The Laminate Flooring Industry

Our industry has come a long way!

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• Early 1980s Laminate flooring is developed in in Sweden and quickly spreads to the rest of Scandinavia and other European countries.

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 1993 First sale of laminate flooring in the United States.

• 1995 Laminate flooring is distributed across the nation.

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 1997 Exactly 10 years ago, the

North American Laminate Flooring Association

held its first ever meeting at Surfaces to address the need for product performance and industry standards.

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 1997-Present The laminate flooring industry experiences growth that no other flooring product has ever seen!

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 2001 Residential standards developed and approved • by ANSI.

2004 NALFA LF-01-2003, Commercial standards were added and approved by ANSI.

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 2006 The laminate industry

continues to grow!!

2005 Measured at first purchase (Estimated) Square Feet 964 million Dollars $1.205

Average Price $1.25 S/F 2006 Measured at first purchase (Estimated) Square Feet 1,053 million (9.2%) Dollars $1.301 (8%) Average Price $1.235 S/F

Laminate Flooring Milestones

• 2007

NALFA

celebrates its

10 th

year as the voice of the North American laminate flooring industry.

•

Laminate Flooring Milestones

2007

NALFA

presents the first ever

LAMMY Awards

at Surfaces to recognize the companies and individuals who have made substantial contributions to the industry. • Awards :

Regular Member Company of the Year Associate Member Company of the Year Person of the Year Member of the Year Associate Member of the Year Distributor/Retailer of the Year

Today’s Laminate Flooring in North America

• Laminate flooring continues to be used

everywhere

! It belongs in any area of the home.

Today’s Laminate Flooring in North America

•

Choices

,

choices

and

more choices

! Design continues to be a main driver in the growth of laminate flooring while the technical capabilities continue to grow! The design possibilities seem endless!

Today’s Laminate Flooring in North America

•

Security!

Consumers have the satisfaction of knowing the flooring they purchased is a high quality product- just look for the

NALFA Certification Seal.

Looking Ahead

• • • Laminate flooring will continue to experience significant growth as long as the industry keeps producing quality products with all the features and benefits that accompany laminate flooring. The NALFA Certification Seal that represents high-quality flooring will become more even more recognized. New and innovative technical features will continue to surface.

• • • • We are an organization of North American manufacturers and importers of laminate flooring products.

We were formed 10 years ago in 1997!

We are North America's

voice

and

vote

in developing worldwide standards within ISO’s ( 219 TC-WG-3). Primary Mission: – To encourage the establishment and maintenance of high standards in laminate flooring in North America and to recognize those that meet these standards.

Regular Members

• • • • • • Fausfloor Kronotex USA, Inc.

Mannington Mills Pergo, Inc.

Shaw Industries, Inc.

Tarkett • • • • • TORLYS, Inc.

Uniboard Unilin/Mohawk Wilsonart Flooring Witex Flooring, Inc.

Associate Members

• • • • • • • • Coveright Surfaces Canada, Inc.

Diversified Foam Products DSM Melamine Foam Products Corp.

FN Neuhofer Holz GmbH IDT Laminates, Inc.

KESCON Engineering Mead Westvaco • • • • • • • • • M.P. Global Products, LLC Pak-Lite (PLI) Pregis Sealed Air Corporation Sekisui Voltek, LLC TABER Industries Technocell Dekor Toray Plastics, (America) Inc.

Zamma Corporation

Membership Requirements

• •

Regular Member

– Manufacturer, marketer or importer of laminate flooring for sale in North America  Does not include retailers, buying groups, retail cooperatives, retail marketing groups or wholesale distributors

Associate Member

– Corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity regularly engaged in the business of selling goods or services to those that are eligible to be regular members

Benefits of Membership

• • • Members participate in NALFA's standards writing activity and help develop and shape the future of the laminate flooring industry in North America and internationally.

Members participate fully in the marketing initiative of laminate flooring.

Your voice shapes the industry!

Member Activity in 2006

• • NALFA members were the impartial

voice

in constructively building the laminate flooring industry by spearheading the establishment of voluntary performance standards for North America.

NALFA continues its interaction with ISO and the EPLF assuring that

our

North American opinion is heard.

NALFA Standards • • • • • NALFA LF-01-2003 approved by ANSI Increasingly sophisticated products and growing commercial uses demanded more stringent requirements 3-tiered standard makes it easier for end-users to match product to application All our test methods are incorporated in document A significant step in harmonizing with ISO standards

LF-01-2003

• • • Residential Standards – Developed in 2001 form basic requirements for residential products Light Commercial Standards – Increased performance minimums for small offices and low-traffic commercial installations Commercial Standards – Top static load, thickness/swell, ball impact, wear resistance criteria for high-traffic installations

Buyers’ Guides

NEW THIS YEAR!!!

Specific for both Consumer/Residential and Commercial Applications Available at www.nalfa.com

NALFA Certification Seal

– A consumer visual symbol that assures our various users/specifiers that products have passed the required tests to conform to NALFA/ ANSI-LF01-2003 standards – For marketing use on product packaging, collateral materials, advertising, etc

• • • • NALFA Certification Process All sample products follow established ANSI protocol Company submits its product to a testing facility Procedures are strictly specified for consistent testing Test labs are listed on the NALFA Web site

Benefits of Displaying the NALFA Certification Seal on Product Packaging • The

NALFA Certification Seal

on the cartons and in marketing materials produces instant advantages: – Dealers will sell with confidence – – Consumers will buy with confidence Dealers and consumers will know that your laminate flooring is a quality product that has been tested.

NALFA Certified as of Today

…and Many More to Come!

Want more?

Visit the NALFA Booth #124

Another NALFA First!

ON WITH THE LAMMYS!!!

1-202-785-9500 or www.nalfa.com