Menu
Pandemic drives desire for cleanliness; decorative surface companies ready to meet demand
If any businesses were prepared for the demands of a post-COVID 19 world, they were the companies in the decorative surfaces industry. Brands such as Wilsonart, Formica and OMNOVA, to name a few, have been promoting properties in their laminates for years that make them especially suited for the needs and challenges of ultra-clean environments.
If any businesses were prepared for the demands of a post-COVID 19 world, they were the companies in the decorative surfaces industry. Brands such as Wilsonart, Formica and OMNOVA, to name a few, have been promoting properties in their laminates for years that make them especially suited for the needs and challenges of ultra-clean environments.
The panel processing industry converged on the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado in October for another successful Material Technology & Design Symposium. Held at the beautiful Grand Hyatt located downtown, the event was highlighted by a powerhouse panel featuring some of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world discussing what they are seeing in the industry in the coming years. The stage was set for panelists Kevin Sauder president of Sauder Woodworking; Michael Pitman, senior VP of sales at Ashley Furniture; Mike Evans, president & CEO of Bush Industries; and Arash Fasihi, founder of Cymax and CEO of Growthpipe Ventures, who discussed education on the future.
Walmart recently opened its first health center in Dallas, Ga., taking its “Save money. Live Better” motto to the health care industry. The company is partnering with local providers and wellness organizations to offer affordable healthcare and transparent pricing for key health services. Patients will have access to primary care, labs, X-ray and EKG, nutritional services, counseling, and health insurance education and enrollment, regardless of their insurance status. The health center will also offer an array of learning resources including online education and in-center workshops to educate the community about preventative health and wellness.
While much of today’s retail world scrambles to attract walk-in customers in the face of online competition, stores based in airports and other travel hubs have a built-in advantage.
In modern commerce, the most important factor driving buying decisions is not price. It’s customer experience (CX). This general trend shapes retail design and provides opportunities all along the value chain.
In Germany, the analogy is strong between the automotive industry—often considered the most vivid expression of what a culture is about in a time—and the kitchen industry. In both, the end product not only has to function, but it has to look great, be efficient to manufacture with regular modifications and give pleasure to the operator.
2018 was an eventful year for the decor paper business in general and Ahlstrom-Munksjö in particular. To assess what happened and what lies ahead, Surface & Panel posed a series of questions to Tomas Wulkan, executive vice president, decor, at Ahlstrom-Munksjö, a global leader in fiber-based materials.
Imola, Italy, in October for the 10th edition of Cefla Live, which showcased the industry’s most impressive operational finishing laboratory. At the event, Cefla demonstrated definitively why it would be a misnomer to simply call the company a finishing technology provider.
Coming into 2018, many tile suppliers cited countertops as a key opportunity for the year ahead. According to Glenn Harry, general manager, stone and sales operation for Mohawk’s Dal-Tile Corporation, the U.S. countertop industry is estimated to be about $5 billion in sales annually, with roughly half coming from stone, quartz and a newer product known as gauged porcelain. While the sector is still in its early stages in the U.S., it’s definitely growing, and many suppliers are pointing to gauged porcelain tile — which the U.S. has recently started to embrace — as the reason.
