Category: News

Our main message on the show was that we believe the new engineered stone construction, entirely PVC-free, is the new breakthrough that will shape innovation in the flooring industry the next years and we are ready to take the lead!

CFL Flooring announced the launch of an exciting and new waterproof engineered stone.  This revolutionary new product will be introduced at Domotex & Surfaces 2019.

CFL positions it as the pinnacle of the waterproof category, featuring advantages of a newly developed Rigid Mineral Stone Core: waterproofness, rigidity, unmatched wear resistance, and superb stability. Engineered stone can be seamlessly installed over large surfaces (up to 10,000sqft) with no transitions, installed in all spaces, including 3-season rooms and sunrooms, and is approved for kitchen islands to be placed directly on top. It has up to 30% better scratch resistance than the industry leading coatings, making it ideal for commercial and residential applications.

It’s 100% free of PVC and plasticizers, inhibits mold and bacteria growth, and features a pre-attached high performance underlay. The unique backing provides additional sound reduction, stability and comfort. It is certified and made from recycled PET plastic bottles.

“PVC-free engineered stone is a breakthrough innovation and is covered by a series of worldwide patents.   Waterproof has been the buzz word of our industry the last years. The future of flooring is natural, recyclable, 100% stable, all in combination with being waterproof. Simply ask a customer whether she prefers a stone floor or a plastic floor. Expect a real game changer!” said Thomas Baert, President of CFL.

CFL is proud to announce that in order to support the fast growth of the company, and in consideration of the recent trade disputes between the USA and China, the company has initiated establishment of three new fully integrated production facilities outside of China. Products produced in these facilities will significantly expand CFL’s overall capacity, and will not be subject to the recent tariffs implemented – likely up to 25% total by January 1^st.  All facilities will be operational by January 2019.

Cited Tom Van Poyer, CEO:  “We are committed to make our partners stronger than ever in this ever-changing and challenging business environment, and feel we are far ahead in pro-actively finding solutions for our customers.  Across all categories, whether it is Laminate, SPC, WPC, or LV, we will continue to go the extra mile to bring the most innovative and differentiated products to the market place.”

Thomas Baert, President, also commented: “These manufacturing initiatives in countries outside of China mark the beginning of a more global expansion of our company.   CFL has grown into a family of close to 3000 employees, and we are very committed to providing a platform for our customers to take market share in these changing times.”

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Norwalk, CT, August 24, 2018-The American Consumers & Workers Justice Coalition (ACWJC) took its fight against proposed tariffs on Chinese LVT imports to Washington, D.C. this week by testifying before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 301 Tariff hearings in the International Trade Commission hearing rooms. The Coalition was represented by Harlan Stone, one of the founders of the ACWJC and president of the Multilayer Flooring Association (MFA). Barron Frith of Creative Flooring Solutions (CLF), also a member of the MFA board and the Coalition, was also present to support the removal of LVT from the list of products that would be subject to additional tariffs of up to 25%.

Barron Frith :“We were here as the voice for the Coalition, which consist of over 120 companies representing manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and contractors that believe the tariffs will have a negative impact on our industry. Hopefully Washington is listening.”

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CFL Flooring’s patent application for waterproof laminate technology has recently been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The company says this represents a significant development in the protection of CFL’s technologies and helps secure its position as a leader in bringing innovative solutions to the waterproof categories in the North American market.

“We’re extremely excited about this news. Our R&D teams together with our production units worked very hard in making our Firmfit products truly unique. Even in today’s highly competitive flooring markets we’re happy to continue to be recognized for bringing innovative products. While most competitors have been focusing on WPC (wood plastic composite) versions, Firmfit has quickly become a leader in its category because of the quality and performance of the product and this patent approval recognizes just that” offered Thomas Baert, president of CFL Flooring.

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The factory expansion of 500,000 sq Ft is fully in progress and is due to be completed February 2018. Progressing well, CFL is going through a growth sprint.  Reaction of customers to all our new products are tremendous ! We can not be grateful enough to our worldwide partners !!
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We held the ceremony on December 1^st in its headquarters in the presence of over 300 people, including top international and local government officials.
It was a great opportunity to have our partners come visit our facilities and experience first hand our ambitious expansion plans for 2017.

