patriotic as some counties, but core values and traditions still stir within us. Oak is here to stay.

Would you ever have a real, natural wood floor in any room in your house instead of a luxury vinyl?

Not now! Anyone who has ever experienced solid timber versus wives and daughters with high heels and grandchildren with stones in the ribs of their trainers, knows the damage these things can cause and who wants to put up with the hassle of sanding and re-sealing when LVT’s can be replaced fairly easily.

Has the recession made the flooring industry ‘smarter’?

Yes, the wealth of new products specifically from the major adhesive and screed manufacturers, that can solve sub-floor problems have been embraced by those companies who want to be enlightened, even the traditional hard line “if it isn’t in a yellow bucket” brigade are starting to appreciate the benefits that these new products bring and the problems they can solve.

How is 2012 looking, compared to 2011?

Optimistic, look after the customers, keep the prices fair, keep asking the customers what they want, thank them for their custom. Help them grow.

What’s the next big thing – in terms of design, colour or texture?

“This time next year Rodney we’ll be millionaires” – if we knew the answer to that one. There are those getting excited about LVT Click systems but the lack of ability to use design elements will limit their appeal.

If you could ask retailers to change one thing, what would it be?

Listen – we all get unsolicited phone calls about phone systems, insurance etc… we all get cheesed off by it! BUT just occasionally someone Comes along with an offer you could benefit from - just LISTEN. None of us knows it all.

“

How price sensitive is LVT now?

Well we’re in a recession, everyone wants a bargain, something off for cash, something to make them feel better about the transaction, a free upgrade etc. There’s nothing new in that, it’s just cropping up more often when budgets are stretched. Discerning customers still know what they want and as the difference in price for a majority of LVT’s is less than the cost of floor preparation and installation few sales are lost solely on price.

Which product or product type is past its sell-by date now do you think?

Some cushioned vinyl, the flexibility and prices of LVT’s are such that they can rival the more expensive sheet vinyls.

In your time in the trade, what has most surprised you?

The fact that I sold a 50% wool twist pile carpet in 1974 for £7.99 sq yard and if I really shop around or buy some clearance – I can still do it for the same price – we must be barmy!

And most disappointed you?

The laws on insolvency… protecting those who shouldn’t be protected (sometimes serially)!

What’s been your biggest business mistake?

Assuming everyone is honest and reasonable and not being more ruthless!

If you didn’t work in this industry, what would have been your second choice career? (Should it have been!?)

Difficult question…. I’ve loved this industry and for all its frustrations it’s been kind to me. I’ve always been fascinated with the Foreign Exchange markets – the opportunities to make (or lose!) fortunes, so a trader in foreign exchange would have been my second choice – and no, it shouldn’t have been!

January 2012 57

News

Recycling record Almost 6,000 tonnes of carpet waste was diverted from landfill by seven UK-based manufacturing members of Carpet Recycling UK during 2011 – representing a diversion rate of 85% and a 50% increase on 2010.

These manufacturers prevented 5,983 tonnes of waste carpet offcuts going into landfill – with a record-breaking amount of 4,948 tonnes being recycled to recover valuable fibres. The balance of 1,035 tonnes was used for energy recovery; the high calorific value embedded in carpets makes offcuts ideal for energy generation.

“It’s a tremendous leap forward and a great achievement for the group,” said Laurance Bird, Director of CRUK, an association of companies with 12 core funders that actively support the development of carpet recycling.

“Several of these companies will achieve zero waste to landfill by the end of this year and all of them will reach that goal during 2012 with the infrastructure investments they have in place.”

Managed by Axion Consulting, CRUK was set up by industry leaders to develop viable solutions to the nearly half a million tonnes of carpet waste landfilled in the UK each year. CRUK targets include 25% landfill diversion by 2015.

