Columbia Commercial Flooring today announced plans to roll out formaldehyde-free, FSC-certified engineered hardwood flooring to the commercial segment in 2007.
Available by special order at first, with plans for a wholesale conversion of its engineered hardwood flooring plant in Danville, Columbia Commercial will market its formaldehyde-free flooring as PureBond(TM), the brand created by parent company Columbia Forest Products for its decorative hardwood plywood. The panel producer converted all of its hardwood plywood plants to formaldehyde-free manufacturing processes in 2005, and PureBond has become a fast-growing brand in the green-building, architecture and design, and environmental health communities.
Columbia Commercial sources veneers and core material from its parent company's veneer and plywood mills, eight of which are FSC-certified, to make its environmentally certified engineered hardwood flooring.
"Sustainability and environmental health are extremely important issues in the architecture and design world," Columbia Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lance Rooney said. "Being able to offer both formaldehyde-free and FSC-certified hardwood flooring to the commercial market is not only a point of differentiation in the marketplace, it's something we believe is crucial to our future."
Rooney said PureBond hardwood flooring -- which will be launched in domestic species of oak, maple and pecan, in 3-inch and 5-inch widths -- will be available throughout the company's North America distribution network. Marketing efforts will initially be focused on the western United States and select metropolitan areas where large "green" commercial construction projects are currently underway. Columbia plans to add additional species in the near future.Business Wire via Forbes
