Dow Launches New Flooring Business at DOMOTEX 2009

Dow is introducing its new Dow Flooring business at DOMOTEX 2009. A dedicated business with an integrated market approach to create a single source for the flooring industry offering a broad range of technologies for soft surfaces and artificial turf markets, fulfilling today’s need for innovative, sustainable solutions on a global scale. The Dow Flooring Technology Center at DOMOTEX 2009 (Hall 6, Booth F46) will showcase a range of sustainable solutions that address the growing needs of the floor covering industry. From recycled content to renewable energy, Dow Flooring has offerings that help customers reduce the environmental footprint of their production processes and products.

With the establishment of a cross-business approach to flooring, Dow is combining its industry expertise, technologies and application know-how while leveraging the customer intimacy that already exists in the three businesses currently serving the flooring industry - Dow Emulsion Polymers, Dow Polyurethane Systems and Dow Elastomers - to deliver customized solutions worldwide.

“Our ambition is to be the preferred supplier and source of choice for the global flooring industry,” explains Noel Irizarry, Dow Flooring Global Director. “Bringing together the existing businesses serving the flooring industry provides our customers access to Dow technologies and offerings through an integrated and united front that offers a single entry point to the market, making it easier and more efficient to do business with us. In terms of strategy, we plan to expand in Europe, IMEA and the Pacific, while focusing on market segmentation, technological expertise and sustainable innovations.”

A number of key trends are currently shaping the industry. Slow growth and intense competition have led to commoditization of the broadloom segment of the soft surfaces market. Soft surfaces in general are losing share to hard surfaces, which is however driving growth in the rugs and mats segments as supplemental floor coverings. Artificial turf has evolved significantly and is a rapidly changing and growing market, with evolving development of the technology in the system and increasing adoption by sports authorities and end users. Sustainability is a driving factor in all key segments of flooring, as customers seek to find products and technologies with a lower environmental impact and carbon footprint.

“Dow’s commitment to sustainability has stimulated us to improve the environmental profile of our carpet backing and artificial turf products; as a result, we have taken a number of initiatives far upstream in the value chain. In our polyurethanes manufacturing operations, increased production line speed and lower oven temperatures have yielded energy savings per square meter of turf of roughly 50 percent,” comments Irizarry. “Our HYPOD™ Polyolefin Dispersions for carpet backings use 20 percent less material than thermoset backings, helping preserve resources and energy. Our LOMAX™ Technology uses methane gas collected from landfills to manufacture advanced latex backing using renewable energy and reducing emissions.”

“Sustainability will be the primary focus of our new product development, whether the sustainable aspects are in the production or the reuse of the flooring product, we will give customers the option to make a positive environmental impact of the planet.”

The latest ‘green’ technologies from Dow for polyurethane, latex and polyolefin carpet backing systems will be in the spotlight at the Dow Flooring Technology Center at DOMOTEX.