LANCASTER, Pa., Nov. 14, 2008 (VNS) – Armstrong World Industries announced October 30th it will begin manufacturing fiberglass-backed vinyl residential flooring in the United States.
The vinyl flooring, sold under the CushionStep brand, is currently being made only in its Teesside, England, plant. Due to double-digit sales gains in the United States. for several years, Armstrong decided to manufacture the flooring domestically, to reduce shipping costs and delivery times.
Armstrong will spend $25 million to renovate an existing plant currently making felt-backed residential sheet flooring. This decision ensures the plant, which has lost hundreds of jobs over the past two decades, will remain open for the foreseeable future.
"This prolongs the life of the facility," said Joe Rumberger, president of United Steelworkers Local 285, which represents the plant's production workers.
The plant employed more than 3,000 people in the early 1970's, but has been downsized several times since then, including a 2004 decision to stop making commercial flooring there.
Armstrong chose to give the new job to the Lancaster plant, rather than build a new plant somewhere else or have an outside firm manufacture it for Armstrong.
Jen Johnson, spokeswoman for Armstrong, cited reasons the Lancaster plant won the job: "The experienced work force there, the remarkable job they've done improving cost and quality, and the fact that the plant is well-known throughout the industry for producing high-quality sheet flooring products."
Armstrong plans to install a new single, long production line to make the fiberglass-backed product, replacing the four separate lines currently used to make felt-backed products. Initially, the old lines will keep running as the new line goes in. But in late 2009, the old lines will be shut down and removed. The first fiberglass-backed vinyl sheet product is due to come off the production line in the first quarter of 2010.
The new flooring will be physically different from the current product manufactured there, according to Rumberger. The fiberglass backing will be thinner, stronger, and lighter than the felt backing. Also, the designs on the flooring will be printed in water-based ink, rather than the oil-based ink they use on felt-backed flooring.
Rumberger remarked about the new production line planned, "It's an exciting time right now."
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The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC vinyl in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC and vinyl products to society.
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
(703) 741-5669
jeff_palmer@plastics.org
Also go to: www.vinylindesign.com and www.vinylinfo.org.