Karndean Designflooring is a global giant in the vinyl flooring world, but their story started in a small living room in the UK midlands back in the ’70s. Their founder, a former flooring installer, was a visionary who saw the untapped potential to give customers a vinyl floor like no other.
That desire to offer innovative solutions remains deeply embedded in the company’s DNA. So, when they were developing their rigid core products to launch in an already crowded US market, they had to be sure that they could stand out from the competition.
“The US flooring market very rapidly began gravitating towards interlocking rigid core products about six years ago and was quickly becoming saturated with options,” says Carol Fulton, Project Manager, Karndean Designflooring USA — who has worked at the company since 1998. “We wanted to be sure that what we brought to the market was above and beyond the selection at the time, in terms of both design quality and performance; which was why we looked to Välinge for the industry-leading 5G® locking mechanism for our first rigid core range Korlok Select.”
Since its launch, Korlok Select has become the gold-standard of rigid core flooring and sits proudly atop Karndean’s rigid core flooring hierarchy. It’s a testament to the flooring company’s long history and subsequent market knowledge that they recognised the extensive benefits that the easy-install fold-down 5G® system could lend their premium rigid core offering.
“We were among the first in the US to go to market with a 5G® locking mechanism, and even still today, we consistently hear from retailers that their installers love our Korlok Select product,” says Carol Fulton. “It is easier and faster to work with, unlike other products with drop locks that require a hammer and tapping block. Plus, 5G® offers the consumer additional security and confidence in the integrity of our Korlok Select product.”
The Välinge and Karndean story doesn’t end there, of course. Like all of Välinge’s partners, the relationship has grown — nurtured by many years of support and a shared passion for innovation.
“While our global team led the charge in working with Välinge pre-launch, here in the US, we look forward to speaking with our contacts from Välinge every year at The International Surface Event (TISE),” says Carol Fulton. “We get to learn more about the latest technology and options, and we’ve enjoyed strengthening our relationship with our contacts at Välinge over the last several years.”