The expansion will consist of a $20 million investment in new buildings at our headquarters. The facilities will add half a million square feet of new production space, and a new R&D center with focus on continuing to lead the development of waterproof flooring and take the category to a new level.

Thomas Baert – Co-founder : “Our new buildings will allow us to have the most professional Research and Development center in the country, and will include an independent accredited laboratory  to be able to guarantee the highest quality standards.   CFL has applied and received over 20 patents in the last several years. We strongly believe that innovation is the heart of the success of our company, and it will continue to be our focus thanks to these significant investments”

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We are excited to announce that CFL Flooring is a proud co-founder of the newly established Multilayer Flooring Association (MFA) with Mr. Barron Frith (CEO CFL North America) appointed Executive Vice President. Other MFA members include six leading flooring companies: Armstrong, USFloors, Metroflor, Mannington, Novalis and Torlys.

Multilayer hybrid floors is a new category of floor coverings introduced in 2013. In just a few years it has seen a massive growth in popularity.
The MFA has been formed to serve the North American floor covering industry with the goal to establish necessary product standards and ensure a stable sector growth.

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The next official MFA meeting will be held in January at Surfaces 2017 in Las Vegas.
Come and see our newest innovations at the show, booth 1109.

For more information email us at marketing@CFLflooring.com

MFA BOD (from left to right): Barron Frith (Vice President, CFL Flooring), Harlan Stone (President, Halstead Corporation/Metroflor), Jamey Block (Secretary, Armstrong Flooring, Inc.), Philippe Erramuzpe (Membership Chairperson, USFloors).

CFL group of companies has gone through a name change to better reflect the existing situation of the company : CFL (Creative Flooring Solutions). CFL for years has been on the forefront of flooring innovation and is widely known for being a Creative innovator, providing solutions for its customers to achieve better margins in a competitive industry. CFL has grown into a 200 million dollar sales company with international management teams in different countries.

The company is planning for a major international expansion also exploring opportunities to manufacture closer to its customer base. The name change is preparing for this.

[Zhejiang, China] CFL is a top notch production facility up to Western standards located just outside of Shanghai. Founded in 2004 by European owners, CFL has evolved into one of the leading exporters of flooring from Asia by using a laser-like focus on innovation, quality and service. Their collections of products include laminate, luxury vinyl, wood and, since 2015, WPC.

In the past decade, CFL has brought unique and first-to-market innovations to their U.S. flooring partners. A $5 million capital investment for WPC (Water Proof Core) production was initiated in 2015 and production is now fully on stream. This will be followed by another $9 million investment in 2016 for additional machinery and new buildings.

“We continue to grow quickly,” advised Thomas Baert, co-owner of CFL. “In 2015, we will realize growth of approximately 35 percent over 2014, with global sales now at $160 million with 1,500 employees.”

“We are passionate about bringing new innovations across our product categories allowing our worldwide customers to make premium margins,” continued Baert. “For our new WPC brand of waterproof core flooring, we have made the investments to do the same. We are in a unique position to drive a total new booming flooring category.”

As a company, one of the most interesting aspects of CFL (as well as its biggest strength) is the abundance of western executive management staff at the factory. Key executives from more than 10 countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Brazil and others are part of the CFL team. CFL has offices and distribution centers in Belgium, U.K., Russia and the U.S. CFL seems to be able to combine the strengths of the East and West.

“That’s a huge factor contributing to CFL’s success,” commented Perry Coker, CEO of the North America division. “We understand the North America market. We identify marketing opportunities, thus bringing new ideas and creative products to our customers. We understand the distribution channel, and the need to partner with a manufacturer that can provide unique style and design across several categories. And we have the flexibility to support private label.”

CFL invites anyone traveling to Asia to visit their corporate manufacturing facilities. FCW will be hosting a group of leading U.S. buyers to China in March during the Domotex Asia/Chinafloor exhibition: www.domotexasiachinafloor.com. CFL will be hosting the U.S. group and will be able to demonstrate because seeing is believing!

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