Features

Innovation & Opportunity

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

William, Piet and Julian Dossche and John Tighe tell the IFC story at the NFA meeting on St. Kitts

Julian and William Dossche launch IFC with passion & purpose

[St. Kitts, West Indies] The Dossche name has become synonymous with innovation. Back in 2012, Piet Dossche brought the first WPC plank to market launching COREtec. Now, his sons Julian and William are putting that same passion into play with their new company International Flooring Company (IFC) making its debut here at the NFA Spring Meeting.

“We have great support and buy-in (here with the NFA),” said Piet Dossche. “I’m so proud of the boys. We came here to gauge interest and support. We need to build the infrastructure, sales team and really support it. With the NFA, that means something. These young people (Julian and William), are committed and JT (John Tighe) is helping them. People respect what we have done over the years. We always will be innovators. It’s in my DNA and their DNA.”

The IFC display system allows samples to be easily taken and placed on the floor to view.

Julian Dossche, CEO and president and William Dossche, executive vice president of operations, were at the meeting with intent — not just to show product but to offer a holistic and innovative approach from how they sample to display and service their products.

“We believe in the total package and being taken care of,” explained Julian Dossche. “Even the website and the branding.”

The website is clear about the company’s purpose of partnering with retailers. Those partnerships begin here with NFA retailers. “We are trying to make sure that what we do for retailers adds value — systems and how we get there, on the floor and with the service piece,” said Julian Dossche. “We are fully plugged in with the manufacturing.”

The product portfolio includes 24 WPC SKUs made in Vietnam, including production of a large 9 X 84 board, and 18 SKUS of SPC — six made in Vietnam and 12 being made at the Huali plant in Georgia which Julian Dossche has intimate knowledge of having been the leadership there and getting it off the ground during COVID.

Among the innovations being offered is how products will be sampled: a patent pending process of printed paper samples that rolls up like a scroll and put into a cardboard cylinder. Said Julian Dossche, “We are making sure the consumer can walk out with it.” That is particularly ideal for IFC’s big 84 inch board.

“It is an exact match of design and color and you can take it home,” shared Julian Dossche. “This is how you get the retailer and consumer empowered to make the sale. And sampling is a huge cost and a big waste from an environmental standpoint.” He added, “You don’t have to chase sample returns.”
Another innovation? The display system that houses “a lot of product in a small footprint,” said Julian Dossche. “It’s not intimidating to the RSA.”

In addition, IFC is offering a two-in-one underlayment — a collaboration between Amorim and Nike that uses ground up shoes — that gives yet another story to tell the consumer.