Laurance observed that UK landfill sites, with only seven years average capacity left, will feel the benefit of this diversion, saying: “Alternative sustainable developments in the reuse of this bulky waste now mean much less of it has to be disposed of in the ground. Recovery of fibres such as wool, polypropylene and nylon are creating new opportunities for their reuse in a wide range of end uses from equestrian surfaces to textile felts and plastics.

“Continued research by Carpet Recycling UK on behalf of its members is expanding outlets for fibre recovery and we will see several new products launching in 2012 to take advantage of new recycling technologies,” added Laurance.

The seven manufacturers are Abingdon Flooring, Brintons, Cormar Carpets, Forbo, Miliken, Brockway and Penthouse Carpets. Mike Collins, Technical Manager at Abingdon Flooring said: “We achieved zero waste to landfill several years ago with yarn from offcuts going into new furniture and bedding products. As a valued income stream for us, it not only helps reduce our disposal costs but is also a sustainable reuse of materials.”

Robert Barker, Finance Director at Cormar Carpets commented: “Since being a member of CRUK we have focussed on carpet waste streams from our manufacturing processes. What we originally classified as waste can now be considered a valued raw material for other products and processes.

As the carpet waste market develops with the active work of CRUK, we expect to see more value and our customers will be able to realise similar benefits in their businesses too.”

T 0161 440 8325

www.carpetrecyclinguk.com

Turning waste into wonder Staff at a United Carpets store have helped charity workers come up with a novel way to bring Christmas cheer to children on the other side of the world – with a bit of recycling.

The staff at United Carpets in Chatham Road saved up the protective polythene wrappers from carpet rolls and gave them to local helpers for the charity Samaritan’s Purse.

The helpers then turned them into the backing for home-made games of draughts and snakes and ladders.

Store franchisee Andy McLeod said: “The games have gone into shoeboxes full of gifts which the charity collects all over the country to send to needy children overseas who otherwise wouldn’t get a Christmas present. We acted as a collection point for shoeboxes, and took in 34 out of a local total of 574.”

Susan Parker, Samaritan’s Purse link for Northfield Baptist Church, sent staff at United Carpets a thank-you letter for their festive help.

“These shoeboxes are small, but they prove to disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe and Africa that there is love in the world and they are not beyond its warm reach,” she wrote.

Samaritan’s Purse (www.samaritanspurse.uk.com) is a national charity that collects and sends thousands of shoeboxes full of small gifts to boys and girls ever year.

Andy said he and his staff were glad to help: “United Carpets is a big company, but we are locally-run, and we think it’s important to do our bit to help the community,” he said.

T 0121 476 6770

58 January 2012

www.unitedcarpetsandbeds.com

FlooringNews

Stocklists Classified The

SITUATIONS VACANT

SALES MANAGER (TUFTED) Ulster Carpets’ is one of the world’s largest and most progressive carpet manufacturers, servicing global retail and contract markets. We now have a vacancy for a Tufted Sales Manager who will be responsible for developing and implementing a tufted sales strategy for the UK and Irish Markets.

To apply send your tailored CV and a covering letter detailing how you meet the following criteria:

Agents required Nationwide agents required to sell a brand new luxury vinyl flooring range. Applicants must share a passion about the product and have good relationships with flooring retailers / contractors and be able to push the awareness of the brand and products. Excellent commission rates If interested contact Stephen Latham, J2 flooring, Office 2, 22 Hart Street, Southport PR8 6BT Email: Stephen@j2flooring.com Tel: 07837 651542

UNDER RUGS

1. Specify the number of years experience you have gained in managing and developing tufted products within the UK/Ireland market (minimum criteria is 3 years experience).

2. Demonstrate your understanding of the technical aspects of tufted carpet construction.

Applications should be emailed before 12 noon on Friday 27 January 2012 to recruit@ulstercarpets.com, or by post to The Monitoring Officer, Ulster Carpets, Castleisland Factory, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT62 1EE. Further details of the position are available at www.ulstercarpets.com or to speak with a member of our team telephone 028 38395123.

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Contact David for more details: davidspragg@thestocklists.com from The Stocklists

January 2012 59