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Guest Speakers

Special "Who produces extra long and wide wooden floors : (solid wood and multilayer)?"

Floor Forum International N° 129, March 2023

‘Niche market where customised and in-house work make a difference.’
When we talk about extra long and wide wooden floors, we automatically mention firms which are real wood specialists. We found such a firm in Minderhout (Belgium): Nobel Flooring. Nobel Flooring makes exceptional lengths in two and three-layer parquet up to 15 metres. You won’t find planks longer than that on the market and they aim to stress that fact during the BAU trade fair in Munich.
Nobel Flooring didn’t just emerge from nowhere. This family business has a thing about wood, plus a history going back to 1890 when clockmaker Piet Schrauwen started to make wooden cupboards for clocks. He created something unique for each client out of a love for wood. Six generations later, the family still does this under the leadership of business managers Johan Schrauwen and Petra Lievens. Nobel Flooring deals purely in customised work ranging from parquet floors to staircases inclusive.

Special "Levellers: who sells what and what about dust reduction"

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

‘Our products are getting closer to the ultimate ideal of working dust-free.’
When it comes to reducing dust, you simply cannot ignore the Dutch company Lecol BV, which comes under its parent company Maiburg. This company is heavily committed to reducing the impact of its products on both the environment and the health of users, and that means marketing levelling agents with as little dust as possible. Sales and product manager Pieter Pruijn explains the how and why of the dust-free levelling agent narrative.

Special "Who sells walk-behind machines for roughing up old tiles, grinding the screed, and removing old carpet, adhesive residue, and such like?"

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

"Maximising ergonomics plays a crucial role"
When it comes to 'surface and floor' surface and floor machining in the Benelux, Husqvarna Construction is an authority you cannot ignore. In terms of Walk behind machines for roughening concrete, removing old tiles, sanding terazzo, removing carpet or glue residues, and so on, the company has everything it needs to win over the flooring industry.

Special "Wooden floors with a wood powder top layer: the strength of the finish"

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

"The winners of today and tomorrow are those who can drastically reduce the use of raw materials"
One of the pioneers in powder technology for the creation of top coats for multi-layer wooden floors is Austrian Stöckl Parkett. Stöckl Parkett markets the three-layer B:hard, using a technique developed by Swede Darko Pervan (founder of Välinge in 1993).

Review "Domotex Hannover"

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

“During Domotex, we once again demonstrated how we are innovators at heart”
In Hannover, Välinge Innovation was one of the exhibitors that drew a lot of attention. Once again, it illustrated how it has remained a pioneer in technical revolutions for the flooring industry since its inception in 1993. During Domotex, the Swedish company with its headquarter in Viken, put the spotlights on its new 5G® Cross™, that premiered at the show. This 5G® Cross™ is yet another addition to its floor locking portfolio.

Special Outdoor floors: wood & composite

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

‘After an explosion in sales due to the pandemic, the terrace wood market has stabilised.’
The Denderwood family business has been one of the Belgian specialists in the import and processing of durable tropical hard wood for over a century. When we talk about tropical hard wood, you know that some of it is used for terrace production. If you are aware of these facts, it is logical to call upon this company from Erpe-Mere for a testimonial as part of an article about terrace construction.

Special Poland

Floor Forum International N° 128, February 2023

‘It’s best to do business in Poland through someone who knows that market.’
What’s it like doing business in Poland? We put that question to Joris Philipsen, business manager of Arbo Wood Flooring. His Bruges-based company started doing business in Poland about ten years ago after a discussion during a trade fair. It started with one Polish supplier, but Joris now works together with no fewer than eight Polish companies and knows the country like the back of his hand.

Special "Who has lacquers specifically for wooden staircases?"

Floor Forum International N° 127, December 2022

“We offer a whole host of solutions for the coating of staircases”
You already read in the introduction there are several reasons to choose a lacquer for the finishing of a staircase. But what specifically do manufacturers have on offer? We looked at the German specialist Heidelberg Coatings to learn what they have in the way of stair lacquering and how they respond to various situations.

Special "Producers of levelling agents : which thicknesses can we apply in one treatment and what about the drying time?"

Floor Forum International N° 127, December 2022

‘Your basic knowledge lays a nice base.’
Bostik is a specialist in adhesive systems and its products are used all over the world in scores of applications, from production and industrial assembly to hygienic disposables. This wide range also includes solutions for the building industry, from new construction to renovation and for both residential and commercial settings.

Special "LVT, PVC, vinyl and laminate: click systems examined, a survey" 

Floor Forum International N° 127, December 2022

What are the click systems like, and which ones are currently the best on the market?
There are three distinct types of locking systems on the market – each with different advantages and disadvantages. The oldest system is the snapping or angling installation, like our 2G Angling, which is a robust system that can go down to floors as thin as 3 mm.

"Preview Domotex Hannover"

Floor Forum International N° 127, December 2022

‘We’re expecting a lot from Domotex, even with fewer exhibitors.’
Bijlard International, based in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands and producer of high-quality adhesives and kits, is taking part in Domotex in Hanover for the fifth time and will be at stand A41 in hall 22. Bijlard employs about 30 people and targets only professionals. We are familiar with the company for its parquet adhesive, but also for its production of wood, polymer, and contact adhesives. At Domotex, that parquet adhesive range will witness the launch of the latest product in the family. We asked owner Peter Bijlard and head of marketing and communication Jos Tourné about the new parquet adhesive and their participation in Domotex in general.
Peter Bijlard begins: ‘This adhesive is so new that we still haven’t made a final decision about what to call it. I can certainly assure readers that it’ll be worth coming along because this version represents a significant improvement in performances as compared to the average parquet adhesive.’

Special "Subfloors : part II"
Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

“It’s all about sustainability, on top of exceptional quality”
When you want to know more about underlays, it’s a good idea to contact Michaël Wensky, who is Key Account Manager with German Parkettfreund. Wensky mainly works as product manager for insulation materials and accessories for the installation of floors, after having spent the earlier days of his career in the general flooring business. We ask him first to situate Parkettfreund inside Küberit, to see what exactly the difference is between the two.

Special "How to prepare terrazzo, concrete, natural stone and such like for fitting wooden floors, PVC, vinyl, and laminate"

Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

‘We’re a one-stop partner; we literally have all solutions under our own roof.’
After incorporating businesses such as Blastrac and HTC, Husqvarna Construction can justifiably take pride in the fact that it offers machines and diamond tools for treating all floors, whether concrete, natural stone or terrazzo. The company thereby has all bases covered, from removal work and preparatory work to finishing the floor.

Special "Powder technology for the top layer of wooden multilayer floors"

Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

‘This product takes ecological awareness to new heights.’
A topic which we haven’t covered before is the use of powder technology to create top layers for wooden multilayer floors. To learn more about it, we spoke to Joris Philipsen, business development manager at Stöckl Parkett, Austria, which sells B:hard on the market. He explains the technology, which was developed by the Swede Darko Pervan (founder in 1993 of the well known Välinge).

Special "Top Austrian companies focused on export"

Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

“We offer wood products for the more demanding side of the market”
One of the leading woodworking companies in Austria is Admonter Holzindustrie AG. This company was founded in 1972 and celebrates its 50th birthday. It started as a sawmill and became a leading enterprise in the production of high-quality natural wood products for holistic room concepts, combining natural wood on floors, walls and ceilings. With a turnover of 69 million euros in 2021 and 280 employees, this is quite an achievement for a company that is owned by… the local Benedictine abbey.

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