Fourth in a series of four interviews
[Calhoun, Ga.] Edge Summit 2023 attendees will see the fruits of Mohawk’s investments in hardwood and laminate products on the show floor Dec. 12-15 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. And according to Jamie Chilcoff, president, wood and laminate, it will be seen in both the products’ beauty and performance.
Indeed, whether it is hardwood, laminate or resilient products, Mohawk will flex its technology muscles across its product portfolio. “Mohawk is really focusing on the hard surface part of the business and has made a lot of investments as demand continues to grow,” asserted Chilcoff.
Chilcoff noted too that demand is driven by both the product’s beauty and its waterproof attributes. “At Edge Summit, you will see those two main themes in the product portfolio — realism but also product performance.”
Signature Look
Mohawk’s Signature Technology debuted earlier this year with its popular RevWood segment bringing a new level of texture and realism to wood décor. The technology incorporates 64 layers of design data into each plank achieving looks that are virtually indistinguishable from natural hardwood, according to the company.
“Signature Technology is the most advanced, realistic product in the market,” stated Chilcoff. “It’s head-and-shoulders above anything else. You will see that Signature Technology at Edge Summit in the Mohawk, Karastan and Pergo brands. We are excited to see different types of wood [visuals] and textures.”
New capacity coming on will allow the company to take this cutting-edge technology across each of its Master Brands, reported Chilcoff, adding that waterproof will be another theme carried across Mohawk, Karastan and the Pergo brands. “It is getting better and better with WetProtect, the right kind of waterproof with water-tight joints, our proprietary waterproof finish, and a lifetime surface and subfloor warranty.”
Building Brand Benefits
While Mohawk, Karastan and Pergo remain differentiated brands, the company is committed to bringing its latest innovations and technology to each, making sure that its retail partners have access to what is most meaningful to them.
“That’s a shift for us,” shared Chilcoff. “You have different dealers who run their businesses and they pick different brands. We can put together this high level technology in waterproof and Signature Technology and not limit that to one brand. By taking them across all the Master Brands, any dealer that shows up [at Edge Summit] gets access to that.”
Another common theme throughout the entire portfolio is sustainability, he reported. “Mohawk is more committed to sustainability than ever before. It’s happening at the consumer and dealer level and becoming more of a question they are asking — where it is made, where it comes from — in all types of products.”
While sustainability has always been an important attribute, he pointed out, it wasn’t part of the decision-making process for the consumer. “Now, it is more of a factor and becoming more and more relevant,” Chilcoff said. “That’s why we developed UltraWood as an alternative to traditional wood options. Naturally sustainable, UltraWood provides 10 times more flooring and uses 90 percent recycled wood,” he continued, adding that a marketing program is being designed around sustainability so that RSAs will be able to tell that story.
Making Connections
This year will mark Mohawk’s president of wood and laminate Jamie Chilcoff’s first time at Edge Summit. “For me, it is a chance to take my time and talk to dealers,” he said. “When Edge dealers come to the Summit here, there will be more time for them to talk about their business — how they sell and what their needs are, what their strategies are and how we can help them fill gaps in their portfolio.”
Understanding that these dealers are creative and innovative in how they sell their product, he noted, will allow Mohawk to “put that information into how we position a product so we try to understand what they do well. It is a much more in-depth conversation.”
Edge Summit, he said, will provide more opportunity to sit down and have these conversations with dealers. “It is very rare to have the type of caliber of dealers all in one place and learn. We listen and we want to talk with them not at them. It’s an exciting time for us and retailers are important to our business.”