Vol. 61 No. 15 A Hearst Business Publication August 6/13, 2012 $4
FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY
Anderson rebrand
yields results
By Mallory Cruise
Aft er taking a hard look at its product off ering,
Anderson Hardwood brought about an
extensive rebranding eff ort in 2011. Now,
almost a year later, the company said it is
reaping the benefi ts of the eff ort. Th e result,
it reported, is strengthened relationships
with both distributors and dealers.
“About a year ago, we started looking at
what we needed to do to make our product
off ering more effi cient, we also wanted to
drive down manufacturing costs. So, we built
an internal team, including a select group of
distributor members, to look at how we can
go to market to be more effi cient,” said Jeff
Sills, executive vice president of hard surface
sales, Anderson Hardwood.
When Anderson Hardwood went to
market four years ago, the company had four
brands — Anderson, Biltmore, Virginia Vintage
and Appalachia — last year it decided
to narrow its focus to two brands. Anderson
and Virginia Vintage brands now represent
the best sellers from all of the lines and brings
two powerhouse brands to market.
Continued on page 19
Periodical
Anderson’s rebranding efforts included
updating its displays.
Babula sets
Clarion’s future
By Raymond Pina
[Shippenville, Pa.] Two weeks into his
reign as president and CEO of Clarion Industries,
a leading OEM supplier of laminate
fl ooring based here, Mike Babula said his
focus is on product development, particularly
expanding the organization’s 10mm off ering
and overseeing the launch of next generation
laminates. He also said he will address rising
raw material costs.
While many U.S.-based suppliers are
Interface to sell Bentley Prince Street
By Kimberly Gavin
Th e sale of Bentley Prince
Street (BPS) to Dominus
Capital and members of
management by Interface,
Inc., will give the company
greater independence to
build its brand around the
Anthony Minite world, according to president
Anthony Minite.
Minite will assume the additional CEO
title and duties when the deal closes. It is
expected be formally completed on August
15, Minite told FCW.
“We will be able to move faster and do
things on the research and development side
to be ahead of the competition,” Minite said.
BPS will focus on extending its carpet modu-
For breaking news updated each business day, visit us online at www.fcw1.com
pushing thicker 12mm products at specialty
retail as a means to diff erentiate themselves
from 7mm and 8mm products at home
centers, Babula said Clarion, which includes
Home Depot and Lowe’s among its customer
base, will increase its focus on 10mm product.
“Clarion’s capabilities feature the entire
gamut of laminate fl ooring from 7mm to
12mm with everything from embossed-inregistration
(EIR) to handscrapes, various
widths, high gloss and attached pads,” he
said. “However, we’re going to continue gain-
lar and area rug business worldwide. “BPS will
be hiring some new people for business development
roles, but senior management is in
place and part of the investment,” Minite said.
Minite added that he is pleased the deal was
struck with Dominus Capital. “Th ey will give
us the capital to move forward, but allow
us to run the company and maximize our
potential. It will give us the independence to
do what we want to do as well as the opportunity
to build on our legacy in the carpet
industry,” he said.
Interface announced on July 30 that it had
reached an agreement to sell the BPS division
to private equity fi rm Dominus Capital and
members of management for $35 million.
Dan Hendrix, Interface chairman and
CEO, said the move is good for both companies.
It allows Interface to focus entirely on
its core business — modular carpet — and
strengthens its balance sheet at the same
time. BPS continues to operate much as it has
during its tenure as an Interface brand, and it
gets an infusion of capital.
Bentley Prince Street, based in California,
has annual sales in excess of $100 million.
Interface, based in Georgia, is a publicly
traded company with annual sales in 2011 of
approximately $1.06 billion.
Hendrix told FCW the sale of the company
was the continuation of a strategy to take the
company back to its modular roots. Ray Ander-
17
Cork & bamboo sales grow
Amorim N.A. in Lisbon, Portugal
Mike Babula
ing strength and focus on 10mm vs. 12mm
because it off ers the same performance yet is
easier to handle at retail and for the DIYer. Th e
8mm remains a staple, but the larger retailers
Continued on page 21
son founded Interface as a modular company,
but in the late 1980s and 1990s embarked on a
strategy to diversify and globalize the company,
Hendricks said. Interface now makes and sells
carpet tile around the world.
Interface purchased Prince Street from
founder Bob Weiner in 1992. It followed
up with the purchase of Bentley in 1993
and merged the two high-end broadloom
brands in 2002 when it consolidated broadloom
operations on the West Coast. The
purchases gave Interface a strong presence
in that market, which complimented its
modular business. Other diversification
acquisitions included Guilford fabrics and
Access flooring, Hendrix said. “Carpet
tile was only 43 percent of our business in
2000,” he said.
At that time, the company was highly
leveraged. Hendrix said the strategy shift ed
to get back to the company’s core business. “I
felt like we should focus on Interface and its
global business,” he said. “BPS as an independent
is better for them,” Hendrix continued.
Today, BPS has modular capability as well as
broadloom and rugs.
“BPS has the distinction of being an iconic
brand in the marketplace,” Hendrix also said.
“Anthony and his team have contributed a
great deal to our company’s success, and in
particular, to our sustainability journey. For
Continued on page 19
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